Students to present local 'sprawl' research at international conference

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Students who conducted research on the social and ecological impact of "sprawling" development in Adams County, Pa., will present their findings at an international conference in June.

At the largest gathering of social scientists and managers in resource management worldwide, six students and environmental studies Prof. Randall Wilson will present "To Sprawl or Not to Sprawl: The social and ecological impactsof sub-division development in Adams County" at the annual International Symposium on Society and Resource Management conference in Vancouver, Canada. Their research also earned them the Gettysburg and Adams County Chamber of Commerce Environmental Stewardship Award for 2005 and an article in the community's newspaper, the Hanover Evening Sun. In addition, the group has been asked to present its research at a future local government planning commission meeting.

Students in Wilson's research seminar course last fall assessed the impact of a development near Gettysburg where a 2,500-unit subdivision was proposed. Using geographic information systems technology, the students examined local impact such as water run-off, water quality, carbon sequestration and the abatement of various air pollutants. The students also suggested an alternative plan following environmental planning principles that would significantly reduce those impacts.

One student who worked on the project, senior environmental studies major Emily Chessin, of Fairfield, Conn., was also chosen in a national competition to participate in the National Wildlife Federation's Women for Sustainable Development: Building Future Leaders program. As a participant, Chessin attended a workshop in Washington, D.C., and organized a campus-wide event raising awareness of the environmental aspects of international sustainable development for Earth Day.

Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With approximately 2,600 students, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1832.

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