This past April, Jamie Dinella ’24, Michael McCarty ’24, and Jake Stergio ’24 attended the 79th Annual Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, alongside their mentors Environmental Studies Prof. Tasha Gownaris ’09 and Prof. Andy Wilson. There, Dinella, McCarty, and Stergio presented independent research at a well-attended poster session. Their travel was supported by the Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG), which provides STEM students experiential learning opportunities as well as funding for academic supplies and conference travel. They were also supported by The Provost Funds for Student Professional Papers and Conferences.
Since graduating, these alumni are now employing the knowledge and enduring skills they gained at Gettysburg College through the Gettysburg Approach, such as communication and leadership. Having participated in experiences like this conference, they are able to articulate what they have learned and connect it with their personal and professional goals as they pursue graduate school and career opportunities.
With guidance from their faculty mentors, they each reflected on presenting at the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference—a skill integral to the success of Gettysburg College students who participate in the Guided Pathways, a defining element of the Gettysburg Approach.
“Reflection is integral to our environmental studies courses, but providing students with an opportunity to reflect on the many other aspects of their time at Gettysburg is much more than an academic exercise,” said Wilson. “You will see in the reflections of Jamie, Michael, and Jake that they talk about their personal growth and the sense of belonging afforded by opportunities such as attending academic meetings off campus. Reflection allowed them to put our trip into the context of their transition from undergraduate students to their future careers. As mentors, we are so proud of our students’ achievements, and we are grateful to the College for supporting us as we spread the word about the great work our students do.”
Read their reflections.
Jamie Dinella ’24
Major: Environmental studies
Minors: Biology, Data Science
Hometown: Media, Pennsylvania
Faculty Mentor: Environmental Studies Prof. Tasha Gownaris ’09
“The Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference was an amazing experience not only to network with professionals in the environmental field, but to build my confidence as an academic. I was particularly grateful that I was able to share the findings of my senior honors thesis, which focused on the impacts of phenological shifts on the reproductive success of common and Arctic terns in the Gulf of Maine, at the poster symposium.
“Toward the beginning of my college journey, I was a fairly shy student who always had a significant sense of nervousness when it came to public speaking. However, through Dr. Tasha Gownaris’ mentorship and encouragement throughout my time at Gettysburg, I am thankful for how strong my communication skills have become. In fact, I was extremely excited for this conference as it gave me the opportunity to stand alongside a product I was so proud of after many hours of development. I am forever grateful that my Gettysburg experience has allowed me to break out of my shell as I had so much fun connecting with professionals as well as other students over my passion for research.
“Furthermore, the multitude of topics discussed at the conference was inspiring. I left many of the talks extremely motivated. Listening to the creativity and hard work from other projects reminded me how important collaboration in the dispersal of knowledge is for the research process.
“Additionally, the friendly interactions between professionals in a wide variety of fields was incredibly influential. In fact, building these connections provided me with immense comfort, as I began to visualize all the great possible next steps I could take following graduation.”
Michael McCarty ’24
Major: Biology
Minors: Chemistry, Environmental Studies
Hometown: Mullica Hill, New Jersey
Faculty Mentor: Environmental Studies Prof. Tasha Gownaris ’09
Current Career: Research Technician, Metabolic Screening Lab at the University of Pennsylvania
“This past semester, I did research with Dr. Gownaris that I was fortunate enough to present at this conference during a poster presentation session. My work focused on how climate change and extreme weather events are influencing sea chick growth for common and arctic terns in Petit Manan Island.
“Being able to attend this conference was an incredible experience for me. Having the opportunity to hear a multitude of talks on research people were doing helped open my eyes to the various avenues my future may take me, as I navigate where I want to fit into society through my career. In addition to the talks, I was able to connect with others and hear about their experiences, as well as talk to some companies about what they do and where my interests lie.
“The poster presentation itself was also an amazing experience. While it was only an hour, getting to talk to people about the research I had been working on and answer any questions they had got me more comfortable with public speaking as well as science communication. In addition to the experiences I gained, it’s great to talk about on my resume or a cover letter.
“I’m incredibly happy and lucky that I was able to get funding for this conference so that I could have this experience during my college career. I am grateful to X-SIG and the Provost’s Office for funding me.”
Jake Stergio ’24
Majors: Biology, Environmental Studies
Hometown: Easton, Pennsylvania
Faculty Mentor: Environmental Studies Prof. Andy Wilson
Current Career: Fellow with the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps
“Attending the 79th Annual Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference was a fantastic experience! Throughout the conference, I talked with several people in the career field I hope to pursue, and it was inspiring hearing the stories of how they got the positions they currently hold. Many professionals also gave me career advice, such as how to tailor my resume for specific job positions or where to look for openings.
“I also attended several presentations on topics ranging from monitoring and protecting endangered bird species to assessing salt marsh vulnerability to learn more about what kind of projects conservationists are working on.
“After attending several talks, I presented my thesis research on monitoring songbirds using unmanned aerial systems with several other students at a poster presentation. This was an amazing opportunity to both build up my public speaking skills and answer questions related to my work that I hadn’t thought about prior.
“Overall, the trip helped me better understand what kind of work is possible within the field of wildlife. It provided me with several opportunities to further develop the skills that would make me a more desirable job candidate.”
By Megan Miller
Photos courtesy of featured subjects
Posted: 09/30/24