Through immersive learning experiences alongside faculty, Gettysburg College students gain knowledge and skills to help advance their career goals.
This past fall, Environmental Studies Chair Andy Wilson and four Gettysburg College students nominated by Provost Jamila Bookwala attended the annual Naval Academy Science & Engineering Conference in Annapolis, Maryland.
“A highlight for me was seeing 4,000 future naval officers in a talk about climate change by Dr. Rick Spinrad, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,” reflected Wilson, noting the large discussion-based panels during which he and the students were able to listen and learn.
This hands-on experience allowed biology major Harley Hochard ’25 of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; physics major Nhi Le ’27 of Hà Tĩnh, Vietnam; physics major Harry Nelson ’25 of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and environmental studies major Mishael Ohanwadi ’25 of Monrovia, Liberia, to meet and network with 200 STEM scholars, both military and civilian, while reflecting on their own academic journeys at the College.
Hochard noted that attending this conference was eye-opening, as it related to her career goals within the field of environmental studies.
“I learned a great deal from this experience given that it was geared more toward the engineering aspect of environmental science and sustainability,” said Hochard. “I was able to look at my future career aspirations and tie in what I’ve learned here at Gettysburg College with my newfound knowledge from the NASEC conference.
“I walked in with my eyes set on this narrow view of what environmental studies and biology is and left with my perception of the two much broader,” Hochard continued. “A conference such as this gives students the opportunity to collaborate with others in vastly different fields in order to discuss better practices.”
Each year, the Science & Engineering Conference has a new theme related to the STEM field. Wilson looks forward to returning in future years with more STEM majors who could present their own research, such as their capstone projects or research from participating in the Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG).
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By Ainsley Green ’27
Photos courtesy of Prof. Andy Wilson
Posted: 03/19/25