Updated PDP

Follow Up PDP

I am considering graduate schools and programs that are based on location, so that I can start to develop a life in the town prior to starting school there. This will also help to make sure that I want to spend a good chuck of my time and money at the certain institution and town. Graduate school is picking a path that guides me towards where I want to be. But where do I want to be? What do I want to be doing? Below are mentors that have helped shape the person I have become, to be able to answer these important questions.

Who are my mentors? What do these people do as mentors?

Mandy Little: Role model for a plant ecologist, wonderful personality, strong woman. She deals with a lot of crap as a professor from students who don’t really care, but doesn’t get too down about it. Always finds a way to put a good spin on things. She is a very smart and talented scientist, very passionate about her work and her future. She cares about the students who care just as much as she did when she was a student.

Sarah Rykal: Very smart, young professional. Has taught me a lot about working professionally in academic situations, have learned a lot about social norming within sustainability, and is very organized. She has a great personality, very hip and funny. I think I would like to be like her when I am thirty; be done with school, have a job, but still have a great social life and be able to have the freedoms on those aspects.

Charles Bomar: Helps guide me in the school realm.  Narrows my focus onto what I want to do in the future as well as tries to open my eyes to aspects of the major, or field of study that I am not aware of.

Potential Graduate Schools and Programs

1.      University of California-Davis

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Graduate Programs

o    Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry **

o    Agricultural and Resource Economics

o    Animal Biology

o    Atmospheric Science **

o    Biological Systems Engineering

o    Ecology **

o    Ecology (Joint Doctorate with San Diego State University) **

o    Entomology **

o    Food Science

o    Genetics

o    Geography

o    Horticulture and Agronomy

o    Hydrologic Sciences

o    International Agricultural Development

o    Master of Professional Accountancy

o    Master of Public Health

o    Microbiology

o    Nutritional Biology

o    Pharmacology and Toxicology **

o    Plant Biology **

o    Plant Pathology **

o    Population Biology

o    Soils** and Biogeochemistry

o    Transportation Technology and Policy

o    Viticulture and Enology

2.       University of California-Berkley

Programs to consider: (fall 2012 school year)

-Energy and Resources Deadline: Dec 5, 2011
-Environmental Science, Policy and Management Deadline: Dec 1, 2011
-Forestry Deadline: Dec 1, 2011
-Plant Biology Deadline: Dec 4^th, 2011

3.      University of Montana

College of Forestry and Conservation Programs:

Program	Degree Offered
Ecosystem Management	M.E.M.
Forestry	M.S.;Ph.D.
Recreation Management	M.S.
Resource Conservation	M.S.
Resource Conservation (International Conservation and Development)	M.S.
Wilderness Management	Certificate
Fish and Wildlife Biology	Ph.D.
Wildlife Biology	M.S.

Deadlines for fall applications are January 31st and spring applications are August 31st.

4.      University of Oregon:

Biology Course Graduate Teaching Fellowships
Responsibilities include leading discussion or laboratory sections, grading, compiling students' scores, holding office hours, writing quiz or exam questions, and working with faculty on any course-related issues. Positions are listed for fall 2011, winter 2012 and spring 2012. I am guessing that these are also available every year, and most for the classes would be consistent.
Courses: Intro to Ecology, Ecology, Neotropical Ecology, Forest Biology, and Freshwater Biology.

Donna Overall

77 Klamath Hall

1210 University of Oregon

Eugene, OR 97403
Open until filled.

Programs to consider: Environmental and Natural Resources Law (School of Law), Environmental Sciences, Studies, and Policy (College of Arts and Sciences) with a graduate certificate program in Ecological Design Certificate(School for Architecture and Allied Arts).

5.      Western Washington University: Fall 2012 M.S. Environmental Science program: Thesis research will focus on effects of wildfire on soil chemistry.
            Peter Homann, Professor of Environmental Sciences
            Western Washington University
            Bellingham WA  98225-9181
            Email: Peter.Homann@wwu.edu
            Website: http://faculty.wwu.edu/homann/
Application deadline:  February 1.

I have re-signed into my USAjobs account, and started updating that. Over winter break, I plan to update the resumes that are currently uploaded, and searching through jobs. I want to look into SCEP programs within the USFS. Professionals talked about this at the Natural Areas Conference. I will also have to use my networks to start looking for housing in the areas that I want to live. I think that I really want to live in Oregon for many reasons. My parents are also supportive of me moving to start a new chapter of my life. They used to live in Oregon when they were younger, so they understand why I should probably be out there.

On my skills list, under missing, I have animal biology. I will be able to move that up into the emerging, because I am taking Zoology next semester, and that will be my first real animal class, because discussing animals in ecology. I also have chemistry skills under the missing category. I have experience in some soil chemistry from soil science conservation course I took last semester, as well as all the other three chemistry courses required by the major. I also have done small amounts of water chemistry when I worked with Trout Unlimited. After the spring semester, I think that I will be able to increase some of my skills through plant pathology and zoology next semester. I think that in the next job/internship I get, I will talk to my hiring supervisor to see if there is anything I can do to bump up the job, if it’s extra research collection or sitting in/shadowing a upper level professional, I think I will be able to build my skills up.