Finger Lakes Institute expands research, outreach |   |
Four new staff members join team of experts.
With an ever expanding role in the community, the Finger Lakes Institute continues to enhance its research, community outreach and education initiatives. This year, four new staff joined the FLI team, adding diverse perspectives and proven experience to the Institute's steadily growing programs.
Expanding the role of Geospatial Information Technology at the Institute is Nathan Burtch, a graduate of the University at Buffalo with a master's degree in urban planning, with emphases in GIS and environmental planning.
Burtch is assuming the position of Geographic Information Systems Specialist, where he will compile and update GIS datasets, analyze aerial photography, maintain relationships with Institute partners and contribute to community outreach endeavors.
Karen Edelstein brings her significant experience to the position of GIT Ahead Project Manager. GIT Ahead is a program that brings Geospatial Information Technology to the classroom through workshops and other educational outreach functions.
Edelstein, who occasionally lectures at Cornell on the subject of GIS and landscape impact analysis, is interested in ways that technology can aid conservation and provide educators and their students with the tools to make informed choices. She received bachelor and master's degrees from Cornell University, with a specialty in environmental management and sociology. She comes to the Colleges from the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology.
Filling the role of Education Outreach Coordinator is Sheila Myers. A graduate of SUNY-Cortland with a master's degree from the State College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University, Myers will be responsible for the Institute's presence in area schools, bringing a wealth of science education to the classroom.
With credentials that include the Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Centers for Nature Education at Baltimore Woods, Myers has deep roots in educational outreach and coordination. She has worked in water resource management since the age of 18, helping to protect valuable resources like the St. Lawrence River, the Potomac River and Skaneateles Lake.
Another new position strengthens the Institute's already impressive roster of supporting researchers. Bin Zhu, the new research scientist, will be responsible for keeping the Institute at the cutting edge of scientific inquiry.
His bachelor's and master's degrees in ecology are from Nanjing University, China. In 2006 he completed a doctorate in biology at Syracuse University.
Zhu and colleagues at Cornell University and the University of Toledo will soon have their most recent work published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research, with findings showing dramatic increases in underwater vegetation in Lake Ontario. Zhu's position at FLI brings a similar experience and methodology to bear on the Finger Lakes Region as a whole.
The Finger Lakes Institute is dedicated to the promotion of environmental research and education about the Finger Lakes and surrounding environments. In collaboration with regional environmental partners and state and local government offices, the Institute fosters environmentally-sound development practices throughout the region, and disseminates the accumulated knowledge to the general public.
Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006