This article features the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
Sunday, February 01, 2004
By BRIAN P. HEFFRON
Finger Lakes Times, Geneva, N.Y.
GENEVA - The federal government will contribute $250,000 to Hobart and William Smith Colleges' Finger Lakes Institute as part of the 2004 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.
"We can now do what we wanted to do. Without it, we wouldn't have the equipment in place," said Professor Dr. John Halfman, director of the environmental science program and acting coordinator of the institute.
Colleges President Mark D. Gearan said the $250,000 grant will be a "critical building block" for the institute, which was a key recommendation of the colleges' strategic plan, HWS 2005.
The colleges established the institute in 2002 to promote research, education and community outreach for the 11 Finger Lakes. Its primary goal is to develop educational materials to support existing programs like Science on Seneca, which allows area high school students to conduct experiments on the William F. Scandling, the colleges' 65-foot research vessel. Other projects include summer science research fellowships for students.
The institute will also work with local and state government agencies, non-profit organizations and other educational institutions to serve as a clearinghouse for information about the lakes and region and eventually develop lectures, research symposia and publications.
Institute faculty and partners will also conduct research on such topics as zebra mussels and their ecological impact, hydrogeochemistry, and limnology, the study of freshwater lakes, as well as record environmental and climatic data to expose changes.
"I think the potential of what the Finger Lakes Institute will mean to the area is very promising ... to make sure that these natural treasures are protected," Gearan said.
The institute previously received a $1 million New York state grant arranged by Sen. Michael F. Nozzolio, R-53 of Fayette, to renovate a house at 601 S. Main St. into laboratories, classrooms, offices and exhibit space.
"The money we got from New York state through the efforts of Mike Nozzolio to renovate the building on Main Street didn't include major items like equipping a classroom with computer technology or research equipment in a lab.... It was primarily geared toward getting the renovations complete so we have this facility," Halfman said.
Barring complications, Halfman expects renovations to be done within one or two months. The $250,000 will probably arrive in spring, with equipment deliveries in summer.
Halfman said he believes Gearan's familiarity with Washington politics was paramount to getting the federal money.
Gearan deferred credit to Rep. Jim Walsh, R-25 of Syracuse, who arranged to have the $250,000 included in the omnibus bill.
"His hard work in gaining these critical funds means that our area will have important research on the ecology of the Finger Lakes and ensure that planning is informed," Gearan wrote in a press release. "Jim Walsh cares deeply about our area - and we are fortunate to have someone of his stature and leadership working on our behalf."
"I am thrilled that Hobart and William Smith Colleges are providing the critical leadership to protect and enhance this unique and beautiful region of our state," Walsh stated in the colleges' press release.
Gearan said institute faculty will purchase laboratory instruments and portable devices for field work, among other things. He did not know how much money would be needed to complete the researchers' wish list.
"If you gave me a couple seconds, I could probably come up with 10 or 20 million dollars," Halfman excitedly said when asked, adding that he hopes to establish an endowment fund for the institute's operating costs.
Halfman said the equipment could include a new seismic imaging system to look at lake floor sediments and coring equipment to retrieve sediment for analysis. Both devices could be used on the William F. Scandling or another vessel.
Halfman also said they might use about $20,000 to secure a matching funds grant from the John Ben Snow Foundation of Syracuse for a pontoon boat and trailer that could be used at any of the 11 Finger Lakes. The William F. Scandling can only be used on Seneca and Cayuga lakes.