The Visiting Alumni Program provides alumni who are established in their careers with the opportunity to return to an SFS Center and interact with faculty members and current students. SFS alumni are well-positioned to give current students insight into environmental career paths and could potentially be an important resource to students as they contemplate the next step in their lives.

At the Center, we ask that alumni give a short presentation to students about their research or career field. In addition, we ask that alumni write a short article for our alumni e-newsletter, Beyond SFS, about their experience. In exchange, alumni can be provided with room and board for 2-3 nights at the Center. Due to the fact that schedules and availability of housing may change, this arrangement is subject to a final Center Director approval.

If you are interested in participating in the SFS Visiting Alumni Program, please fill out this questionnaire. If you have any questions, please email Marta Brill at mbrill@fieldstudies.org.

Jaime Palter
Costa Rica Fall '98; Visiting Aluma Summer '09

"This summer I returned to The School for Field Studies’ Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Atenas, Costa Rica, for the first time in a decade. Much has changed in my own life, at the Center, and in the surrounding community of Atenas. As I walked the rolling hills through the neighborhoods of Los Angeles and La Presa, there were many sights that were startlingly familiar: a tree bearing a pod-like fruit that the neighborhood boys showed us how to eat; a cluster of small houses crowding a certain bend in the road where neighbors had always yelled friendly greetings as we passed by." Read more about Jaime's visit to SFS-Costa Rica.


Wendee (Finlay) Holtcamp
Australia Fall '90; Visiting Alumna Australia Spring '08

"Last April I returned to "Warrawee," also known as the SFS Center for Rainforest Studies in Australia, a place that changed my life both personally and professionally eighteen years ago. It's hard to believe that many years have passed! When I drove down that long driveway, which seemed longer than I even remembered it, I couldn't stop smiling. I felt the energy that I'd felt the first time, the excitement of opening the door to a new chapter in my life at the time. It had been such an incredible time, so rich in all the knowledge and experiences and friendships gained." Read more about Wendee's trip back to Australia.

Rebecca Bella Wangh 
Mexico Summer '98; Visiting Alumna Mexico Spring '08

Rebecca Bella Wangh recently traveled back to the SFS Center for Coastal Studies, located in Puerto San Carlos on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur. Rebecca didn't return to SFS-CCS empty handed; she arrived bearing a series of collages inspired by the community of Puerto San Carlos that were created upon her return to the U.S. after completing the program ten years ago.

"As portraits, I hope they capture the patience and playfulness of the people in this town. I used brown paper bags as my drawing surface and included found objects (milkweed seeds and chips of windshield glass) because I wanted to follow the Mexican example of making something out of nothing. I remember boys in the town making a beautiful kite out of sticks and a pink plastic bag.  I wanted to continue this technique of artistic re-use. Art honors a community, gives it history and pride, so I planned the trip to give these images back to Puerto San Carlos." Read more about Rebecca's trip back to Mexico.