Two SFS Students Receive the Distinguished Student Researcher Award

October 7, 2008

Salem, Massachusetts – The School for Field Studies (SFS) presented two of its Distinguished Student Researcher Awards to Ms. Alexis Bolton and Mr. Justin Dohn in recognition of their exceptional environmental research skills during the spring semester 2008 at our field centers in the Turks and Caicos Islands and Australia.   

The Award is given to outstanding SFS college students who have made an important contribution to an environmental field or discipline and to their respective SFS Center's Five Year Research Plan (5YRP). Recipients' Directed Research (DR) projects provide meaningful results to SFS clients and partners in the field while the students demonstrate leadership in working with a team of student and faculty researchers.

SFS President, Bonnie Clendenning, and Program Dean, Dr. Robin Sears, presented the Award this year with nominations from Bolton and Dohn's respective DR advisors, Dr. Catherine Jadot and Dr. Tim Curran.

Bolton's research project, entitled The importance of invertebrates to coral reef biodiversity and ecosystem health: A baseline study of East Bay, South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands was conducted at the SFS Center for Marine Resource Studies in the British West Indies. Jadot states, “Alex demonstrated that the use of invertebrate indicator species for reef evaluation helps to reduce the sampling effects and inherent geographic differences among reef environments. These species can provide a valuable tool for analyzing reef biodiversity research results in a broader context.” “Alex displayed skills and character that every undergraduate should demonstrate: a good student, hard worker, very intelligent, and persevering.”

Dohn's project, entitled The effectiveness of three weed control methods on the removal of Lantana camara in Forty Mile Scrub National Park was conducted at the SFS Center for Rainforest Studies in Queensland, Australia. Dr. Curran states, “Justin's Directed Research project exemplifies the SFS model of applying field-based research to an environmental problem to provide sound guidelines to natural resource management managers. Justin's project is an excellent example of the cross-disciplinary work upon which SFS prides itself. Not only did he use good science to tackle an important issue (that of weed control); he used socio-economic principles to develop cost–effective and suitable weed management plan for his study area.”

About SFS 5YRP and DR Projects
SFS Centers have developed long-term research plans to help identify, address, and resolve critical environmental problems, providing information to assist local, regional and national agencies in resource management decision-making. The purpose of these research plans is to respond to the resource conservation and management needs of the local community, provide a roadmap for the academic and research components of our field programs, and fulfill SFS research requirements and collaborate with other academic and scientific institutions. Directed Research topics are defined by the 5YRP and build on previous research, addressing an environmental problem relevant to the local community.

About The School for Field Studies
Since 1980, The School for Field Studies (SFS), the nation's oldest and largest environmental study abroad program for college undergraduates, has combined hands-on environmental studies with scientific research to develop sustainable solutions to critical environmental problems. SFS students work with communities in developing nations to discover practical ways to manage their natural resources. In the process, SFS students undergo a transformational experience that helps them advance their careers as skilled professionals and to become globally aware citizens.

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