Thompson-Weatherup Family Charitable Foundation University Fellows Endowment

Water Chestnut is an invasive aquatic plant originally from parts of Europe and Asia. In the mid 1800’s it was brought to Boston and since then has spread across the East Coast. Water Chestnut can overcrowd waterways making it impossible to boat or fish, not only that but the seeds are spiky causing extreme pain if stepped on. The goal of my project was to determine which waterbodies in Northern New York were most suitable for Water Chestnut Growth.

I spent the summer exploring the forests along the Oswegatchie, Grasse, and Raquette Rivers within St. Lawrence County. Working with Dr. Erika Barthelmess, we investigated the combined use of audio recorders and camera traps in evaluating the biodiversity along these corridors. We experimented with acoustic recording methods and explored how to manage the large datasets produced by passive biodiversity monitoring.

I spent eight weeks at St. Lawrence University doing aquatic conservation research with Dr. Bradley Baldwin and a fellow student researcher, Lilia Smith '26. In our project, we studied an invasive species, water chestnut (WC), which has been found in local watersheds and has taken over a section of the Oswegatchie River. This was part of a larger project sponsored by NYSDEC to manage WC populations in the area. 

Collegiate emergency medical service (EMS) agencies provide valuable services to college and university campuses across the United States through quick response times and peer-to-peer assistance. However, the unique layout and road network of a college campus can provide unique challenges, such as limited vehicle access to inner campus and indirect routes to high volume call areas. Geospatial analysis of the St. Lawrence University campus in Canton, NY was used to gain a better understanding of the impact of these factors on the response time of St.

This summer I devoted my SLU Fellowship opportunity to immerse in a new art medium. As a double major in Environmental Studies and Studio Art, I am passionate about finding space for intersection between both of my interests and  paper making felt like a perfect opportunity for the exploration of sustainable practices. I was mentored by Velma Bolyard and Melissa Schulenberg in learning the craft. We focused on the use of readily available materials for the production of quality paper. More specifically we utilized paper scraps, plant fibers and recycled cotton t-shirt.

Rural Feminisms in the North Country: Expanding the Archives focuses on sharing the stories of women in the North Country during the 1970s and 1980s and how they thought of and enacted feminism, activism, and other feminist activity. By creating a digital platform dedicated to these women, such material is now accessible to a broader audience to recognize and honor the women involved and their efforts. This fellowship is part of an ongoing Rural Feminisms project with Dr.

Established in 1976, Reachout is a free, non-judgmental crisis and information hotline serving residents of St. Lawrence County. It answers after-hours calls for many other human services agencies as well as operates a mobile crisis team that sends trained counselors to meet and assess people at risk. Reachout provides a vital service to our community. For example, in 2005 alone, Reachout logged over 28,000 calls. I completed the training and became an official volunteer at Reachout in the Spring of 2019.