10月13日, 2022 – A team representing Marist’s School of 科学 has been accepted into a prestigious advocacy program that will provide an opportunity to train on a national level later this month. Scholars Transforming Through Research (STR) is a program of the Council for 本科研究 (CUR) that trains students and their mentors to communicate with government officials, 资助机构, and the media to leverage and promote undergraduate study. bet亚洲365欢迎投注的小组由 Dr. 锡安绝, 环境科学助理教授, and includes current student Carli Piretra ’23 and recent alumna Emma Butzler ’22.

STR is a nationally competitive professional development opportunity in which teams participate in a six-month program aimed at developing their communication and advocacy skills which will empower them to convey the power of the high-impact practices of undergraduate research, 奖学金, and creative inquiry experience to diverse stakeholder groups.

“The interaction with elected officials and 资助机构 makes these programs very competitive,”医生说。. Alicia Slater, Dean of the School of 科学, “The acceptance of Dr. Klos and his team of undergraduate researchers into this inaugural program provides national recognition for their excellent work and for bet亚洲365欢迎投注.”

Dr. Klos is an environmental Earth scientist who focuses on integrating the physical, 生态, and social sciences to help solve local to global issues around water and climate.

“The training in science communication this program provides our undergraduate students is really unparalleled,”医生说。. 锡安绝, “We will be helping these students learn how to bridge science and policy at the highest levels in our government.”

Piretra ’23 is an Environmental 科学 major with a minor in fashion merchandising and also is a teaching assistant and an officer for the Student Government 可持续性 Committee. This summer she received a Cargill Marist School of 科学 grant to do independent research in Barcelona, 西班牙, which she says was a driver of her acceptance in to the STR program. Her research looked at how Barcelona’s garbage disposal methods affect the quantity of macroplastics and garbage in streams. She plans to compare the data collected in 西班牙 to the data in Poughkeepsie in hopes of integrating the "zero waste" concept that is already integrated into Barcelona’s community.

“The program is going to be the perfect space for me to find inspiration for ways to effectively change policy,皮雷特拉说. “Seeing the environmental sector through the lens of governmental officials is an essential skill to have and I am so thankful to have an inside look. I am excited to learn how to navigate the unfamiliar realm of politics.”

Butzler ’22 graduated from Marist in May and is currently attending North Carolina State University, 攻读地理空间分析博士学位. 在bet亚洲365欢迎投注, 她参与了许多研究项目, which included creating a proposal aimed to understand failing septic systems and excess nutrients in the Fall Kill Watershed, 这个项目由哈德逊河基金会全额资助.

“The STR program will once again allow me to collaborate with decision makers but this time at a larger level,22岁的巴兹勒说. “As I continue to pursue research here at NC State and collaborate with policy makers on Capitol Hill, I will take with me the experiences and community issues that I saw first-hand in the Hudson Valley and now here in Raleigh. I am very grateful that Marist has continued to invest in my education through conferences, 旅游和研究.”

本月末, accepted teams will engage at an in-person skill development, 宣传培训, 以及在华盛顿特区举行的社交活动, participate in virtual skill development and discussions sessions throughout the year, and become part of CUR’s advocacy ambassadors to be called upon to meet with elected officials, 并参与撰写专栏和博客文章.