GLENVILLE, WV – Summer is often a time of relaxation, trips to the beach, and Netflix binges. However, industrious students can look at summer as a time to continue working on their degree requirements and pursue other educational opportunities. Here are a few of the Glenville State College students who are spending at least part of their summer break completing internships and research projects.
Environmental science major Michael Pracht from Paw Paw, West Virginia is completing an internship as a Student Ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Burnsville Lake in Burnsville, West Virginia. His internship was arranged through the student Pathways Program, which is designed to introduce students to potential career opportunities within the federal government.
“Each day at work brings a new surprise, but most of my time is spent interacting with campers and ensuring visitor safety. Another aspect of my job is to ensure compliance with Title 36 Federal Code, which deals with Parks and Recreation laws. I have the ability to issue warnings to violators and call upon senior rangers to issue citations, which is a rare occurrence. My job is essentially to make sure every visitor at Burnsville Lake has a safe and enjoyable experience both on and off the water. Some unique things I have gotten to do include distributing water safety literature at several local parades, taking elementary students on tours of our historical area, and helping more turtles across the road than I had ever imagined,” said Pracht.
He says that he realized early on in his college career that he would need an internship to satisfy the work experience credit for his program of study. He did a lot of research on internships in the natural resources field before completing the very selective application process for the Pathways Program.
“The nice thing about this internship is that I get to participate first-hand in natural resource management, especially when working closely with our resource manager at Burnsville Lake. One of the most important aspects of managing our natural resources is ensuring the public is satisfied, and my job is on the front line of that approach,” he said. Pracht says he has enjoyed guiding school tour groups that have visited, with some of the students even calling him their favorite ranger. He believes that it is important for the younger generations to cherish both the history and natural resources in our area.
Pracht is a junior at GSC and a member of the GSC Honors Program. He is the son of Kenneth and Rebecca Pracht.
Senior forestry student Zachary White is completing a month’s worth of research at GSC’s college forest near the Waco Center; the space which is frequently used by natural resource management students as an outdoor lab space.
White is studying and quantifying water use of three co-occurring oak species – black, white, and chestnut oak. “I am writing and presenting my research as well as possibly helping another student to learn how to setup the measurement system and collect information from the data logger in the fall. I think that my favorite part of my research so far is seeing the results of my work unfold and marveling at the results,” White said.
He explains that studying and measuring sap flow of the trees is important. “Sap flow in trees is essentially water utilization. Increasing drought, climate change, and water shortages are all common problems today and understanding how oaks use or consume water helps us better deal with these issues,” he said. From the data he has collected White says he has observed that the trees may conserve more or less water based on the time of day and weather conditions. “My research has broadened my understanding of how important forests are to the planet,” he concluded.
He is from Virginia Beach, Virginia and is the son of Sarah Ellen Calvert White and William Michael White.
Biology and chemistry double major Sam Canfield of Cowen, West Virginia is currently completing research on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He is working with the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC East) and is studying how leech predation on native and invasive snails are affected by water temperature.
Canfield already has plans to present his research at the annual GSC Pioneer Showcase and a future meeting of the West Virginia Academy of Science. He is considering applying to take his findings to the Undergraduate Research Day event that is held annually at the West Virginia capitol.
He applied for the ten-week research opportunity after learning about it from GSC Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Sara Sawyer.
“My research has required me to go into the water, which is fun. I have made many friends here and I’ve seen a range of fauna including snapping turtles, an otter, many painted turtles, and bald eagles. I am also in a class where professors from different institutions come to discuss ecological topics with us,” he said. There is one aspect of the experience, however, that Canfield hasn’t enjoyed. “The mosquitoes and flies are 10 to 100 times worse than in West Virginia. Here in Michigan, I walk outside and can get at least 10 bites in a matter of five minutes,” he added.
Students in varied degree programs are required to complete some type of internship experience to satisfy their graduation requirements at Glenville State College. Additionally, research opportunities are often used to expand on skills learned in the classroom and broaden exploration into career paths and interest areas.
“We encourage all students to take advantage of these unique learning opportunities. Students participating in research or internships generally become more competitive obtaining jobs and graduate school admission,” said GSC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Milan Vavrek.
GSC students who are interested in completing an internship or research experience are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor.
