Scholarship Application Details

E-mail:
rpw143@psu.edu

Phone:
814-280-8161

Address:
423 Carpenter Building
University Park, PA 16802

University Enrolled:
Pennsylvania State University

Enrollment Type:
Graduate

Degree Program:
PhD Ecology

Dean:
Dr. David Eissenstat

Dean's E-mail:
dme9@psu.edu

Visa:
N/A

How my attendance/participation will contribute to my educational experience:
I would like to attend the Emerging Issues along Urban-rural interfaces conference as the topics addressed in this meeting are of great interest to me. Land-use change and urbanization is an area in which I am eager to learn more; I am also interested in the interplay between rural or undisturbed ecosystems and urban areas, and the development of methods to sustainably manage ecosystems, mitigate negative effects of urbanization, and maintain ecosystem services. As a graduate student, my dissertation research is focused largely on conservation biology. Although I did not explicitly examine urbanization, my research examines anthropogenic effects on wildlife populations of which land-use change is a major driver and underlying component. In general, land-use change is an area in which it would be useful for me to become more educated. And, with a background primarily in Ecology, learning more about the human component including the social, economic, and political ramifications of urbanization would be helpful. Investigating the problems of urbanization by tackling both ecological and human dimensions seems an ideal approach, especially for the successful implementation of conservation strategies. This conference would be an opportune time to learn more about all these topics. In addition, this appears to be a major ecological conference and I am interested in the keynote speakers’ research. I anticipate there will be many other presenters that would be beneficial for me to hear. Attending this meeting would also be useful for networking, meeting other scientists, and learning more about current research and issues in land-use change and urbanization. As I am nearing the end of my graduate career, presentation at this meeting would be advantageous in future job searches. In sum, this meeting would be an invaluable opportunity for expanding my own knowledge and a great experience.

Title and authors of my oral/poster proposed for conference:
Tropical warming and the dynamics of endangered primates Ruscena Wiederholt Dr. Eric Post