Fellowships > 2007 Fellows

(Grant Period: March 2007 - May 2008)

The National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) 2007 Campus Ecology Fellows are transforming their university's operations, building community ties and advancing discussions about solutions to address global environmental issues. Since 2000, NWF has awarded over 100 fellowships to students across the country working on projects ranging from campus wide recycling projects to implementing sustainable forestry practices. This year, for the first time, students are focusing solely on raising the bar for innovative conservation practices to reduce emissions and combat global warming.

Embracing our commitment to infusing youth participation within NWF and our Affiliate organizations, the 2007 fellows joined NWF's 71st Annual Meeting in Washington DC. During the Annual Meeting the fellows were briefed on climate change, learned how to communicate with on and off-campus press, and learning about NWF's decision making and conservation policies. They also had the opportunity to meet author and Oberlin professor David Orr and participated in our first regional gathering for climate protection in the higher learning sector.

Through the generous support of the Kendeda Sustainability Fund of the Tides Foundation, during the course of their projects the fellows will build their professional skills and grow as individuals on a personal level. As articulated by Richard Strain, 2006 NWF Campus Ecology Fellow from Wellesley, the fellowship experience broadens horizons: "This fellowship does not simply provide seed money for our projects; it fuels our passion for the environment and gives us confidence in being catalysts for change. To me, this fellowship is where environmental stewardship takes flight."

2007 Fellows

The following project highlight the goals of this year's fellows. For more information and contact information on these projects and more, search the Fellowships database by campus or project topic.

Ricky Chavez
Sterling College
Craftsbury Common, VT
Ricky will be working on carbon sequestration by collecting data on a campus woodlot that is acting as a carbon sink. Carbon sinks store carbon in trees and other forest flora.

Elizabeth Cooke
Furman University
Greenville, SC
Elizabeth will help Furman promote its "Year of the Environment" by working on the Furman Lake Restoration Project, a plan that will increase and naturalize the vegetation around the 28-acre lake on campus.

Alison Erlenbach
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Alison is going to help the University of Florida reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 by assessing the school's carbon footprint and providing education outreach to the student body.

Francesca Hernandez
Ball State University
Muncie, IN
Francesca will conduct a campus-wide energy audit and develop a strategic plan for energy conservation on campus.

Jessica Katz
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ
Jessica will attempt to systematically reduce waste in the food service industry on the Arizona State University campus.

Jereme Thaxton
Virginia Tech
King George, VA
Jereme will work to implement building retrofits and energy efficient initiatives.

Samantha Weaver
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, MI
Samantha will work with her school's administration to facilitate the purchase of clean energy on campus and develop campus-wide climate action projects to engage students.

Jessica Williams
Prescott College
Tucson, AZ
Jessica's project will work with the University of Arizona to promote the installation of solar panels, promote farmers markets and install a rainwater harvesting system.