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Office of Environmental Policy
Current Interns
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Name: Olivia Cowenhoven
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Environmental Science
Year joined OEP: Fall 2009
Notable Notes:
UConn Dean's List student
Tutor at the Writing Center
Member of and worked for NHPIRG
Interests:
Horseback riding
Singing
The Spanish language
OEP Activities:
EcoMadness
Advocacy Coffee House
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Name: Ali Lones
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Biology, minor in Environmental Studies
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2009
Notable Notes:
EcoHusky member
UConn Celtic American Cultural Society
member
Member of UConn Honors Program
UConn Bus Driver
Interests:
Sustainability
Travel
Recycling and buying things that are from
recycled materials
OEP Activities:
Green Cleaning
Waste Audit
Recycling Workgroup
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Name: Aaron Grade 
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2009
Notable Notes:
EcoHusky Treasurer and member since 2006
Helped coordinate EcoHusky 5k Roadrace
Participant in PowerShift 2009
Helped install Green Roof
Initiated first “Green Late Night”
Interests:
Hiking, biking, camping etc.
Music, singing, recording
Movie production, video editing
OEP Activities:
Wasted Energy Audits
EcoHusky 5k Road Race
Carpooling and Carsharing Research
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Name: Emily Galanto 
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Environental Science
Year Joined OEP: Summer 2009
Notable Notes:
EcoHusky Co-Coordinator and longstanding member
2008-2009 Community Outreach Program Director
Participant in PowerShift 2009
Winner of the 2009 Undergraduate Student
Environmental Leadership Award
Interests:
Being outdoors
Wildlife and conservation
Traveling
OEP Activities:
CFL Giveaway
Green Awareness Day at Rentschler Field
Wasted Energy Audits
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Name: Nate Wallshein
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Environental Science
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2008
Notable Notes:
UConn Honors Scholar
UConn Climbing Center Staff
Longstanding UConnPIRG member
EcoHusky member
Interests:
Rock climbing
Camping
Outdoors
Traveling
OEP Activities:
Sustainable Office Guidelines
Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Earth Day 2009
EcoHusky 5K
Energy & Water Conservation Workgroups
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Name: Catherine Pomposi
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Statistics and Environmental Science
Year Joined OEP: Summer 2008
Notable Notes:
UConn Honors Scholar
EcoHusky Secretary
UConn Club Lacrosse Team Member
Interests:
Traveling anywhere and everywhere
Sports
Music, especially live in concert
OEP Activities:
EcoMadness
Transportation Workgroup & Bike Network Plan
Earth Day
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Name: Laura Eichert 
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Psychology
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2008
Notable Notes:
Conservation work in Ecuador in summer 2008
Varsity women's lacrosse team
Member of Student Athlete Advisory Committee
Interests:
Sun
Sand
Surfing
South America
OEP Activities:
Green Campus Fund
Recyclemania
Sneaker Recycling
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Interns of OEP Past:
Dan Britton, Nick Auyeung, Mel Murphy, and Rob Liu hold an intern meeting in Beijing. Mark Hood (far right) was the 2005 recipient of the Graduate Student Environmental Leadership Award. |
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Where they've been and where they are going
Name: Jonathan Piazza-Harper
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Molecular & Cell Biology 
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2008
Notable Notes:
2008 UConn Fraternity Man of the Year
2008 UConn Chapter President of the Year
Co-owner of CT DEP Certified mobile dealing company
Member of the UConn Honors Program
Interests:
Soccer & Football
Kappa Sigma Fraternity
Recycling
Porsche Club Racing
Sailing
OEP Activities:
E-Waste Recycling
EcoMadness
Sneaker Recycling
EcoHusky 5K
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Name: Zbigniew J. Grabowski (Polik) 
Status: Graduate
Major: MS Candidate, Conservation Biology
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2008
Notable Notes:
Eco Garden CFO
Honors Scholar
Longstanding Ecohusky Member
Udall Scholarship Nominee
Elusive Bicyclist
Interests:
Clean Air
Blue Sky
Big Mountains
OEP Activities:
Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Sustainable Energy Research
Sustainable Development/Infrastructure Research
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Name: Alysse Lembo
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Natural Resources, concentration in Environmental Conservation
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2007
Notable Notes:
Environmental and Recycling Analytic Coordinator of Awareness and Educational Endeavor Efforts, Director
EcoHusky Co-Coordinator
Powershift 2007 Movement Member
Interests:
Volleyball
Running
Music
Being Outdoors
OEP Activities:
Recyclemania
Recycling Education and Awareness
OEP representative for EcoHusky
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Name: Rachel Rindfleisch 
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Environmental Science, concentration in
Resource Economics
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2008
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2008
Notable Notes:
Husky Ambassador & Open House Volunteer
Earth Team Volunteer
2007-2008 EPAC Undergraduate Representative
Summer 2007 & 2008 Remediation, Assessment, and Compliance intern for an Environmental Consulting firm
HAZWOPER certification
Interests:
Cooking
Running
Hiking
Camping
OEP Activities:
2008 Sustainable Energy Symposium
Environmental Survey
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Name: Alissa Becker 
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Resource Economics: Environmental Economics and Policy Program
Year Joined OEP: Summer 2007
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2008
Notable Notes:
UConn Women’s Center Affiliate: Organized the fall 2006 Clothesline Project
Graduated Magna Cum Laude
Gave the CANR student commencement speach in May 2008
Power Shift 2007 participant
UNFI Sustainable Development intern
Loves Include: The ocean, swimming, camping, thrift store shopping
Outlook on Life: “We can’t do nothing and think someone else will make it right.”
OEP Activities:
Organized the 2008 Earth Day Spring Fling
Green Campus Fund Sustainability Certificate Program
Recycling & Water Conservation support, education, and awareness
Health Center Sustainability
Developed the Sustainable Office Guidelines
CFL retrofit report and fall 2007 giveaway
Helped initiate a movement to get rid of plastic bags at UConn
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Name: Jessica LaRocca
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Environmental Chemistry
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2006
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2008
Notable Notes:
UConn Honors Scholar
Research Intern with RI Department of Health & Brown University
Involved in research in an environmental engineering laboratory
Interests include camping, kayaking, and traveling
OEP Activities:
Energy & Recycling Dorm Contests
Campus Bike Network
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Name: Leah Giffin
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Individualized major in Environmental Policy & Legal Studies
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2006
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2008
Notable Notes:
Varsity Lacrosse- 2008 Captain
Assisted with sneaker recycling, 2006-2008
Spent summer 2006 in New Zealand doing conservation work
PowerShift Conference and Lobby Day Participant, Fall 2008
Executive Board of Student Athlete Advisory Committee
OEP Activities:
Green Buildings Tour
Recycling in Athletic Facilities
Recyclemania 2008
FYE Environmental Sustainability Mentor
National Recycling Coalition Recycling Bin Grant, Fall 2007
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Name: Jennifer Sayers
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Environmental Studies
Year Joined OEP: Summer 2006
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2008
Notable Notes:
2006 NOAA Hollings Scholar
Husky Xcursions Student Coordinator
UConn Honors Scholar
Interests:
Being outside backpacking, hiking, canoeing
Traveling
OEP Activities:
Webmaster
CFL Giveaway
Environmental Literacy Workgroup Coordinator
Environmental Learning Community
Environmental Studies Major
Focus the Nation Coordinator
Research for campus-wide bike lending program
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Name: Matt Rice
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Chemical Engineering
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2006
Year Completed Employment: Fall 2007
Notable Notes:
Member of Handbell choir
Interests include biking & martial arts
OEP Activities:
Liaison between the OEP and the UConn Biofuels Consortium
Green Campus Tour Map
Recycling Program Roll-out and stickering
GHG Inventory
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Name: Katie Gherard
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Environmental Science, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2006
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2007
Notable Notes:
Co-Coordinator of Ecohusky - 2006/7
OEP Liason for Ecohusky - 2007/8
Environmental Science Mentor
OEP Activities:
LUSD, Hillside Environmental Education Park
FYE- Environmental Sustainability Mentor
Recycling program assistance
Trail Marking
Green Building Tours
Ecohusky Activities
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Name: Melanie Murphy
Status: Graduate Student
Major: Environmental Resource Economics
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2005
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2007
Notable Notes:
Varsity Track
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UConn Honors Scholar
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Avid Equine Enthusiast
OEP Activities:
Intern Team Leader
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Worked with Dining Services continue the promotion of EcoHusky mugs, and organized EcoHusky Mug Day, where patrons received carabineers and coupons for free coffee with the purchase of an EcoHusky mug.
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Lead on Compost Facility Development
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In conjunction with OEP intern Kate Wadach and environmental engineering student Russell Ward, Mel monitored and assessed water use at the Student Recreation Facility. The Water Conservation team evaluated administrative, varsity and recreational water use and gathered concrete data on the facility's water consumption. This study was the first of its kind within a Division I athletic department and provides valuable benchmark numbers for future comparison.
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Assists in the establishment of an environmental "Green UConn" fund for the University of the Connecticut; gathering alumni and patron support for environmental initiatives through campus
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OEP Representative for EcoHusky Student Group.
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Involved in various other OEP projects including invasive plant management, the Environmental Leadership awards, and low-impact development. She is also documenting the ongoing construction of the LEED-certified Burton/Shenkman Football complex.
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Establishing Green Campus Fund with UConn Foundation, Inc.
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Name: Rob Liu
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Management; concentration in International Business
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2006
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2007
Notable Notes:
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EcoHusky Co-Coordinator
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Aspires to win Heisman Trophy at least once
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Freestyles when no one else is in office
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Outlook on recycling: "It's a messy, dirty, world out there (until I
recycle it all); no point in believing in the delusions. I am prepared
to accept the often dirty work we do. I'm a recycler, not a philosopher."
OEP Activities:
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Covert 1 Mission RBD (recycling bin deployment)
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Outreach and student involvement
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Earth Day 2006 Events, giveaways, and promotional items
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Green Machine Display 2006
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Name: Nick Celentano
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Resource Economics
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2006
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2007
Notable Notes:
Career goals include: getting a PhD, beating Tiger Woods at Augusta, and writing an award winning novel
OEP Activities:
Climate Change
Campus Sustainability Fund
Green Cleaning
Solar Power
Green Campus
Recycling
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Name: Mike Kyc
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Allied Health Sciences
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2006
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2007
Notable Notes:
Intramural Scholar Athlete
Would like to pursue a career in Sustainable Development / Health
Interests include sports, biking, and camping
Thoughts on global warming: "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it" - Mark Twain
OEP Activities:
Rain Garden clean-up
Campus-wide Bike Network
Local Routes Dining
Governor's Executive Order: Green Cleaning Products
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Name: Nick AuYeung
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Chemical Engineering
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2005
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2006
Interests: Energy, Air Pollution, UConn basketball
Notable Notes:
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Soil and Water Conservation Society member
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Co-founder of UConn chapter of Engineers without Borders Club
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Helped organize UConn Biodiesel Consortium
Recent OEP Activity:
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BioDiesel Facility and research lead and promotion
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Fuel Efficiency; Fleet fuel economy standards and guidelines
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Zipcar/car sharing on campus
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Green Roof initiatives
Water Conservation Initiative
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Green Roof Initiative
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Bicycle display and free tune up station at Earth Day 2006
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Name: Zoe Hansen-DiBello
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Maritime Studies
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2006
Year Completed Employment: Fall 2006
Notable Notes:
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Avery Point Intern- our first branch campus liaison!
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Career goals to attend Law School
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Certified to run AIDS and HIV workshop in schools
as well as answer RI hotline calls
OEP Activities:
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Recycling Program Development and Organization at Avery Point campus
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Student and faculty involvement
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Name: Daniel Britton
Status: Graduate Student 
Major: Conservation Biology and Biodiversity
Undergraduate Degree: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2006
Year Completed Employment: Summer 2006
Notable Notes:
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Career interest in both Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology
OEP Activities:
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Marketing and Public relations/education on Environmental initiatives on campus
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Recycling
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Green Building/Green Roof projects
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Ride your Bike to Work Week
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Bicycle Display and Bike Tune-ups Station at Earth Day 2006
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EcoHusky 500 Road Race coordinator
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CFL Giveaway 2006 Planning
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Landfill Student projects summer 2006
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Name: Emily Maugeri
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Landscape Architecture
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2006
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2006
Notable Notes:
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Career goal interests in residential and sustainable design
OEP Activities:
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Marketing and Public relations/education on Environmental initiatives on campus
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Re-Use Shoe Expo – “Mount Sneaker”
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Green Building and LEED Tour planning, map
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Name: Andrea Vassallo
Status: Undergraduate
Major: Landscape Architecture
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2005
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2006
Notable Notes:
Recent OEP Activity
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Name: Jessica Kukielka
Status: Graduate Student
Major: Agricultural and Resource Economics;B.S.
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2005
Year Completed Employment: Summer 2006
Notable Notes:
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Morris K.Udall Scholar
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EPA P3 Student Design Competition Winner
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2006 College of Agriculture and Natural Resources "Most outstanding senior woman" and flag bearer for May Commencement
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UConn Honors Scholar
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Equine Enthusiast
OEP Activities:
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Draft Language for UConn Vehicle Purchasing contracts to include Fuel Efficiency standards and requirements
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Compile Preferred Purchasing Vehicle Lists 2006 and 2007
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Landfill Remediation and Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan; promoting student research projects. (i.e. Vernal Pool study on amphibians summer of 2005).
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Campus Bicycle Plan Support Ride 2005
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North Hillside Road Extension project and the initiative of farmland preservation with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
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Environmental Outreach: Department of Residential Life Environmental Initiatives – packets, projects, online/media resources for CAs and residents; PSAs to students, focusing on water conservation, career speakers panel, Waste Paper Reduction, and Energy Use Reduction.
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Developed and distributed a faculty/staff-wide survey to gauge interest and support for the various goals of the Environmental literacy workgroup.
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Coordinating with new Center for Environmental Science and Engineering to integrate policy and intra-departmental cooperation.
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Work with the CANR office of Extension to develop a database for all schools/colleges and their main initiatives and accomplishments-enhancing outreach and engagement initiatives for the University.
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Translated Recycling Guidelines into Polish
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EcoHusky NYC Green Building Tour
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CFL Giveaways 2005-2006 coordinator
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Environmental Expressions Student Contest coordinator
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Webmaster 2005-2006; webpage re-design
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OEP Representative for the UConn EcoHusky Student Group
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Name: Meghan Ruta 
Status: Graduate Student, Natural Resources Management & Engineering (M.S. Candidate, 2008)
Major: B.S. in Environmental Science (2004)
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2003
Year Completed Employment: Summer 2005
Accomplishments: What hasn't she done?
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Served as Climate Action Plan Project Manager 2008-2009.
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As a graduate student, conducted research with the CTDEP and the Center for Land Use Education & Research on the impacts of Connecticut land use patterns on water quality in small watersheds.
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Served for two-years as UConn's Environmental Science Program Assistant.
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Graduated cum laude from UConn's Environmental Science Program (Dec. '04)
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Undergraduate Environmental Leadership Award
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2005 Student Life Award nominee for the Individual Husky Pride Award and the Individual Community Service Award
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Founded the EcoHusky Student Group in the fall of 2004
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Served as an intern to the National Park Service during Summer '04
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UConn Community Assistant (Spring '03 - Fall '04)
OEP Activities:
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Founder and first Co-Coordinator (President) of the EcoHusky Student Group.
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Active in virtually all EPAC subcommittees. Some of her most recent efforts have been:
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UConn Hazardous Waste Storage facility; comparative site study
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Implementing the Recycling Campaign, which included a Recycling Education Postering project.
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Establishing Environmental Literacy information: EcoHusky Webpage development and an archive of materials for Community Assistants.
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BioDiesel Initiative: Promotion, Workgroup organization, and BioDiesel Team member
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Outlined Invasives Species Control Policy for Invasives workgroup. Lead developer in these initiatives.
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UConn Forest Trail Marking Project
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Fenton River Clean-up
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IPM Workgroup
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Name: Kyle Noonan 
Status: Graduated
Major: University Scholar majoring in Economics with a minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Year Joined OEP: January 2005
Year Completed Employment: Summer 2005
Notable Notes:
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Chair of ConnPIRG, a student advocacy group that deals with public interest issues including environmental protection, poverty relief, and consumer rights.
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University Scholar, who studied the impact of public policies on the development of Connecticut urban centers
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Commencement Speaker 2005
OEP Activities:
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Organized the IPM team and produced an Integrated Pest Management statement to conform to Connecticut DEP requirements for state agencies.
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Researched the fuel efficiency of UConn's motor vehicle fleet for the EPAC Compliance & Best Practice subcommittee. The committee evaluated the use of fuel efficiency standards, hybrid cars, electric carts and additional strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from Uconn's transportation system.
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Compiled a comprehensive inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from the University of Connecticut using CA-CP database software.
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Engaged local electricity provider Connecticut Light & Power and the UConn Co-op to create a light-bulb giveaway program. Along with the popular "Textbooks-To-Go" program, students offered a free CFL light bulb.
Where is he now?
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Name: Kate Wadach
Status: Graduated
Major: Environmental Policy
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2004
Year Completed Employment: Summer 2005
Notable Notes:
OEP Activities:
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In conjunction with OEP intern Melanie Murphy and environmental engineering student Russell Ward, Kate monitored and assessed water use at the Student Recreation Facility. The Water Conservation team evaluated administrative, varsity and recreational water use and gathered concrete data on the facility's water consumption. This study was the first of its kind within a Division I athletic department and provides valuable benchmark numbers for future comparison.
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Organized Sneaker Recycling Initiative and promoted the initiative on Earth Day; collecting hundreds of sneakers.
Where is She now?
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Name: Daniel Mullins
Status: UConn Law Student
Concentration: Environmental Law
Undergraduate Major: B.S in Secondary Education, English, Summa Cum Laude
Year Joined OEP: 2004 Fall
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2005
Notable Notes:
OEP Activities:
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Fenton River clean up
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Farmland preservation and environmental law policies
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Kretsge grant application for Torrey Life Sciences
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LEED certification initiatives and Green Building.
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Organized Campus Bicycle Plan Support Ride sponsorship and advertisement
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Coined EcoHusky Slogan: "Big Dog, Small Ecological Footprint."
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Name: Phoenix Young
Status: Graduated
Major: Master of Public Administration (2005); Undergraduate of Political Science (2003)
Year Joined OEP: Fall 2004
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2005
Notable Notes: UConn New England Scholar
OEP Activities:
Where is she now?
Currently Special Assistant to the Dean of the UConn Law School
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Name: Rebecca Cleary
Status: Graduate Student, Resource Economics
Major: B.S in Agricultural and Resource Economics (2005)
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2004
Year Completed Employment: Fall 2004
OEP Activities:
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Name: Tami Cruickshank
Status: Graduated
Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2003
Year Completed Employment: Fall 2003
OEP Activities:
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UConn 2003 GHG Emissions inventory.
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BioDiesel Demonstration and promotion
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North Hillside Road Vernal Pool amphibian study
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Name: Ellen Passo
Status: Graduate
Major: Agricultural and Resource Economics (2004)
Year Joined OEP: Spring 2003
Year Completed Employment: Spring 2004
Notable Notes: First round of interns at OEP
OEP Activities:
Where is she now?
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