pinkus ’21 supports volunteerism at us forest service

Andrei PinkusAndrei Pinkus ‘21 is a communications and data support resource assistant at the US Forest Service. During his time at Wesleyan, Andrei was a recipient of a 2020 COE Summer Research Fellowship. He graduated with a BA in government and environmental studies.

Why did you choose to be an environmental studies (ENVS) linked major here at Wes?
I’ve always had a passion for environmental issues. Even as a kid I was aware of the negative ways humans influence the environment; I made a habit of turning off lights, taking shorter showers, and never wasting food. So, in that way, I suppose I’ve always been environmentally conscious. Only at Wesleyan, through my ENVS classes, did I realize just how intersectional (and important) the field was. The environment is everything, and without it we have nothing. Although it sometimes feels like an impossible quest, I want to dedicate my career to doing whatever is possible to make the world at least just a little better than when I came into it. That’s why I chose to be an ENVS major.

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geographer diver joins coe faculty

Kim DiverThe COE shares faculty from across departments and programs at Wesleyan, including government, history, art, dance, computer science, English, philosophy, environmental science, biology, African American studies, physics, classical studies, chemistry, Science in Society, theater, religion, economics, archaeology, and more.  Kim Diver is an associate professor of the practice in earth and environmental sciences here at Wesleyan and the founder and director of WesGIS. Her research focuses on island biogeography.

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meet our 2022 envs linked majors!

Environmental Studies (ENVS) is a linked major, meaning all ENVS majors have a primary major in another department (so linked equals more, not less). Our ENVS class of 2022 includes 27 students across 14 different primary majors, from chemistry to film studies, from economics to English, from psychology to government. Learn more, below!

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wes students earn master gardener certification

Master Gardeners at Wesleyan
L to r: UConn’s Gail Reynolds, Mairead Kennedy ’24, and Professor Rosemary Ostfeld ’02. Kennedy was one of 10 Wes students who earned their master gardener certificate through ENVS125F in spring 2021.

First-year students enrolled in ENVS125F/Community Gardening, taught by Rosemary Ostfeld ’02, assistant visiting professor of environmental studies, in spring 2021, became University of Connecticut Certified Master Gardeners this fall, thanks to a partnership by the College of the Environment, Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life, and the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program.

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colson-fearon ’22 explores urban farming in baltimore

Every year, the COE awards fellowships to fund summer research opportunities for Wesleyan students across all majors and class years. Brionna Colson-Fearon ’22 is a biology and psychology double major who conducted a qualitative study looking at food apartheid in Baltimore, Maryland, and the role urban farming plays in increasing access to healthy food in the city. The research is a part of her ongoing interests in obesity and public health outcomes of African American communities in urban contexts. Colson-Fearon received the 2022 Clendeninn Prize for her outstanding work and contributions as a biology major at Wesleyan.

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mountaineer byers joins coe as visiting bailey prof

Alton Byers, above the Imja Glacial Lake in the Mt. Everest region.

Alton C. Byers, Ph.D. is a mountain geographer, conservationist, and mountaineer specializing in applied research, high-altitude ecosystems, climate change, glacier hazards, and integrated conservation and development programs. He is a senior research affiliate at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the 2021-22 Menakka and Essel Bailey ’66 Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the College of the Environment. 

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