July 28, 2008
Undergrad HERO studying local environmental change
Kelsey L. Herrington, of Vashon Island, WA, has been named a Mosakowski HERO Fellow, joining the select student researchers who are 2008-09 members of the Human-Environment Regional Observatory (HERO) Fellowship program at Clark University.
The HERO research program provides opportunities for students to analyze the causes and consequences of global environmental changes at local scales in faculty-led research projects. The HERO program awards summer fellowships to selected Clark undergraduates to engage in data collection and research with faculty on local environmental change and to undertake a yearlong HERO Fellows seminar. With a 2008-09 class of ten student researchers with a mean GPA of 3.7, the program continues a tradition of attracting some of Clark's best and brightest.
"Kelsey brings exactly the academic background needed for this area of cutting-edge research," said Professor Colin Polsky, of the Graduate School of Geography & George Perkins Marsh Institute. "We need students who are not only motivated to study human-environmental dynamics, but also trained in quantitative and qualitative methods. Kelsey will be analyzing statistical patterns, studying local land-use law, and interviewing decision-makers and homeowners. We are delighted to have her for the coming year."
Polsky is principal investigator for "Suburbanization, Water Use, Nitrogen Cycling, and Eutrophication in the 21st Century: Interactions, Feedbacks, and Uncertainties in a Massachusetts Coastal Zone," a research project supported by a $1.4-million grant from the National Science Foundation.
At Clark, Herrington is majoring in Global Environmental Studies. As the Mosakowski HERO Fellow, she is engaged in a summer research project under Polsky's guidance, from June 2 to July 25, examining how land-use policy affects suburban form and lawn management.
"So far, being a Mosakowski HERO Fellow has been challenging, a great learning experience, and a lot of fun," Herrington said. "It is exciting to be collaborating with so many different groups to produce models and analyses that will be actually useful to local decision makers."
"We are delighted to have Kelsey as out first Mosakowski HERO Fellow," said James R. Gomes, Director of Clark's Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise. "She combines a deep curiosity about how the world works with a passion to make a positive difference."
The Mosakowski Institute is dedicated to performing, supporting, and disseminating research that can be used to make an impact in a wide range of public policy areas. Herrington is the first Clark student to be supported by the new Mosakowski Fellows Program.
Herrington, a member of Clark's Class of 2009, is also a Presidential Scholar. She is active with the School of Americas Watch, the Activism Fund, and volunteers with Toxic Soil Busters. She is the daughter of Paula and Marc Herrington, and is a 2005 graduate of Vashon Island High School.
Current HERO research is funded by multiple grants, from the National Science Foundation, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Henry David Thoreau Foundation, and the O'Connor '78 Fund. These research activities link students, researchers, advocates, and policy makers at local, state, and Federal levels.
For additional information, contact Professor Polsky.