Josh Snedden, a Penn State DuBois alumnus recently returned to campus to make a presentation on the work he is currently doing at Duquesne University. His visit was part of the Natural Resources Colloquium, hosted by the Earth Science program faculty. Snedden earned both an associate degree in Wildlife Technology, and a bachelor degree in Earth and Mineral Science at Penn State DuBois, in 2007 and 2010, respectively. He is now enrolled in a master's level program in Environmental Science and Management at Duquesne, where he is involved with helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the campus in Pittsburgh.   

"The practices we have put into place have lowered Duquesne's carbon footprint by 10,000 metric tons a year, so far," Snedden said. He presented some of the measures Duquesne has taken to reach those numbers. For example, he said all of the university's solid waste is sent to a landfill that practices methane recovery, where gas captured from the waste is used to produce electricity.  The electricity used to power the campus, however, comes from another green alternative.

"As of 2012, Duquesne will purchase almost all of its electricity from wind power," Snedden said, explaining that the electricity they've purchased is generated at a wind farm in Texas and put into a nation-wide grid.

Snedden also noted the Duquesne's plans to use things like "Green Roofs" on buildings, where soil is placed on rooftops, and grass and other vegetation is planted there.  This helps to insulate the building in a natural, environmentally friendly way.  Snedden is involved in studies for this and other such green initiatives to be taken in the future. 

With aspirations to build a career out of environmental stewardship, Snedden said he got his start at Penn State DuBois, and that his undergraduate education laid a firm foundation for his graduate work and his professional accomplishments ahead. He said, "I use what I learned at Penn State DuBois every day in the work that I do now." 

The Natural Resources Colloquium is the periodic gathering of the natural resources scientific community on campus. During each meeting students, faculty, and community members listen to a scientific presentation, and engage in discussion.

DuBois – Three members of the Penn State DuBois community were honored for their outstanding achievements at the annual Alumni Awards Banquet on October 6, at the DuBois Country Club.  Dale Simbeck received the Lifetime Achievement Award, Christina Voorhees received the Outstanding Alumnus Award, and David Trinkley is the recipient of the Distinguished Ambassador Award. 

Dale Simbeck received the Lifetime Achievement Award.  A 1969 graduate of Penn State, with a degree in chemical engineering, Simbeck is an internationally known expert and consultant on global climate issues, whose work with CO2 mitigation, and clean energy technologies contributed to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) being awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with Al Gore.  He is currently a partner and vice president of technology of SFA Pacific Inc., which he co-founded in 1980.  SFA Pacific specializes in evaluation services in the oil refining, power generation, environmental control, petrochemical and renewable energy industries. The company has provided technical consulting services and conducted in-depth multi-client programs and reports addressing global and regional issues in fuels, chemicals, and electric power to individual companies; government entities including Australia, China, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Qatar, New Zealand and the United States; and universities including Princeton, Pitt, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and Stanford.

Simbeck is an advisor to the Canadian Clean Power Coalition and a member of the External Advisory Board to both the MIT Energy Lab and the energy industry CO2 Capture Project.

A life member of the Penn State Alumni Association, he and his wife, Marilyn, live in Palo Alto, California.  

Presenting Simbeck's award was Penn State DuBois Chancellor Anita McDonald.  She said to Simbeck from the podium, "We may be giving you the lifetime achievement award, but I think there are many more achievements to come in your life.  What you've already accomplished has helped make a difference in our lives, and will make a difference in the lives of our children and grandchildren.  You are one of those Penn Staters that has really made their mark." 

Upon receiving his award, Simbeck said, "I am very humbled by this award.  I'm the type of person that really doesn't deserve this."  He went on to say that being aware of one's own faults is a key to accomplishment.   "I can be wrong.  I always admit when I'm wrong, and that is my biggest success.  If you can't admit to being wrong, then you're lying to yourself."  

Christina Voorhees received the Outstanding Alumnus Award.  She is a 1997 graduate of the Wildlife Technology program at Penn State DuBois, and a certified wildlife biologist.  Voorhees is the chief operating officer for Wildlife Specialists, LLC, a natural resource consulting company, based in Landisburg, Pennsylvania, that provides support to the energy development industry. In addition to the associate degree earned at Penn State DuBois, Voorhees also earned a bachelor degree in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech, a masters in Forest Resources from Penn State, and a Ph.D in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management from Penn State.  She has provided campus Wildlife Technology students with internships, and has been a guest lecturer on campus multiple times.

Voorhees has worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Penn State, Devine, Tarbell & Associates, and CalPoly University. Her field experience includes bat mist netting, bird and herp surveys, small mammal trapping, elk and grouse radio-telemetry, and a variety of deer management projects. In addition, Christina has 10 years of experience in human dimensions research focusing on deer management, hunting, and recreational visitor use assessments.

Voorhees is an At-Large Board Member of the PA Chapter of the Wildlife Society, a member of Mammal Technical Committee of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey, and serves on the advisory board for the Penn State DuBois Wildlife Technology Program. 

Presenting the award to Voorhees was her former instructor in the Wildlife Technology Program, Joe Hummer. 

"It was obvious to those of us instructing Christina that she was going to have an outstanding career," Hummer said.  "She distinguished herself again and again, with so much enthusiasm and determination.  It is a real pleasure to present this award to Christina." 

"I feel extremely honored to get this award," said Voorhees.  "It's nice to know that people here are still thinking of me and following my career path." 

Voorhees noted that her husband, a forester with the State of Pennsylvania, is also a graduate of the Penn State DuBois Wildlife Technology Program, and that they met on campus in their first semester. She said, "This is where the beginning of the rest of our lives took place." 

The recipient of the Distinguished Ambassador Award is David Trinkley.  This award is given to an individual who may or may not be an alumnus, but has made outstanding contributions to the campus and its mission.  An enduring supporter of campus athletic programs, Trinkley founded the Penn State DuBois Athletic Fundraising Committee, and chaired the committee for five years.  He helped to launch such successful fundraising events as the Lion Wine and Cheese, and the Penn State DuBois Athletics Golf Benefit.  Trinkley is a member of the DuBois Educational Foundation (DEF) Board of Directors, an independent, non-profit corporation which supports the campus.  He is also a committee member of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students.

Trinkley is the president of Micron Research Corporation in Emporium, PA. A division of GrafTech International, Micron is one of six companies in the world that produces Fine Grain Graphite for the Medical, Aerospace, Castings, Defense, and Tool and Mold industries. Micron Research Corporation, under Trinkley's leadership, developed a break through process called “Bundled Technology”, which produces materials with improved wear, speed and surface finish. He and his wife, Mandy, live in Treasure Lake and are the proud parents of Mikalya and Ben. 

DEF President Jim Baker presented Trinkley with his award. He said, "Dave is a successful business man with a great family; he is extremely busy, but he still takes the time to give to Penn State DuBois.  With that, he has more than exceeded the criteria for this award."  Baker continued, "Dave's efforts have given us additional money for athletic programs, he has brought enthusiasm to the committees on which he serves, and his hard work has contributed greatly to the success of our campus." 

Remaining modest upon receiving his award, Trinkley said, "There are so many people who could be standing here tonight that are so deserving of this award.  So, I'm humbled and really thankful." 

Trinkley said he has been inspired by the people he has gotten to know during his involvement with Penn State DuBois and his fellow DEF board members.  "It's been a great experience surrounding myself with these people," he said.  "They've shown me being good is good, but sometimes it's not good enough.  You have to be great."

In closing, McDonald thanked everyone for coming, and reflected on the significance of the evening.  "Our work here is a labor of love; helping students reach their full potential.  We thank you for your comments.  Those words let us know that we must be doing a few things right." 

Dr. Aaron Stottlemyer, Penn State DuBois Forestry Instructor, has joined a group of experts who are leading the charge to restore the American chestnut to eastern US forests.  He was invited to join The American Chestnut Foundation's (TACF) Restoration and Ecology Track and recently met with this group consisting of other researchers at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.  They discussed plans for reintroducing the tree to forests since seeds of blight-resistant hybrids will be available soon. 

"This species accounted for one quarter of our hardwoods before its demise.  An estimated four billion trees were killed when chestnut blight, a fungus, was accidentally introduced to the United States from Asia in the early part of the 20^th century," Stottlemyer said.  He went on to explain the effect that the loss of the chestnut had on forest ecosystems.  "We lost the single largest producer of hard mast for wildlife and the death of these trees dramatically changed plant composition as other trees increased in abundance when they filled in the gaps." 

Reintroducing chestnut to forests will be a complex task.  "Forests are very different now than they were before the chestnut blight arrived and we are a long way from fully understanding the ecology of the species.  Interestingly, much of this information first started being studied and documented for other tree species as chestnut was on its way out.  So, we’re lacking some basic information about things like site requirements that we would otherwise use to help us manage for chestnut," said Stottlemyer.   

TACF has been working on developing a blight resistant American chestnut.  By breeding American chestnuts with the already blight-resistant Chinese chestnut through a process called back-crossing, scientists have developed a hybrid that will be resistant to chestnut blight.  "For the past 28 years, TACF’s efforts have largely been focused on producing a blight-resistant hybrid," said Stottlemyer.  "Now, blight-resistant trees are producing seed and it's time to start thinking about how we reintroduce this species to its native range."

"Right now, there’s a significant challenge in selecting appropriate sites for the first plantings," Stottlemyer said.  He explained, "We'll need to identify areas of land where seedlings will have the necessary light, moisture, and nutrient levels and a reasonable chance at competing with other species."

While there is no exact timeline on when the first plantings will be established, Stottlemyer believes it will happen in the near future.

Stottlemyer said he and his colleagues hope nature will take over once the trees mature and begin to produce seeds, in as soon as six years after they're planted.  "Our hope is that wildlife such as bluejays and squirrels will collect and disperse the seeds," he said. 

Stottlemyer and other Penn State DuBois Wildlife Technology faculty and students work on an ongoing chestnut research project in Jefferson County.  There, a farm containing around 2,000 hybrid chestnut saplings is one of approximately 75 chestnut research orchards in Pennsylvania.

 Dr. Aaron Stottlemyer  

The training was offered in a joint effort among Penn State DuBois assistant professor of forestry Andrew Bartholomay, University Park senior research specialist Lee Stover, Bob Clark, head of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' forest fire academy, and Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry Moshannon State Forest District Manager Bob Merrill.

The students specifically worked to cut 50-year-old aspen in order to regenerate the tree species. This is the first time this type of training has been offered at Penn State DuBois, although Stover regularly provides training through Penn State Cooperative Extension. Stover provided the latest equipment in cutting and safety for the students to use, including Stihl chainsaws, chaps and other personal protection equipment.

Graduates from the Penn State wildlife technology program may seek careers in environmental remediation, the Game Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or as a private consultant, Bartholomay said, so working with a chainsaw is inevitable. Students completing the training included Chad McKenrick, Josh Snedden, Steve Ferreri, Mark Radaker, Ben Nixon and Will Smith.

"They might be asked to develop an environmentally sound stream crossing or remove invasive species. They will also do a lot of habitat development using chainsaws to promote browse and cover for certain wildlife species," Bartholomay said. "On the tech level, it's a lot of physical work."

The students also learned how to aim a hinge while cutting a tree in order to have it fall in a certain direction, as well as the use of wedges to fell against a back lean and side lean, Bartholomay added. Bore cutting was also taught, a method that allows the cutter to maintain control of the tree until he or she decides to let it fall.

"The chainsaw safety course was well worth my time, and I gained a lot from the course," Radaker said. "The instructors did an excellent job teaching us the proper safety and techniques for running a chainsaw." Radaker added that the instruction was not only a good skill to know, but also would become something applicable to a future career in habitat development.

According to Nixon, who plans to be a forester, he has already begun to implement the skills he learned during the class.

"I work at BWP Hardwoods and I use my skills learned from this class to correctly cut the butts off of logs as a part of my job," Nixon said. "Dr. Bartholomay went out of his way to arrange this course and I greatly appreciate his efforts."

# # #

For questions on this news release, please contact Erin Chorney, Public Information Officer, at (814)375-4776 or by email at edc11@psu.edu.