Graduate students study conservation globally

OXFORD, Ohio – In July, graduate students from Miami University’s Project Dragonfly traveled to Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas to engage in action projects on vital human and ecological issues.

Annie Brown of Wells, a master’s student in the global field program from Miami University’s Project Dragonfly, traveled to Baja.

While there, she studied the diverse desert and marine landscapes of two richly diverse biosphere reserves through ecological and social field methods.

Brown is a teacher at Wells Elementary School. More information about Brown’s 2016 course can be found at earthexpeditions.org. Click “Baja.”

Katherine Leavitt of Eliot, a master’s student in the global field program from Project Dragonfly, traveled to Belize. She studied coral reefs, manatees, howler monkeys, jaguars and other wildlife while learning the methods communities are using to sustain them.

Leavitt is a special projects coordinator at Seacoast Science Center. More information about Leavitt’s 2016 course can be found at earthexpeditions.org. Click “Belize.”

Since the program began 12 years ago, Project Dragonfly’s Earth Expeditions graduate courses have engaged more than 1,850 people in firsthand educational and scientific research at critical conservation field sites in Africa, Australia, Asia and the Americas.

Dragonfly is located in the department of biology at Miami University, a state university in Oxford, Ohio.

Local students named to USM dean’s list

PORTLAND, Maine – The University of Southern Maine announced the students who have been named to the most recent dean’s list. Local students include:

Arundel

Rebecca Patoine, Amelia Worthing, Whitney Butts, Taylor Lux and Amanda Huard;

Biddeford

Britney Danforth, Joy Grandbois-Gallup, Lynn Wheeler, Bryan Johnston, Noah Dow, Nicholas Opolski, Brian Doyer, Nathan Ingargiola, Richard Hudon, Katherine Hast, Apryl King, Cassandra St. Ours, Lindsey Laverriere, Jacob Rochefort, Todd Roberge, Michael Cohen, Jennifer Kimborowicz, Kristina McCurry, Ammara Thy, Ciera Kelly, Desiree Bourque, Tia DeSimone and Jeffrey Thibault;

Buxton

Danielle Dalton, Katie Quinn, Cole Libby, Shawn Starkey, Abigail Hayes, Nika Juarez and Tyler Nelson;

DAYTON

Alexandra Vieira, Anthony Belanger and Gerald Herlihy;

Holis Center

Allison Pillar, Benjamin Bussiere, Clover Nichols and Caleb Robertson;

Kennebunk

Emilee Reynolds, Nika Karlsson, Christopher Dunn, Alexandra Macisso, Michelle Lovejoy, Alex Deely, Noelani Hansen, Timothy Lisec, Michaela Sousa, Victoria Hill, Elise Schwebler, Hans Ruediger and Edwin Jandro;

Kennebunkport

Laura Weyl, Alex Leonardi, Molly-Joy Grant and Harrison Hall;

Limington

Tyler Gamblin, Corey Oliver and Brittney Cacace

LYMAN

Kyle Maclay, Braden Heal and Jeffery Bryan;

Old Orchard Beach

David Berlin, Zachary Gagnon, Emily De Gonzague, Amy Twohig, Jennie Ta, Sean McDermott, Miranda Lessard, Colleen Geaumont, Tonya Wood, Ashley Forrest and Todd Nelson;

Saco

Leigh-Ashley Milne, Krysteana Scribner, Tyler Tholl, Charles Buckley, Matthew Pagliaro, Nathan Colpitts, Molly Shannon, John Vandoloski, Lawrence Chabot, Cameron Prescott, Raquel Miller, Melissa Bell, Kevin Smith, Heidi Dormanen, Jacqueline Klock, Alicyn Romprey, Scott Kiser, Natalie Johnson, Danielle Morin, James Cyr, Miranda Nemitz, Emma James, Logan Gailitis, Theodric Ford, Julia Russell, Karli Lacasse, Emily Nicholson and Kylie Normand;

Sanford

Erin Dawley, Alison Clark, Taylor Sikes, Lauren Herzig, Madison Harter, Patrick Higgins, Nicholas Irvin, Meaghan Hurley, Tristan White, Nicholas Wall, Ryker Turcotte and Leonard Irvin;

Wells

Hannah Burgess, Tristan Jordan, Jacob Moody, William Winslow, Kira Pilger, Grace Hachey, Danielle Simpson, Lauren Rigdon, Alorah Connolly- Pelletier and Stephanie Towne;

York

Sierra Canino, Molly Stevens, Drew Binger, John Stump, Mark Slusher, Renee Dervishian, Nicholas Goulette, Zachary Leal and Tony Finn.