Aerial view of campus with Williamsport, the Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Mountain as a backdrop

Lycoming College students present at Susquehanna River Symposium

Lycoming College students present at Susquehanna River Symposium

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Clean Water Institute (CWI) interns and staff from Lycoming College presented their research at the 13th annual Susquehanna River Symposium at Bucknell University on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, and Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018. Featuring speeches, poster presentations, and exhibits from more than 150 students and professionals, this year’s Susquehanna River Symposium, titled “Science, Conservation, and Heritage,” provided an opportunity for students, faculty, consultants, agencies, and watershed groups to build a body of knowledge about the human and natural communities of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. Eighteen post-secondary institutions from Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland participated.

The Susquehanna River Symposium is a conference designed to bring together ecologists and engineers to discuss issues regarding the watershed in the Susquehanna River region. Here, participants are able to share new ideas and focus on river health, environmental policy, and sustainability issues. 

Headed by Melvin Zimmerman, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biology and CWI director, Lycoming College requires CWI interns and partners to present posters on summer research projects. Throughout the course of the summer, each of the eleven CWI interns collected data on water quality, ecological systems, and soil quality, among other topics. This research was then compiled into poster projects to be presented at the Susquehanna River Symposium.

This summer’s interns and their projects are as follows:

  • Ruric Bowman ’20 (Benton, Pa.) “Vertical Migration of Adult Stream Insects above Forested Headwater Stream Environments” and “Field and Lab Experiments Examining the Effects of Elevated Soil Temperature on the Growth of Cirsium Arvense (Canada Thistle)”
  • Braeden Gonzales ’20 (Hanover, Pa) “Vertical Migration of Adult Stream Insects above Forested Headwater Stream Environments”
  • Brandan Gracia '19 (Houston, Texas) "Curriculum Development for Experiential Learning Opportunities at Waterdale Environmental Education Center"
  • Connor Hoffman ’19 (Lewisburg, Pa.) “Progress on the Restoration of an Eastern Hellbender Population in the Upper Susquehanna River Watershed”
  • Samuel Lamport ’19 (Califon, N.J.) “CWI Monitoring for Lycoming County Conservation District’s Wolf Run Restoration Project”
  • Brittany Lenze ’19 (Saint Marys, Pa.) “Vertical Migration of Adult Stream Insects above Forested Headwater Stream Environments” and “Field and Lab Experiments Examining the Effects of Elevated Soil Temperature on the Growth of Cirsium Arvense (Canada Thistle)”
  • Steffen Little ’19 (Palmyra, Pa.) “Urban Streams and Storm Water Access in Lycoming County MS4 Region”
  • Brooke Millisock ’20 (Milroy, Pa.) “The Assessment of Rose Valley Lake”
  • Sarah Musheno ’19 (Jersey Shore, Pa.) “Limnological Evaluation of Indian Park Pond”
  • Rebecca Painter ’19 (Elverson, Pa.) “Forest Community Survey at Lycoming Biology Field Station (LBFS)”
  • Alexia Perrin ’19 (Williamsport) “The Assessment of Rose Valley Lake”
  • Jennifer Schwartz ’20 (Pine Grove, Pa.) “Progress on the Restoration of an Eastern Hellbender Population in the Upper Susquehanna River Watershed”

The CWI is comprised of Lycoming College faculty and students, and contributes to the area’s understanding and health of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, providing students with the opportunity to gain hands-on field experience in our local waterways. For more information on the CWI, visit http://www.lycoming.edu/cwi/.

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