Paul Smith’s College graduates, faculty present at ARC conference

The Adirondack Research Consortium (ARC) held its 26th Annual Conference of the Adirondacks this past May featuring dozens of presentations and posters around the theme of “Sharing Science and Policy in the Adirondacks – Culture, Conservation, and Communication.”

Included in the conference’s lineup was a cohort of Paul Smith’s College faculty and recent graduates who presented on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to Adirondack issues.

Katherine Gale, who graduated this past May with a bachelor’s in environmental science, received ARC’s 2019 Ecology and Environment Richard H. Morse award. According to the ARC, the $500 award is given annually to students that share Morse’s passion for environmental policy, music, and/or outdoor activities in the Adirondacks. Gale, along with classmate William “Chip” Tobin, also took first prize for their poster presentation “Tick Borne Disease Research in the North Country.”

Courtney Cronk and Nicholas Shalayda’s “Identifying Potential Northern Long-Eared Bat Habitat Using LiDAR and Survey 123” took third in the poster session.

Another 2019 graduate, Bob Visicaro, presented his “Lake Monitoring Trends in Fish Communities in Lower St. Regis Lake” after being introduced by PSC’s Dr. Craig Milewski, who also served as mentor for four other posters put together by students.

Meanwhile, a number of faculty members took part, including Janet Mihuc, Kelly Cerialo, Brendan Wiltse, Melanie Johnson and Joe Henderson. Bobby O’Connor and Matt Dougherty also attended to speak about the Adventure Guide Service run through the college.

The conference, held at the Conference Center at Lake Placid, is attended by students, teachers, researchers, and policy makers at local and regional levels. This year’s conference included the session “The Past, Present, and Future of Adirondack Social Science Research,” which will be followed by a broader workshop on August 14 at Paul Smith’s College to further develop a research agenda.

About Paul Smith’s College
At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. We are the only four-year institution of higher education in the Adirondacks. Our programs – in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences – draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. For more information, visit paulsmiths.edu.