FACULTY DIRECTOR SEPTEMBER 2018
The collections at the Kelly Adirondack Center (KAC) and the Adirondack Research Library are broad and deep. In June, the KAC hosted a workshop for 18 faculty to explore opportunities for incorporating the Adirondacks into courses and scholarship. Sessions included a scavenger hunt of the Center’s resources and sessions on ethnography (Prof. Deidre Hill-Butler, Sociology), documentary films (Jim deSeve, Film Studies) and environmental history (Andy Morris, History). The workshop was aimed at developing a three-week Adirondack mini-term course, slated for August 2019. The workshop and mini-term are supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The KAC regularly holds events to engage the community. In May, Paul Croce, professor of history at Stetson University, spoke on “William James at Home in the Adirondacks.” The author of Young William James Thinking discussed James’ experiences in the Adirondacks as inspiration for his approach to philosophy, psychology and religion. A full schedule of events can be found at the KAC web site: union.edu/adirondacks. Paul Croce (right) who talked on “William James at Home in the Adirondacks,” with Doug Klein, KAC faculty director; and Jillmarie Murphy, professor of English. Finally, I hope you enjoy reading about Kelly Adirondack Center Summer Research Fellows Sanan Hajiyev and Anna Gagion in this newsletter. Three other Fellows—Matthew Cole, Drake McDonough and Connor Horan—have collected data on the Adirondacks geology and hydrology under the direction of Prof. Paul Manon of Geology, and Prof. Mason Stahl of Environmental Engineering. The KAC is proud to sponsor Adirondack research from all the disciplines pursued at Union. We look forward to seeing you at our 2018-19 events. Feel free to drop in at the Center to explore its resources, displays and beautiful setting, all within three miles of campus.
UNION.EDU/ADIRONDACKS
FROM THE
Fall 2018
WILDERNESS WATERWAYS&U
Volume 12
A DI RON DACK S F O CUS O F
SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
While digging through boxes of material at the Kelly
Founded in 1885 to protect the land from rampant
Adirondack Center on the history of the New York State
forest fires, the rangers today primarily respond to
forest rangers, Anna Gagion ’19 was surprised to
search and rescue incidents in the backcountry of
discover the paucity of information about women.
the Adirondacks. Col. William F. Fox, Class of 1869,
“There haven’t been a lot of women in the profession, so I wanted to learn more,” said Gagion, an environmental policy and French major from Chappaqua, N.Y. Primarily using resources at the center’s Adirondack Research Library, Gagion is examining the evolution of the forest rangers, including their training, the role of women and the job of preserving the six-million acre Adirondack Park.
UNION.EDU/ADIRONDACKS
is credited with establishing the rangers when he served as the state’s first Superintendent of Forests. For Sanan Hajiyev ’19, a class he took in the fall term on environmental anthropology led to his interest in exploring the roots of modern day environmental and ecological morality. One focus is the historic Philosophers’ Camp in the summer of 1858.
SANAN HAJIYEV ’19 AND ANNA GAGION ’19 ARE THE LATEST RECIPIENTS OF A SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM OFFERED THROUGH THE KELLY ADIRONDACK CENTER. Organized by William James Stillman, Class of 1848,
photographs, documents and the personal papers of
the outing brought together 10 scholarly men, including
some of the region’s foremost conservationists.
poet Ralph Waldo Emerson and scientist Louis Agassiz, deep into the wilderness of Follensby Pond. There, the men spent several weeks of spiritual bonding over nature.
“The Adirondack Park provides 125 years of tangible data and experience fueling conversations regarding the relationship between humans and wilderness,” she
“I want to see how the moral foundation they set has
said. “Students use the primary sources in the library
evolved over time,” said Hajiyev, an environmental policy
collections to explore the history of key questions in
major who arrived in the U.S. from Azerbaijan in 2006.
current debates regarding the Adirondack experiment.
“How the actions we have taken to protect the environ-
Understanding the lessons of the park’s history is
ment may have had unforeseen moral consequences and
essential to students as they will become the future
how our moral view of the environment has changed.”
policy makers. The fellows play a crucial role in
Gagion and Hajiyev are the latest recipients of a summer research fellowship program offered through the Kelly Adirondack Center. Now in its sixth year, the competitive program is open to students enrolled in an undergraduate, master’s or doctoral program.
supporting the Kelly Adirondack Center mission of studying the Adirondacks as a way of revealing the diverse and complex relationships between society and the environment.” Gagion’s advisor for her research is Andrew Morris, associate professor of history. Douglass Klein, the Kenneth B. Sharpe Professor of Economics and
Over the course of eight weeks, fellows conduct
faculty director of the Kelly Adirondack Center, is
independent research on an issue impacting the
advising Hajiyev.
Adirondacks. They also meet with representatives of organizations involved with Adirondack advocacy and policy. Visits to the Adirondacks are also part of the itinerary.
For the students, the chance to comb through the library’s collections has also led them to discover other topics. For example, Gagion is learning about the life of Anne LaBastille, a naturalist who inspired women to
Each fellow receives a stipend and, if needed, housing.
explore outdoors. She gained fame as the author of
The fellowships are funded in part through a grant from
“Woodswoman,” a four-volume autobiographical series
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to strengthen the
about her experiences living on a hidden lake in the
College’s Adirondack Studies initiative.
Adirondacks.
“The fellowships are one of the most important
“This fellowship has been a great opportunity,” said
ways that the Kelly Adirondack Center supports the
Gaigon. “This is the first time I’ve been able to do
interdisciplinary study of the Adirondacks,” said Margie
research at Union. It’s really opened up a lot of different
Amodeo, coordinator of the KAC.
interests for me.”
The research library boasts a unique collection of
Gagion and Hajiyev shared their research during two
material on the Adirondack Park and the New York
public presentations, Aug. 1 at the Kelly Adirondack
State Forest Preserve, including rare books, maps,
Center and Aug. 3, in Wold Atrium.
Fall 2018
WILDERNESS WATERWAYS&U
Volume 12
VOLUME 22
Feminism in the woods, the regional impacts
October 3
of climate change, and water chemistry in
Environmental Science Education
Adirondack lakes are some of the topics featured
vs. Nature-deficit Disorder with
in the latest volume of the Adirondack Journal
Thomas Mowatt
of Environmental Studies.
REAMER AUDITORIUM
AJES Volume 22 is broader in scope than those the KAC and the Adirondack
5:30 PM
Research Consortium have collaboratively published since 2016. Topics range from the humanities to the natural sciences: from articles on women’s rights
October 13
and feminism in the woods to the regional impacts of climate change and
Homecoming Open House
water chemistry in Adirondack lakes. The breadth of environmental studies
KELLY ADIRONDACK CENTER
as a field of inquiry is highlighted and is accompanied by Mark Bowie’s awe-
3:00-5:00 PM
inspiring photography. Also included is a “Perspective” article from the Center for Women in
November 8
Government and Civil Society at Albany University, which is part of the
Still Here, Gone, Introduced and
Consortium’s Women in Leadership program and funded in part by a grant
Returned: People and Mammals
from the Walbridge Fund. Lastly, in an effort to showcase the many personal
in the Adirondacks with Phil Terrie
stories of the Adirondacks and to highlight the various ways in which they are
REAMER AUDITORIUM
told, we present the final section, “Stories of the Adirondacks.” Though more
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
THE ADIRONDACK JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
informal storytelling than typical academic articles, these concluding essays a broad spectrum of perspectives from contributors.
On exhibit through November
In addition, a new online repository features all previous volumes of the journal.
The Summits of Forests: The High
The repository will also serve as a platform to submit articles for publication
Peaks Photograhy of Kay Flickinger
consideration by the AJES editorial board. To learn more about AJES, to view
and Books of Grace Hudowalski
previous volumes online, or to submit an article for publication, visit the AJES
KELLY ADIRONDACK CENTER
are rooted in history and demonstrate the shared commitment to welcoming
webpage at AJES.org.
TO RECEIVE A COPY OF VOLUME 22 OR ANY BACK ISSUES, PLEASE CONTACT
THE KELLY ADIRONDACK CENTER 897 Saint David’s Lane, Niskayuna, NY 12309 (518) 388-7000 UNION.EDU/ADIRONDACKS
WILDERNESS WATERWAYS&U
MARGIE AMODEO FOR PRICING INFORMATION AND DETAILS.
Faculty Director of the Kelly Adirondack Center
Kelly Adirondack Center Coordinator
Executive Editor of the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies
Doug Klein
Margie Amodeo
Caleb Northrop
kleind@union.edu
amodeom@union.edu
northroc@union.edu
Go paperless! If you’d prefer to receive this newsletter electronically, send an email to Name Here at namehere@union.edu.