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2019 SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 219 Bray Hall, One Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210-2785
2018 Graduates of Distinction Dr. Robert Bruck ’78 • Katia Avilés-Vázquez ’99 • Seth Jensen ’05
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 | College President’s Message 2 | Alumni Assoc. President’s Message 6 | ESF Student Club Profile
10 | ESF Event Photos 14 | Shop the ESF College Bookstore 16 | Class Notes 23 | ESF Bookshelf Alumni Association President Thayer Miller ’71 (left) and Interim College President Dr. David Amberg (right) present the Lifetime Achievement Graduate of Distinction Award to Dr. Robert Bruck ’78 (center). n December 7, 2018 the ESF Alumni Association honored this year’s Graduate of Distinction award recipients at December Commencement in Hendricks Chapel. The award is presented at Commencement each year so that we may recognize the outstanding achievements of our distinguished alumni, and share these accomplishments with our newest graduates. This year we honored three such alumni: Dr. Robert Bruck ’78 (Lifetime Achievement Award); Katia Avilés-Vázquez ’99 (Notable Achievement Award); Seth Jensen ’05 (Incipiens Quercu). The full biographies of our recipients can be found on page 3.
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Seeking Nominations for 2019
We are currently seeking nominations for the 2019 award in all three categories: “Lifetime Achievement” is reserved for alumni who have or will soon end their active careers, “Notable
Seth Jensen ’05 (center) is presented with the “Incipiens Quercu” Graduate of Distinction Award by Alumni Association President Thayer Miller ’71 (left) and Interim College President Dr. David Amberg (right).
Achievement” is for alumni who are in the early to mid-point of their careers, and “Incipiens Quercu” is geared towards our alumni who have recently graduated and are demonstrating their commitment to ESF’s environmental stewardship through their professional and/or volunteer work experience. Nominations may be received from alumni or anyone who would like to see an alumnus receive one of these awards. Self-nominations are welcomed! All nominations should be sent to the Graduate of Distinction Award Committee in care of the Alumni Office and must include the following material: 1. The name of the person being nominated with current contact information (name, address, phone/email) 2. The name of the person making the nomination along with their current contact information
We don’t want to lose touch with you! Just in case you didn’t mean to say goodbye… As the majority of our communications are now sent exclusively via e-mail, we would encourage you to keep the electronic lines of communication open! We have recently heard from a number of our alumni that they unknowingly unsubscribed from receiving our e-mails. The Constant Contact e-mail distribution system is now utilized by all major administrative offices on campus, and if you unsubscribe, you are preventing yourself from receiving ALL future e-correspondence from the College. This includes, but is not limited to, all invitations, College news & notifications, alumni e-newsletters, etc. If you believe you have been unsubscribed from our listserv and would like to be added back in, simply send an e-mail to alumni@esf.edu or call us at 315-470-6632. We can then check your status and if you are marked as “unsubscribed,” we will request that Constant Contact re-subscribe you. They will send you a direct message confirming your preference to re-subscribe. Once that is set, you will begin to receive e-correspondence from the College once again.
3. A vita or resume of the nominee with up to five pages of supporting material 4. Copies of citations or awards from other groups and organizations 5. Any other material such as endorsements from colleagues, etc. You may also visit the ESF Alumni website at https://www.esf.edu/alumni/ distinction.htm to complete an online nomination form. Please keep in mind that these awards are presented to those whose accomplishments might be considered “pioneering,” whose work has positively affected society, or who are otherwise inspirational to students and fellow alumni. Alumni may nominate themselves and should not hesitate to do so. The deadline for submissions for this year is June 30, 2019. 1
INCLUDED ESF ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Student Grant Program Page 4 ESF OBSERVES
Remembrance Day for Lost Species Page 8 PAYING IT FORWARD
Class of 1974 Page 9 ALUMNI & FAMILY FALL WEEKEND
Thanks for Coming! Page 12 RESEARCH
American Chestnut Update Page 15
Please see GRADUATES OF DISTINCTION, Page 3
Read all about it…in one place! The Alumni News and Inside ESF are joining forces tarting this August, you will be able to get all of your ESF news in one place! The Alumni News and Inside ESF are joining forces to bring you one comprehensive magazine for all of your ESF coverage. While we will still bring you all of the Alumni News features that you know and love (alumni profiles, events, campus news, department updates and of course, class notes), the magazine will also include feature stories involving faculty, research, ESF partners and our current students. In addition to making it easier for you to stay up-to-date on all things ESF, the move is also a cost-saving measure. After recent substantial increases in the production cost for the Alumni News, the Association considered the publication merger not only a logical solution, but fiscally responsible as well. We look forward to showcasing the new publication, ESF: The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, this summer! 1
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While we will still bring you all of the Alumni News features that you know and love, the magazine will also include feature stories involving faculty, research, ESF partners and our current students.