CLUS Student Fellows
Through scholarship with CLUS Affiliate Scholars and community partners, our students build professional networks and skills that prepare them for the workforce or further studies, while addressing sustainability challenges. As of Spring 2020, over 30 Undergraduate and Graduate Student Fellows from across Shippensburg University have engaged in high-quality interdisciplinary research, supporting communities at local, regional, and global scales. Our students have been involved in the following:
- Attend conferences and meetings to represent the CLUS and share findings
- Community outreach and engagement
- Conducting GIS analyses and developing high-quality research products
- Data collection, analysis, and literature review to support grants
- Internships with the CLUS or within our partner network
- Research credit for pursuing individual research and scholarship
- Technical writing to support CLUS outreach, organizational development, and communication efforts
Our students are hard-working, highly skilled, and professional. We are always looking for new collaborations and ways to engage students from across the university. Learn more about current on-campus employment opportunities through Ship Career Connection, or contact us to learn more!
Current Students
Our Student Fellows represent a variety of disciplines across campus. Learn more about our current students and the projects in which they engage.
Drake Myers
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Originally from Manchester, Pennsylvania, in York County, Drake graduated from Shippensburg University in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Geography/GIS. During his undergraduate degree, he participated in the Shippensburg University Raider Marching Band (drumline section leader 2020 and...
Jack Knowles-Kellett
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Jack Knowles-Kellett grew up in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, before leaving to spend a year working in the Southwest in AmeriCorps NCCC. After studying environmental justice for two years at Oberlin College, he transferred to Shippensburg to study sustainability and GIS. Outside...
Kyle Myers
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Kyle is a graduate student in the Geoenvironmental Studies program at Shippensburg University. In 2021, he graduated from Penn State with a double major in Geography and Anthropology. His current academic interests are in energy geography,...
Mavis Anderson
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Mavis Anderson is from Mechanicsburg, PA. She is a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Sustainability and a concentration in Environmental Conservation. She enjoys being in the outdoors and live music, as well as a combination of...
Mimansha Choudhary
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Mimansha is a sophmore international student at Shippensburg University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. She is excited to continue working with CLUS this academic year on ShipComosts. Mimansha previously worked with the SMRC, CCFSA and as a general CLUS...
Nathan Bard
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Nathan Bard is a GeoEnvironmental Science major at Shippensburg University. His main hobbies are watching sports, cooking, and going to concerts whenever possible. He has a Pitbull/American Bully mix named Reno. After graduating, his goal is to find work with...
Riley Hollar
CLUS Co-Op Student
Riley is a senior at Shippensburg Area Senior High School and is a co-op student at the CLUS. After high school, Riley hopes to major in Environmental Science. Her interests include climate science, marine science, and sustainability. Riley is a...
Sarah Thompson
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Sarah earned her undergraduate degree in Environmental Sustainability from Shippensburg University in 2021 and is continuing in the Geography/Earth Science department to earn her M.S. in Geoenvironmental Science and Sustainability. She is a member of the international honor society in...
Trevor Wiser
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Trevor is an undergraduate student at Shippensburg University pursuing a B.S in Sustainability. He is currently working for the Ship SAILS program at the University Farm. In his spare time, he likes to exercise and travel. Projects: ShipComposts, Shippensburg Tree...
Zoe Weiss
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Zoe Weiss is originally from Portland, Oregon. She received her B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon in 2014. She is currently pursuing an M.S. in Geoenvironmental Science and Sustainability at Shippensburg University. Her interests include sustainability, agriculture,...
Former Student Fellows and Ship Alumni
A growing number of SU students began their professional careers with part time work as CLUS Student Fellows. After graduation, their skills and community connections have led them to successful job placement related to their degrees and interests. We wish our students the best of luck with their bright futures, and thank them for their important contributions to our research projects,
Alex Torchio
CAH Graduate Student Fellow
Originally from Harleysville, Pennsylvania, Alex received his BA in History from Shippensburg University in May 2020. He is currently in the Applied History Graduate Program pursing his MA in Applied History with a concentration in Museum Studies. Alex serves as...
Alexandra Shatzer
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Alex Shatzer is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Shippensburg University studying sociology with a biology minor. Her interests are in public health and the effect that climate change has on population health. She is currently the president of the National Society...
Amber Millison
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Amber is a graduate student in Shippensburg’s Geoenvironmental Studies program. Born in Frederick, Maryland, she graduated summa cum laude from Salisbury University in May of 2020 with a double major in Earth Science and Geography, concentrating in Atmospheric Sciences. She...
Ayrton Marriott
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Ayrton is currently a graduate student in the Geoenvironmental Studies Master’s program. He completed his undergraduate studies at Penn State, where he earned a B.S. in Environmental Resource Management. His current areas of interest are land use planning, GIS, and...
Bailey Bzdak
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Bailey is a student at Shippensburg University with a dual major in Geoenvironmental Studies and Environmental Biology. She is a member of the Women's Soccer Team at Shippensburg, and also enjoys kayaking, hiking, and traveling in her free time. Upon...
Ben Stine
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Ben is a senior pursing a Bachelor's degree of Political Science with a minor in Human Communication Studies. Academically he is driven by issues such as campaign finance and environmentalism. He is the current Representative for Commuter Students in Shippensburg's...
Caitlin Lucas
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Caitlin graduated in May 2017 from the Geoenvironmental Studies program with certification in GIS. She has expertise in mapping, and is pursuing a career in GIS applicable to conservation and environmental remediation. During her time with the CLUS, Caitlin gathered...
Cameron Eyer
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Cameron graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and concentration in Geographic Information Systems. While at the CLUS, he developed a web map for the Delaware River Basin Project. Upon graduating, he became a Network Analyst...
Cameron Weiser
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Cameron Weiser is a fourth year Geoenvironmental Studies undergraduate student at Shippensburg university with a Biology Minor. He has worked with the Center for Land Use and Sustainability on the Camp Security Project and more recently on an assessment of...
Carla Johns
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Carla graduated from Shippensburg University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and concentration in Human-Environmental Studies. Upon graduating, she was hired as the Pennsylvania Grassroots Field Specialist for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. During her time at...
Cheyenne Port
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Cheyenne is pursuing a Bachelors of Social Work and Minor in Ethnic Studies, and expects to graduate in May 2018. She is president of the Social Work Department’s Research Club, and leads a team of students in annual research projects....
Courtney Malott
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Courtney is a student at Shippensburg University pursuing a major in Geoenvironmental Studies and a minor in GIS. She is also a member and Captain of the Women's Volleyball Team for Shippensburg. Scheduled to graduate December of 2018, Courtney is hoping to...
Courtney Papinchak
Graduate Student Fellow
Courtney began work at the CLUS in November 2017, shortly before graduating from Shippensburg University. She loves riding her horse, hiking with her dog, identifying plants, and birding. Her academic interests include land use, wetland ecology, botany, and GIS. Courtney...
Dan Babyak
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Dan is pursuing a B.S. in Geography with a minor in GIS. He is particularly interested in Geology, as well the application of GIS to outdoor recreation, particularly in regards to extreme sports. Hobbies include fishing, hiking, and climbing, and...
Dan Hoy
Graduate Student Fellow
Dan is a Geoenvironmental Studies M.S. student with areas of interest in air quality and applications of GIS. Prior to attending Shippensburg, he graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in Secondary Education and taught physical science in the...
Dan McCormack
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Dan graduated in December 2016 with a Geography degree and concentration in Geographic Information Systems. During his time at the CLUS, he helped compare the new High-Resolution Land Cover produced through the Delaware River Basin Project with existing NLCD products....
Demetrios Koutsokostas
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Demetri is a junior pursuing a B.S. in Geoenvironmental Studies and a GIS certificate. He graduated from HACC in 2020 with an A.S. in Structural Engineering Technology before transferring to Shippensburg University. His primary academic/professional interests include hydrology and soils...
Ed Benish
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Ed graduated in December 2011 from Penn State University with a B.S. in Secondary Science Education and is currently pursuing a M.S. in Geoenvironmental Studies at Shippensburg University. For the past 7 years, Ed was an 8th Grade Earth and...
Ed Schick
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Ed is currently a graduate student in the Geoenvironmental Studies master program. He completed his B.S. in Geography with a minor in Natural Hazards and Emergency Management from Millersville University in 2019. His current areas of study are land use...
Haley Krause
Undergraduate Intern Technical Writer
Haley is currently following a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a concentration in writing and a minor in Technical/Professional Communications on track to graduate in May of 2019. During her time at the CLUS, she helped Antonia design,...
Hayden Fulton
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Hayden is pursuing a B.A. in Sociology with a double minor in women and gender studies and GIS. As a student in the honors program, Hayden completed a capstone research paper on thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and was awarded a...
Jackie Rosenberger
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Jackie graduated in May 2018 with a B.S. Biology and a minor in Geographic Information Science. She is interested in using GIS for wildlife management and conservation. She has worked with the Kittatinny Ridge Coalition to build a geographic database...
Jacob Percey
Graduate Student Fellow
Jacob Percey is a second year Geoenvironmental Studies graduate student at Shippensburg University. He has a strong passion for both GIS and Geology and hopes to pursue these fields upon graduation. He is currently examining recent and potential forest loss...
Jacob Wacker
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Jacob completed his B.S. in Geoenvironmental Studies with minors in GIS and Sustainability from Shippensburg University in May 2020 and will remain at Shippensburg to complete his M.S. in Geoenvironmental Studies. He has previously interned for the Pennsylvania Geological Survey...
James Hughes
Graduate Student Fellow
James is a second semester graduate student in the Applied History program, focusing on historic preservation. While at the CLUS, he worked directly with PA municipal offices to gather information about historic preservation ordinances throughout the state. Projects: Center for...
Jim Smith
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Jim is a junior Geography/Economics major and Religious Studies minor at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is excited to work with the CLUS this summer on the Appalachian Trail NRCA and other ongoing projects. In his spare time,...
Jonathon Chester
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Jonathon graduated from Shippensburg University in May 2018 with a B.S. in Geo-Environmental Studies and Certificate in GIS. He plans to attend graduate school in the fall and hopes to pursue a career which integrates GIS with land conservation and management....
Joshua Barth
Graduate Student Fellow
Joshua earned an A.S. in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Burlington County College and a B.S. in Geology from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He is currently pursuing a M.S. in Geoenvironmental Studies at Shippensburg University. Joshua enjoys...
Kate Nicholson
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Kate is a junior Sustainability major, pursuing a biology minor and Geographic Information Systems certificate. Her interests within the field include climate change, rare and endangered species, carbon footprint assessments, and tracking pollination habits and bee populations. In her free...
Kelsey Bortner
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Kelsey graduated at Shippensburg University with her B.S. in Biology in May 2021. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in Tick research within the Biology Department and was active in the Red Raider Marching Band. Starting in August 2021, Kelsey...
Kristin Thorpe
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Kristin is a Geography major with a concentration in GIS and a Technical/Professional Communications minor. She will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in May of 2019. While at the CLUS, Kristin continues work on the Upper Delaware Partnership...
Maren Smith
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Maren graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a BS in Marine Science and Biology and is in her final semester of graduate school for a MS in Environmental Science. She has interned with Johnson Mirmiran and Thompson (JMT) and with...
Margaret Gutshall
CAH Graduate Student Fellow
I graduated from Shippensburg University with a Bachelor's Degree in History my concentration was in American History. I am currently enrolled in the Master's Program for Applied History with my concentration in Museum Studies. I am hoping to graduate in...
Mary McGee
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Mary graduated in May 2019 from Shippensburg University with a B.A. in Psychology. She is currently pursuing a M.A. in Organizational Development and Leadership with a concentration in Business. She is very excited to work with CLUS this academic year...
Matt Ostap
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Matt is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Shippensburg University studying Geoenvironmental Studies with a GIS Minor. He is currently working on the Kittatinny Ridge GIS Project at CLUS. He has completed internships with The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania and the...
Meaghan Blair
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Meaghan is a senior pursuing a B.S. in Sustainability, with minors in Geography and Earth Science and a GIS certificate. She is also a member of the honors fraternity, Phi Sigma Pi and the vice president of the Geography Honor...
Nicole Hallahan
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Nicole Hallahan is a fourth year dual major in French and Sustainability with minors in International Development and Geo Environmental studies. She is currently working on a proposal to add solar panels to campus. Nicole has completed a GIS internship...
Paige Steffy
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Paige will graduate in 2021 with a BS in Geo-Environmental Studies and a minor in Geographic Information Systems. She is a Wood Honors College student and a member of the Geography Honor Society, Gamma Theta Upsilon. After graduation, Paige plans...
Patricia Newdeck
Graduate Student Fellow
Trish applied her BS in Geosciences (Penn State) toward an environmental consulting career where she performed soil and groundwater investigations and designed remediations plans for industrial and petrochemical clients. As an SU graduate student, Trish is gaining GIS processing skills and and land use...
Rebecca Hansen
CLUS Undergraduate Student Fellow
Becky is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Shippensburg University majoring in Geoenvironmental Studies with minors in Biology and GIS. She will be working on the Appalachian Trail Natural Resource Condition Assessment during her time with the CLUS. Becky has completed...
Sianoi Kimari
CLUS Graduate Student Fellow
Sianoi earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology in the year 2016 from her Kenyan homeland. She is currently an Organizational Development and Leadership Masters student, with a concentration in Management Information Systems. Sianoi is ecstatic to find purpose and meaning from...
Troy Alleman
Graduate Student Fellow
Troy graduated in May 2018 with a B.S. in Geo-Environmental Studies and minor in Public Administration. He is interested in hydrology and hydrogeology, and plans to pursue a graduate degree focused on water resource management. A nontraditional student with a...
Tyler Costlow
Graduate Student Fellow
Tyler graduated in December 2016 from Pitt-Johnstown with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Geography with a certificate in GIS. He is currently pursuing a M.S. in Geoenvironmental Studies at Shippensburg University. Tyler recently completed a year in AmeriCorps working...