Alumni Updates: Class Years 2000-04
Class of 2004
Suzanne Ankrum: “I am currently working as the program coordinator for Virginia Conservation Network - a network of over 100 environmental organizations working to protect the Commonwealth's air, lands, and waters as guaranteed by Article XI of the Virginia Constitution. At VCN, a nonprofit, my work varies from tracking legislation and opportunities for public participation to coordinating policy workgroups that bring experts from around the state together to develop a cohesive environmental policy. I also coordinate a citizen advocacy program - Legislative Contact Teams - with the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. You can find my organization online at www.vcnva.org.” [updated 2006]
Emily Greene: "I graduated from Duke in the spring with a Masters degree in Environmental Management, did a bit of traveling, and am currently working in the water resources division of an environmental/engineering consulting firm in Washington, D.C., the Louis Berger Group Inc. We're beginning a restoration project on the Missouri River, which is very exciting. It is interesting work, albeit demanding, timewise." [updated 2006]
Melissa Pensa: “I am currently in my third year of medical school at the University of Connecticut. I plan to pursue a career in general surgery and will be applying for residency programs within a year. In my spare time, I am working with a cancer epidemiologist to study the biological differences in breast cancer in African American vs Caucasian women in CT. Running and cooking continue to be my sources of sanity. I have become recently interested in the Slow Food Movement and hope to create a website in the near future that serves as a nutrition and eating guide for the public.” [updated 2006]
Class of 2003
Melanie Biscoe: "May 2005: Graduated from Duke's Nicholas School. 2 weeks later: Moved to DC to work for RTI International. Since: I've been writing environmental assessments for USAID's malaria control programs in Africa. In 2006 I traveled to Mozambique, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Rwanda for this purpose. It's quite an interesting job, being part of the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), especially working on Indoor Residual Spraying campaigns. If you need to know anything about IRS, the DDT Debate or malaria vector control in general, look me up!" [updated 2006]
Stephanie Ford-Molvik: “In 2005, I graduated with my Masters in Public Health from Eastern Virginia Medical School. This past fall, I started working on my PhD in Emerging Infectious Diseases at USUHS in Bethesda, Maryland.” [updated 2006]
Elizabeth Vonhof ( Ketchum): “I am currently in my last semester of a Master's in Public Policy (specializing in Environmental Policy) at the University of Maryland. I am also working part-time with the Bureau of Land Management's Division of Planning and Science Policy. Prior to attending Maryland, I worked for two years at EPA's Office of Underground Storage Tanks. In personal news, I got married at the Wren Chapel in May 2004 to another W&M alum, Marco Vonhof. We are now enjoying apartment living in Arlington, near Pentagon City.” [updated 2006]
Class of 2002
Marian Carroll: “Most recent job is with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. I am a stormwater compliance specialist, inspecting erosion and sediment controls on construction sites in the Potomac Watershed region.” [updated 2006]
Marisa Guarinello: “I am in my first year of an MS program at the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. My research will concern the ecosystem functioning of one of RI's coastal lagoons. I also work part-time for EPA-New England's Superfund program, preserving a connection to my previous years of employment with the Superfund headquarters office.” [updated 2006]
Mary Shockley: “Working as a naturalist in Arlington, VA; hoping to attend graduate school in environmental science in 2007; engaged!” [updated 2006]
Beth Sturiano: “After graduating from W&M with a secondary concentration in Environmental Studies I served in the Peace Corps, doing environmental education and community development in Jamaica from 2002-2004. I'm now studying at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University's Indianapolis campus, where I'll graduate this May with a Master of Public Affairs, concentration in nonprofit management, and a Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies. I hope to work on environmental issues in the nonprofit sector upon graduation.” [updated 2006]
