Meet our 2007 Peace Corps Fellows/USA

Brad K.
Kazakhstan 1999-2001
MS 2009, focus on Environmental Justice
Doris Duke Conservation Fellow

As a Peace Corps volunteer, I worked as an environmental educator in the small town of Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan. My work involved teaching middle school and high school-level students about environmental issues, organizing environmental summer camps, and leading targeted environmental actions to increase environmental awareness in the community. I also worked with community volunteers to establish Project Hope Petropavlovsk, a non-profit organization working to meet the needs of the poor through soup kitchens and clothing drives.

Why a Peace Corps Fellow/USA at U-M SNRE

The Peace Corps Fellows program provides an opportunity for me to share the knowledge and skills that I gained as a Peace Corps volunteer with the graduate student community at SNRE. I also look forward to becoming a resource for SNRE students that are interested in Central Asia and the former Soviet Union.

Domestic Underserved Project Population Focus

My domestically-focused work at SNRE seeks to enhance the livelihoods of indigenous and local natural-resource dependent communities by developing a conservation action plan for St. Mary’s river watershed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Specifically, I plan to work with indigenous and local communities, the Nature Conservancy, Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources, and other stakeholders to develop a conservation plan that integrates socio-economic interests and conservation priorities. Our team envisions this plan to serve as a tool for local communities, NGOs, and state and local governments to advance sustainable management of the region’s natural resources.

Erin C., RPCV
Mali 2001-2003
MS 2009, focus on Environmental Justice
Doris Duke Conservation Fellow

As a Peace Corps volunteer, I worked with a rural farming community to enhance their capacity to cope with drought and desertification through programs in agricultural and economic development as well as in education and gender equity.

Why a Peace Corps Fellow/USA at UM SNRE

As a Peace Corps Fellow I am able to relate the hands-on experience I gained abroad to the curriculum at SNRE, provide an international perspective on environmental problems, and continue in my commitment to working with underserved populations. SNRE is a community of people with diverse backgrounds; I’m learning from my colleagues’ experiences and developing a more nuanced understanding of complex environmental issues.

Domestic Underserved Project Population Focus

My project research focuses on the impacts of climate change on ecosystem services and indigenous livelihoods in rural Alaska. I work with researchers at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, decision-makers at Alaska State Fish and Game, and tribal council leaders to determine regulatory mechanisms to increase the capacity of rural communities to cope with the adverse effects of climate change.

Leonore H., RPCV
Benin 2004-2006
MS/MBA 2010, focus on Sustainable Systems

As an Environmental Action volunteer in West Africa, I worked in a rural Beninese community to teach the population about the importance of natural resource management, particularly in the sahelian area which faces severe deforestation and desertification. I worked with community groups on sustainable income-generating projects involving agroforestry methods, helped several rural villages install tree nurseries, taught Environmental Education classes to students, and hosted a weekly radio show on health and environment topics.

Why a Peace Corps Fellow/USA at UM SNRE

We RPCVs have unique experiences to bring to our education and equally unique needs as students. I wanted to serve as a resource for other RPCVs interested in studying at UM and I wanted to meet other RPCVs here. I would also like to increase the visibility of RPCVs in graduate school programs, particularly at UM, where John F. Kennedy started it all!

Domestic Underserved Project Population Focus

As a student with the Erb Institute, my career goal is to work with corporations to make business more sustainable. I am particularly focused on the tourism industry in both developing and developed countries. For my master’s project, I am working with three classmates on a consulting project to assist a major US ski resort in becoming more sustainable. We will focus on the resort’s environmental and economic effects on the local community and the global climate to determine ways for the resort to use its presence to benefit the world as well as the community’s underserved population.