At Ithaca College, I had the opportunity to take courses in multiple fields due to the interdisciplinary structure of my major. The following courses, I feel, have had a significant impact on who I am today and have prepared me to pursue a variety of different disciplines post-graduation: 



CONSERVATION BIOLOGY

Not only did this course teach me the principles of conservation in terms of land, animal, and plant species management, it provided a strong foundation on the environmental ethics associated with these management strategies. Additionally, I had the opportunity to apply my knowledge to a real-world conservation project with the Finger Lakes Land Trust. This experience was instrumental with an internship I held with the organization a few years after taking the course.



FARMING THE FOREST: NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS

I am currently in a course called Non-Timber Forest Products in which I am learning how to run a sustainable business by using the Ithaca College Natural Lands. Our business, South Hill Forest Products, focuses on maple syrup and honey production as well as pohu oyster cultivation.  This course has allowed me to integrate my academic knowledge with experiential learning, take on significant leadership roles, and learn problem solving and communication skills. There's nothing I like more than working by the fire at Sugar Bush in the Ithaca College Natural Lands.



WAYS OF KNOWING: TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE

From the perspective of indigenous or local 'ways of knowing', this course that I was able to take at Cornell University, prepared me to understand the theory behind traditional ecological knowledge and how to engage local knowledge of natural resources, the nonhuman environment, and human-environment interactions. It also presented the applicability of practical knowledge to issues of climatic change, resource extraction, food sovereignty, and conservation.  

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​ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS

This course prepared me to write a research proposal through research question development, testable hypothesis construction, experiment design, and data collection, analysis and interpretation. By the end of the semester, I submitted a research proposal that would test the water quality enhancement properties of the constructed wetlands in the Ithaca College Natural Lands and presented an oral defense presentation.

 

 

ITALIAN COURSEWORK:

Conversazione e Cultura

19th and 20th Century Italian Literature

Inferno to Infinity: Italian Literature in Translation

Independent Study: Advanced Readings in Italian Literature

Italian Culture through Film