Welcome to the Watershed, Education, Science and Policy Lab in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont! Get to know who we are below.
Current Graduate Students
Samantha Grant, MS Candidate (expected summer 2025).
Topic: Mapping Vermont Flooding and Underserved Communities in Preparation for Future Events.
Samantha is an accelerated master’s student in the Rubenstein School of the Environment and natural resources. She is currently enrolled in her B.S. in Environmental Science at the Rubenstein School and is expected to graduate in May 2024. She grew up in Mississauga Ontario, and moved to New Jersey for her high school years. During her time at UVM she studied abroad in Iceland focusing on carbon capture in basalt formations, and Arctic ecosystems. She has also been working in UVM’s Spatial Analysis Lab on the manual corrections team! Her interests are in mitigating flooding hazards as precipitation in Vermont is on the rise, with a special focus on communities who experience increased vulnerability. Samantha enjoys hiking, skiing, and playing guitar in her free time.
Marisa Immordino, MS Candidate (expected summer 2024)
Thesis Title: An exploration of associated impacts and career transformations of early career professionals who participated in watershed education internship opportunities during college
Marisa is a master’s student in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. She grew up in central New Jersey (it’s real!) and has a B.S in Environmental Studies from Gettysburg College. Prior to starting grad school, Marisa was an AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador in New Jersey where she delivered presentations to schools, ran outreach events and monitored freshwater streams. She is primarily interested in environmental education, watershed sciences and community outreach. Her master’s thesis focuses on what undergraduate students report from participating in semester-long watershed outreach and education internships during college. She will be studying alumni from programs located in Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania. Other than being a student, Marisa is also the Watershed Education Graduate Assistant for Lake Champlain Sea Grant. In her free time, she loves reading, baking sweet treats and soaking up Burlington’s amazing sunsets.
Tess O’Brien, MS Candidate (expected fall 2024)
Topic: Lake Champlain Aquatic Nuisance Species Database
Tess is a first year MS student at the Rubenstein School concentrating in Aquatic Ecology and Watershed Science. She grew up in the Champlain Valley of Vermont and studied Forest Ecosystem Science at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in New York State. After graduation Tess through hiked the Appalachian and Continental Divide National Scenic Trails before serving in the United States Peace Corps in Cameroon as an Agriculture Extension Agent. Tess now works in the WESP lab on the LCNISIS project and as a ski guide for the Bolton Backcountry department. In her free time Tess enjoys playing the fiddle, canoeing, fishing and hiking with her dog Duke
Alison Spasyk, MS Candidate (expected spring 2025)
Thesis topic: Assessing outcomes of watershed education programs.
Alison grew up in Williston, VT and attended St. Lawrence University where she double-majored in Biology and Government. After graduating, she completed two years of AmeriCorps service with Vermont Works for Women and the Friends of Northern Lake Champlain. More recently, she worked with Friends of Lake Champlain as a Project Coordinator where she wrote grant proposals to state and federal programs to fund assessments, engineering designs, and the implementation of projects for stormwater management, floodplain restoration, and shoreline protection. She was also involved in numerous education and outreach initiatives focused on developing an appreciation for the Lake and teaching students and community members about what they can do to improve water quality. In her free time, she likes to backcountry ski, run, and bike throughout Vermont.
Current Undergraduate Students
Noelle Hasan, BS in Environmental Science and Soil Science minor (expected spring 2026).
Noelle is an undergraduate at the Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources. She is pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in soil science. Noelle’s journey in the environmental field began in her hometown in the south suburbs of Chicago where she developed a passion for soil and water systems in both agriculture and urban settings. Her interest lies in working with local and indigenous communities to help mitigate issues they face regarding access to clean water and food sovereignty. Outside of her studies, Noelle enjoys baking, painting, and traveling to new places with her friends.
Faculty
Kristine Stepenuck (she/her) is Extension Associate Professor of Watershed Science, Policy and Education in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, and Associate Director and Extension Program Leader for Lake Champlain Sea Grant (LCSG). She leads the Watershed, Education, Science and Policy (WESP) Lab at UVM. For more than 20 years, Kris has focused her career to build community connections to and understanding of the impact our actions have on the health of streams, rivers and lakes. Her research focuses on assessing impacts of land use on water quality, understanding target audiences and their motivations or barriers to adopting certain land use practices and evaluating outcomes of community-based social marketing campaigns on attitudes and behaviors, and understanding outcomes of programs that engage the public in scientific research. Kris holds a Ph.D. in Environment and Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A native of New Hampshire and long-time Wisconsin resident, Kris moved back east in 2015. She is a year ‘round bike commuter, and enjoys hiking, whitewater kayaking, and telemark and cross country skiing.
Alumni
Holden Sparacino, MS completed fall 2018
Thesis title: Characterizing the Management Practices and Decision-making Processes of Winter Maintenance Companies in the Lake Champlain Basin
Current position: Ecological Restoration Grants Manager, Division of Ecological Restoration, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game
Jason Scott, MS completed spring 2020
Project title: Preparedness for Oil and Hazardous Material Spills in the Lake Champlain Basin
Current position: US Coast Guard Office of Marine Environmental Response Policy (CG-MER)
Rachel Pierson, MS completed fall 2020
Thesis title: The Role of Place Attachment in Volunteer Monitoring: A Transnational Pilot Study of Engaging and Retaining Volunteers
Current position: Community Programs Coordinator, Patapsco Heritage Greenway
Kristen Livingstone, BS completed spring 2021 in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Landscape Horticulture (minor)
Kristin Raub, PhD completed spring 2021
Thesis title: Coastal resilience at the nexus of food, energy, and water: An interdisciplinary perspective for resilience planning
Current position: Resilience Research Scientist, CUAHSI & The Global Resilience Institute, Northeastern University
Maddie (SanAngelo) Yandow, BS completed spring 2021
Honors thesis title: The Relationships between Bacteria Concentrations in Fairfield County, CT Rivers and Socioeconomic Parameters to Determine Environmental Justice Concerns
Current position: Project Manager, Northwest Regional Planning Commission
Sarah Clauss, BS completed spring 2022
Honors thesis title: Examining the Effect of Public Hiking Trail Use on Soil Loss and Stream-Bottom Embeddedness in First-Order Vermont Streams
Current position: MS graduate student, University of Minnesota- Duluth
Cecelia Egler, BS completed fall 2022
Honors thesis title: Developing and Testing a Monitoring Protocol for River Corridor Easements in Vermont
Current position: Hydrologist, U.S. Forest Service
Stever Bartlett, MS completed spring 2023
Thesis title: Riparian Buffer Establishment Using Various Management Techniques
Current position: Head Alpine Ski Coach, Middlebury College
Erin O’Mara, BS in Environmental Science and Biology minor completed May 2023
Kate Longfield, MS completed fall 2023
Thesis title: The Influence of Governmental Trust on Vermont Farmers’ Willingness to Enroll in Government Conservation Programs and Adopt Forested Riparian Buffers
Current position: Program Manager, Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition