Category Archives: program stuff

New ENVS Laboratory Space is Taking Shape

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the new ENVS lab space

The latest addition to the ENVS research space is taking shape. ENVS took over an old photo lab from Ann Lehman and, over the past weeks, it has been converted from a darkroom into a bright work space. The lab will be available as dedicated research space to our postdoctoral fellow. That means the postdoc doesn’t have to fend off intruders from his or her two square feet of bench space in McCook 119, and Prof. Geiss can make his usual mess again when subsampling sediment cores.

The lab has been painted and sports new lighting (really bright 6500K lamps). One side of the room is taken up by a gigantic stainless steel sink, the other side offers counter space. We plan on installing a second counter top and some shelving, but will wait with these upgrades until Cameron Douglass, our new postdoc arrives on campus.

From Tree to Handsome Bench

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The silver maple on the west side of the Mather Quad - just days before it was cut down and salvaged by City Bench

This morning Ted Esselstyn from City Bench dropped off a wonderful wooden bench for us. The bench seat is made from a slab of silver maple and is supported by a mixture of other salvaged woods from Hartford and West Hartford. The silver maple had to be cut down for the redesigned Mather Quad. Now part of it lives on in the downstairs hallway of McCook, where it sits between Jon’s and Christoph’s offices.

The bench in it's new place in the McCook hallway.

The bench seat is made from salvaged silver maple, the legs come from various salvaged trees in Hartford, the stretcher originated from a salvaged trunk from West Hartford.

Record Turnout for Last McCookout of the Semester

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the last McCokout of the 2012-2013 Academic Year

Promises of dinosaur cake, lots of food, the new ENVS T-shirts and a cheese cake drew record crowds to this week’s McCookout. Some ENVS 149 students chose to take the third (optional) exam while most others joined the party early. Jon excelled in cooking up brats and hamburgers (including the meatless kind), and the rest of us excelled in eating them as fast as they came off the grill.

Jon cooking up burgers and brats.

Dr.Gray added to the celebration by providing leftover sparklers from her environmental chemistry class where they were (supposedly) used for some science experiment. Turns out that even some measly sparklers provide a lot of excitement if you ignite them five at a time…

Dr. Morrison and Jenna conducting a science experiment.

Environmental consultant Scott Soricelli visits ENVS for common hour lunch presentation

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Scott Soricelli talks about environmental consulting

Guest Blogger – Jonathan Gourley

Scott Soricelli, a geologist from the environmental consulting firm Woodard and Curran gave a presentation to ENVS students in the geology lab over the common hour period about working in the environmental consulting business.   Lured to the event by fresh First & Last pizza, and perhaps the prospect of a future career, fifteen students were engaged in a prolonged question and answer period.  They asked Scott excellent questions on what skills one needed to enter the field at the entry level and what types of projects they’d be expected to work on.  Scott focused on technical writing to be the primary skill a new hire should have.  He also mentioned other requirements such as the willingness to work outside for at least the first few years, the ability to communicate effectively with team members, and mapping skills such proficiency with ArcGIS.  He also suggested that the ability to conduct a research project from beginning to end (e.g. a senior thesis or multi-semester project) was an excellent feather in one’s cap, considering the competitive nature of the job market.  While graduate school is a plus for the environmental field, Scott said that his firm hires people right out of college as well.

Wind, cold weather make for frosty McCookout

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A little bit of wind and rather frigid temps is not enough to deter us!

Despite rather cold and windy conditions we had our first McCookout in its new location. Construction continued on the other side of McCook Hall, so the folks at Aramark were nice enough to put a picnic table next to the McCook parking lot and we were good to go. Jon  lit the first fire of the season, Christoph brought an apple pie and a bunch of sausages, Sarah brought some mystery dessert (see below), and Joan contributed – you guessed it – veggie burgers. The top contribution came from our freshmen: candy canes and an assortment of other goodies. Maybe the start of a new McCookout tradition.

Lauren and Sarah bringing gifts.

Despite the frigid temperatures we had a blast and are looking forward to next Tuesday.

I am not sure what Sarah brought - but it was goooood! (chocolate somethings, I guess)

McCookout Delayed by Another Week

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construction in front of McCook HallNow with spring finally arriving (almost no snow, skunk cabbage poking out of the ground) everybody here is looking forward to the first McCookout of the saeson. Unfortunately: no such luck this week. A “three-day” construction job that started in January (yes, I am writing this towards the end of March!) is still blocking access to most of the McCook patio. So, hopefully we’ll have the first barbecue of the season next week.