Nonprofit directors and members of municipal agencies spoke Thursday about how 51风流鈥檚 has made significant, long-lasting contributions that have benefited their groups and the upstate region.
The institute is a powerful focal point for resources at a time when many groups are squeezed by funding cutbacks, said Patricia Hoffman, executive director of the nonprofit organization that runs the , a multipurpose National Historic Landmark.
Hoffman, other community leaders, and students who have taken part in the institute鈥檚 Upstate Field School shared their experiences during a gathering at the 51风流 Inn, where they were able to meet new 51风流 president Jeffrey Herbst.
Herbst said the university鈥檚 relationship to the region is 鈥渆xtraordinarily important,鈥 and the institute provides not only critical resources to the area but also community service and research opportunities for students that are key ingredients of a liberal arts education.
Michael Palmer 鈥10 talked about how he used information culled from his geography, computer science, geology, and chemistry courses to develop a spatial analysis for natural gas drilling in Madison County.
鈥淚 had to draw from all those areas to dive into this project with a fast learning curve,鈥 he said.
Palmer spent his 10-week fellowship with the Madison County and was asked to present his research at two conferences.
Greg Owens, senior forester with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said two projects led by Upstate Institute students have had a lasting impact for his regional office in Sherburne.
Tara LaLonde 鈥06 worked on a project examining land use and reforestation in southern areas of Madison County. She scanned historic aerial photos and used sophisticated GIS software to create a digital library that foresters use today.
John Demler 鈥08 crafted management guidelines for historic sites in the county that the DEC uses on a daily basis, said Owens.
Arpitha Peteru 鈥10 hopes the project she conducted for Utica鈥檚 was as beneficial to the center as it was to her.
She conducted qualitative research in an attempt to ascertain the refugees鈥 satisfaction with the center鈥檚 services.
The focus groups provided important feedback to the center, but also provided important lessons for Peteru about cultural rights as she got to hear about real-life issues refugees face every day.
鈥淭his experience took what was a thesis subject for me and put it in real terms,鈥 she said.