In the fall semester of each year, the program offers Problem Solving in Conservation and Development (CONS 680), the "capstone" course for the CONS degree. Course objectives include teaching students to think across disciplines, work in teams and bridge the gap between academia and solving complex problems relating to conservation and use of environmental resources. The first few classes of the semester are lectures and exercises on techniques of oral and written communication, group dynamics, interpersonal relations and conflict resolution. During the remainder of the semester the Problem Solving Team consults to professionals working to solve five conservation/development problems. For each issue, students define the problem; interview the professional(s) for whom they will be working; interview other content experts and stakeholders; conduct extensive library research; calculate costs and benefits of potential solutions, perhaps using computer models; identify the optimal solution to the problem; prepare and deliver a written document appropriate to the situation; and deliver a short, formal oral presentation to the professionals participating in the exercise. For examples of some of the projects and recommendations made by the class, see this link .

Evidence that the course achieves its objectives includes strong praise from off-campus participants, offers of employment and internships to students in the course, frequent incorporation of student suggestions into the decision-making process and a long list of organizations that would like to participate in the program in the future.

Recent issues addressed by the problem solving course include:

• The Bushmeat Crisis Task Force - review and recommendations.
• Should U.S. zoos be allowed to import pandas from China? (Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service);
• The allocation of striped bass quotas between recreational and commercial fishermen in the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland Department of Natural Resources);
• Determining ecological criteria for sustainable forest management in the tropics (U.S. AID);
• Changing the world market for medicinal products derived from rhinoceroses (The International Rhino Fund);
• Should the University of Maryland purchase land to establish a biological reserve in the Brazilian Amazon? (UMCP College of Life Sciences and Office of the President);
• A review and revision of a middle-school biodiversity curriculum developed by the World Wildlife Fund;
• Investigation of three states' compliance with the CITES requirements for regulation of ginseng trade, for TRAFFIC;
• Review and recommendations for assessment criteria for the Parks in Peril program, for The Nature Conservancy;
• An investigation of Species Survival Plans for the Chair of the AZA Reintroduction Advisory Group;
• A management plan for the locally rare (and potentially threatened) butternut tree for the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

Three articles have been published about this course.

Touval, J. L, and J. M. Dietz. 1994. The problem of teaching conservation problem solving. Conservation Biology 8(3):902-904.

Cannon, J.R., J.M. Dietz and L.A. Dietz. 1996. Training conservation biologists in "human interaction skills". Conservation Biology 10(4): 1277-1282.

Inouye, D.W., and J.M. Dietz. 2000. Creating academically and practically trained graduate students. Conservation Biology 14(3):595-596.

Sarah K. Ball earned a B.S. in Accounting from Virginia Tech and an M.A. in American Literature from SUNY-Binghamton. For the majority of her career, she has specialized in the financial management of NGOs and non-profit entities. As she shifts careers to conservation biology, she intends to combine her career experience and academic interests by focusing on the financial, economic and cultural aspects of natural resources policy. Currently, she is working on a project for the National Park Service analyzing trends in pesticide use within the National Park System.

Nicole Balloffet holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of Colorado . She has worked for The Nature Conservancy's Mesoamerica and Caribbean Region for the last five years, where she has experience raising funds and producing communications materials for the region's conservation programs. Most recently, she has been analyzing lessons learned from the last five years of the Conservancy's Parks-in-Peril Program, a USAID-funded project designed to strengthen protected areas throughout Latin America and the Caribbean . Before joining The Nature Conservancy, she worked in environmental education as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama .

Raimundo Espinoza was born and raised in Quito , Ecuador , and graduated in 2004 from Pace University with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology. He gained policy experience working at the Office for University Counsel at Pace University and at the Environmental Quality Board of Puerto Rico-Scientific Document Assessment Department. He also has worked in field conservation and education with Fundación Jatun Sacha in Ecuador and International Student Volunteers in Costa Rica. Most recently, he served as the Field Research Coordinator for the Costa Rican NGO, PRETOMA.

Maria Raquel Flores received a B.S. in Biology with a specialization in Zoology and a M.A. in Project Management from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras. She has worked on various conservation projects including coastal and marine zonation on the Bay Islands in the Caribbean in Honduras. She also has performed environmental assessment studies in numerous high priority conservation sites as a consultant. Her most recent internship was at the “Pico Bonito” Foundation, a Honduran NGO, where she worked on watershed protection and environmental education for communities surrounding Pico Bonito National Park .

Maria-Elena Gutierrez graduated from Federico Villarreal National University in Peru with a degree in Industrial Engineering in 1998. She has broad experience in sustainable development and biodiversity projects in the Andean tropical countries. For almost six years, she was a project manager for the Regional Biodiversity Strategy in the Andean Community, where she worked on a host of issues, including economic valuation, trade and the environment, fund raising, and international negotiations. A Fulbright Fellow from Peru , she is a research intern at the World Resources Institute, where she works for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Policy Handbook and multilateral development banks.

Christine Hodgdon graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Zoology. She has served as a wildlife rehabilitator at Mote Marine Lab in Florida , as an intern with the Golden Lion Tamarin project at the National Zoo in Washington , D.C. , and as an educator with the Carnivore Preservation Trust in North Carolina . She also has worked with local communities on various environmental issues in Kenya, Nepal, and Cuba. Currently, she is drafting a report with the World Wildlife Fund on the minimum area requirements for umbrella species in Latin America .

Caroline Humphrey graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Biology from St. Mary's College of Maryland . She has worked for SeaWeb and the Seafood Choices Alliance, engaging in marine conservation and sustainable fisheries research. She also worked for Artisans du Monde, a fair trade advocacy organization in Lyon, France . She has extensive experience in environmental and outdoor education, as well as oceanographic research aboard the SSV Seamans in the Pacific. Her interests include wildlife conservation and rehabilitation and its role in fostering environmental stewardship.

Jean Fanfan Jourdain received a B.S. in Chemistry/Natural Sciences at the State University of Haiti in 1997. He taught biology to high school students for two years, and then traveled to Cuba to complete a Master's Degree in Botany at Universidad de la Habana in 2002. After returning home, he resumed teaching at both high school and University levels, and then obtained a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue his studies at the University of Maryland . He is currently an intern at the Biodiversity department of the World Bank, working on a project that emphasizes the role of indigenous people in biodiversity conservation.  

Wendel Landes received a B.A. in Biology from Goshen College in 1996. He designed and taught environmental education courses for seven years while at Parkmont School in Washington, D.C. Travel and teaching at wetlands throughout the Southeast fostered further interest in wetland ecology and conservation. He also worked with Audubon of Maryland and D.C. to identify and protect critical habitat for birds within Maryland as part of Audubon's Important Bird Area Program.  

Nicole LeBoeuf holds a B.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University . She works for NOAA Fisheries, where she has gained experience in protected resources, trade, and international fisheries issues since 1997. Her roles have included coordinating the Tuna/Dolphin Program and representing the Agency on high seas bottom trawling. She currently focuses on seabird conservation and is working with the Secretariat for the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels to reduce interactions between seabirds and commercial fisheries.

Tamar Norkin graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College with a degree in Biology. Before entering the CONS program, she worked as a research assistant with Duke University 's Ecology Department and also completed an internship at the Smithsonian's Conservation and Research Center. Most recently, Tamar was an intern at The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, assisting with the development of conservation action plans.  

Marco Rojas earned a B.S. in Agronomy in 1999 from EARTH University in Costa Rica . He has carried out interdisciplinary work in agriculture, conservation and human well-being through a variety of positions, including: Renewable Energy Program researcher at Maui Land and Pineapple Co. in Hawaii, World Bank consultant on organic coffee farms in Costa Rica, Technical Assistant for a small-scale farmers' co-op in Brazil, Program Director of VIDA Environmental Association in rural communities in Costa Rica and Sweden, and CBF intern in community-supported agriculture.

Heidi Ruffler received a joint honors B.S. in Zoology and Psychology and a minor in Philosophy from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and subsequently, a certificate in Conservation Biology from Columbia University. Her experience includes four years as a Volunteer Coordinator for the Wildlife Conservation Society and one year as a research assistant on white-faced capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica for the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Currently, she works on wildlife trade issues for Defenders of Wildlife. Her main interests are in primate conservation and human development.  

Matthias Schultz graduated from Swarthmore College in 2000 with a B.A. in Music. After college, he was involved with education in Ukraine for three years, first with the Peace Corps, and later with American Councils. He developed his interest in sustainable agriculture by interning on farms in Ohio and Maine . Most recently, he has been working with the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, a part of the USDA's cooperative extension service, to evaluate the environmental, social and economic sustainability of using switchgrass as a biofuel.  

Sajal Ratna Sthapit graduated magna cum laude , Phi Beta Kappa from the College of Wooster in 2005 with honors in Biology and a minor in Philosophy. He is driven to uphold ethical obligations to the people and to the environment while meeting various conservation goals. Since June 2006, he has been an intern for Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development in his home country of Nepal, primarily under the Genetic Resources Policy Initiative. He contributes to the development of Nepal 's own sui generis Plant Variety Protection and Farmers' Rights bill.

Aleta Wiley graduated with honors from the University of Chicago in 2003 where she studied animal behavior and biological psychology. She has served as an intern with the Maine Audubon Society on Hog Island and with the Marine Mammal Department at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois . For two years, she worked as a Philanthropy Assistant for The Nature Conservancy in New York City. Most recently, she worked through the Student Conservation Association at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park in Saratoga County, New York , where she was responsible for monitoring a rare population of the Karner blue butterfly.

Tamara Withers received a B.S. in Business Administration from American University in 1999. For four years, she worked with the USDA/Foreign Agriculture Service facilitating and managing international development programs. In Gabon, Central Africa , she served as an environmental education Peace Corps Volunteer and then worked as an assistant manager on a local farm. Most recently, she has worked with the World Wildlife Fund to produce an in-depth analysis of the potential of biofuels in the Congo Basin from the perspective of science, policy and economics. Her main interest is in the intersection of business, agriculture and the environment.

2005 PROBLEM-SOLVING TEAM:

Mark Buntaine graduated summa cum laude , Phi Beta Kappa from Wake Forest University with a degree in Political Science and Chinese. Interested in development and the environment, he studied at Peking University in Beijing , China while researching economic change as a Richter Scholar. He later held positions with The Nature Conservancy China Program, participating in the launch of a national conservation blueprint project and leading human ecology research in alpine areas of southwest China. Most recently, he has supported communication efforts and conservation programs in Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal, and India with the World Wildlife Fund.

Ann G. Carlson graduated from the George Washington University with a B.A. in Geography. She has worked as a GIS production researcher for VISTA Info, an environmental information and imaging company. Ann has several years experience as a naturalist, teaching and developing curriculum for science and environmental education programs. Most recently, Ann worked for the Montgomery County Department of Park & Planning identifying and mapping wetland communities.

Dana Coelho received her Bachelors of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia . She has held positions with the City of Charlottesville Neighborhood Development Services , and with the campus and town planning studios at Ayers-Saint-Gross. Dana recently worked on website development projects for EcoVentures International and Conservation International in Washington , DC . Currently she is pursuing dual masters degrees in CONs and Environmental Policy. She is an active member of Prince George 's Advocates for Community-based Transit (PGACT) and the Association of Women in Science (AWIS).

Fabiano Godoy graduated with a B.E. in Cartography Engineering from Federal University of Paraná, Brazil. He worked for four years as the coordinator of the geoprocessing lab of the Golden Lion Tamarin Association, using GIS and remote sensing techniques to design strategies for conservation of the Atlantic Forest . Most recently, he worked for NatureServe researching tools for coastal and marine ecosystem-based management.

Lulu Keng graduated from Chung Hsing University in Taiwan with a B.S. in Entomology. She worked as a research assistant for the Insect Behavior and Ecology Laboratory of the National Taiwan University 's Department of Entomology to develop a new bio-insecticide. Lulu has been hired to work in the China Regional Program Office of Conservation International, researching the environmental impact of China 's economic development and assisting in the evaluation of the development of NGOs in China .

Julia Michalak graduated magna cum laude from Carleton College , MN with a degree in Biology. She has worked for the Tulalip Tribes in Western Washington State as a stream ecologist, gaining experience in watershed assessment and restoration, aerial photo interpretation, GIS analysis, and grant writing. Julia has experience with ecological field research in Costa Rica , Australia and North Carolina . She is currently working with Defenders of Wildlife on conservation planning issues and reviewing the State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies.

Thinley Namgyel is a native of Bhutan and graduated with distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. Natural Resources. For the last five years he worked for the National Environment Commission in Bhutan on a variety of environmental and development issues, including monitoring impacts of development projects, developing program activities, and managing a project on adaptation to climate change.

Poornima [Nima] Raghunathan graduated from Knox College with a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies. She has experience with indigenous and community involvement in conservation issues. Most recently, she was Program Assistant for EcoVentures International's Environmental Enterprise Development Initiative (EEDI) in East Africa .

Benjamin Skolnik holds a B.A. in Psychobiology from Wheaton College . He has conducted research and project management at the New England Aquarium. Benjamin has over two years of hands-on conservation experience working in Ecuador with Jatun Sacha, Boston University Tropical Ecology Program, and the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation. More recently, he authored a research paper for the development of the Conservation Steward Program at Conservation International, and consulted for the Potomac Conservancy, developing an application to the National Park Service to designate Loudoun County , VA part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.

Tom Smerling is a graduate of the University of Minnesota , and a former Humphrey Scholar at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. His 22-year career in public policy has included positions with Minneapolis Mayor Donald Fraser, the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy (AEI), and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI).   In 1988 he founded Nishma, a think tank on U.S. Mideast policy, which he directed for 14 years. Since turning to environmental issues, Tom has designed and conducted a beaver population study for Montgomery County Parks & Planning, and worked on blue crab and oyster stock enhancement at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater , MD .

Matthew Steil Since graduating from St. John's University with a B.S. in Biology, Matthew has been involved in aquatic ecosystem research in the Great Lakes as well as community development and conservation in central Africa . He spent the past year as Assistant Director in Birougou National Park for the Wildlife Conservation Society–Gabon, dealing principally with resource use issues and conservation planning. Currently, he is continuing his collaboration with WCS–Gabon to develop a proposal for a land use plan that addresses both conservation and the resource needs of the surrounding village population of Birougou National Park .

Martha H. Surridge received a B.A. in Physical Anthropology, with a concentration on primate behavior, from Yale University .  As a consultant with the Corporate Executive Board in Washington , D.C. , she conducted best practices research on human resources management and corporate recruiting.  She has volunteered with Behavior Watch programs at the National Zoo and participated in an Earthwatch study of Grevy's zebras in Kenya .  Most recently, Martha managed a survey of World Wildlife Fund's Global 200 ecoregions, which contributed to the re-prioritization of WWF-US focal areas for the coming decade.  In addition, data from the survey enabled Martha to author a report for the Conservation Science Program regarding the threat of invasive species.

Rebecca Stygar earned a B.S. in Natural Resources Management and Engineering from the University of Connecticut . As part of an AmeriCorps program, she served as a Restoration Specialist for the Indiana chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Most recently Becky assisted with a burn-severity mapping project for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Fairbanks , Alaska .

Vinaya Swaminathan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation. As an undergraduate, she spent a semester in Tanzania studying wildlife ecology and conservation. Her field experience includes: working as a Natural Resource Management and Interpretation intern with the Student Conservation Association in Voyageurs National Park and tracking white-tailed deer as a radio-telemetry intern with the University of Georgia .  Currently, she is working with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) using GIS to test its Living Landscapes model for predicting habitat suitability for forest elephants in West and Central Africa .

Lynsey White graduated magna cum laude from Ohio State University with a BS in Zoology. She has worked as a wildlife rehabilitator at the Ohio Wildlife Center and has also studied human-wildlife conflicts and resource utilization in southern Kenya . She is currently working with The Bushmeat Crisis Task Force, a conglomeration of NGOs and zoos dedicated to reducing the illegal, unsustainable hunting of wildlife in Africa , to develop an action plan to more effectively coordinate conservation and development efforts in Central Africa to address the root causes of the bushmeat trade.

Sara Zeigler graduated cum laude with a B.A. in environmental science from Franklin and Marshall College, PA, earning departmental honors for her research on corridors connecting national parks in Sumatra , Indonesia . Her international experience includes work on the conservation of marine turtles at the School for Field Studies in Baja , Mexico . Most recently she collaborated with the Smithsonian National Zoological Park 's Conservation Breeding Specialist Group and the Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center in the development of a generic spatially explicit population viability analysis program.

Jessica Caplan
Jessica graduated in 2000 with a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of California , Santa Barbara . She has several years of experience taking part in research projects in environmental laboratories of governmental agencies, such as the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Her recent work includes participating in a project at the United States Geological Survey, which aimed at learning more about recent climate history through the use of oceanic fossil records.

Max Christian
Max received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Southern California in 1994. He started his own sustainable building practice in Montana utilizing green design principles and renewable energy schemes. Max lived in his mother's native Ecuador for several years, and spent two seasons as a crab fisherman in the Bering Sea . Currently, he is working on a project for The Nature Conservancy developing viability criteria for ecosystems in South America .

Paya deMarken
Paya earned a B.A. in Biological Anthropology from Duke University in 2000. She has spent over 20 years living and working in Africa and has experience with governmental, non-governmental, and international donor agencies. Paya recently spent two years working for the Association for the Management of Protected Areas in Madagascar developing techniques for ecological monitoring and training park personnel. In addition, she has participated in numerous ecological field studies and specializes in primate behavior.

Shonda Gilliland Foster
Shonda graduated with high honors, Phi Beta Kappa from James Madison College at Michigan State University in 2001 with a B.A. in Social Relations and Political Theory/Constitutional Democracy.  She has experience in human rights advocacy with Anti-Slavery International in London , England .  She also worked in a congressional office as a liaison between the general public and federal agencies for U.S. Senator Carl Levin.  Shonda is currently acting as the assistant to the coordinator of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) within the U.S. Geological Survey at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel , Maryland .

Antonia Giardina
Antonia graduated magna cum laude with Honors in Environmental Biology from Colgate University in 1999.  She spent two summers working at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies and published the results of her research on the ecology of Lyme disease.  Antonia has spent the last five years as an environmental consultant for the U.S. Army incorporating environmental considerations into the life cycle management of weapon systems and implementing ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems at Army industrial facilities.

Kate Heath
Kate graduated cum laude as an Honors Scholar from the University of Connecticut in 2000 with a dual B.S. in Environmental Science and Biology. She has worked as an environmental and agricultural educator and conducted field research in colonial waterbird ecology. Currently, Kate is a graduate assistant at Maryland Sea Grant where she works with scientists and policymakers on the status of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab.

Jill Hepp
Jill graduated cum laude from the University of San Diego with a B.A. in Biology and a minor in Environmental Science in 2000. She spent two years in Belize working on fisheries and coral reef conservation issues with Green Reef, a local NGO while serving in the Peace Corps. Since 2002, she has been an Assistant Program Manager with NOAA Research's Office of International Activities focusing on the development of the Sea Grant International programs in Latin America.

Molly W. Ingraham
Molly graduated from Vassar College in 1997 with a B.A. in Anthropology. She conducted ethnobotanical research in the Limon province of Costa Rica . Molly has seven years of development, education and management experience in the non-profit sector. She is currently employed as a Forester by Anne Arundel County , MD , working with the County's Critical Area Commission on code compliance and reforestation. Molly is pursuing a joint Master's degree with the School of Public Policy.

 Terri Kempton
Terri graduated magna cum laude from Western Washington University with a B. S. in Environmental Science. Terri coordinated a Kellogg sustainable food systems grant to develop agroecology curricula and also assisted the development of a new degree program in Tribal Environmental Resource Management. She conducted sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration work for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua . Terri is currently an intern in the Science Applications department of NatureServe.

Janet Mackey
Janet has a master's degree in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University and an undergraduate degree in History with honors from the University of Chicago where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  Janet is a business executive making a career change from international telecommunications to conservation.  Janet was vice president of business planning at a Fortune 500 company.  Now she is applying her skills in strategic planning, financial analysis, and management to conservation issues, such as in a current project on land conservation financing with Defenders of Wildlife.

Roberto Mobarec
Roberto is Bolivian and graduated in Geological Engineering from the Universidad Mayor de San Andres, La Paz in 1993. He studied two years at Free University of Berlin and is now a faculty member at UMSA, lecturing in the disciplines of Archaeology and Anthropology. As a Consultant, Roberto has developed projects on Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters and Land Use Planning for the Bolivian Geological and Mining Service. He is interested in integrating biodiversity conservation into natural resources management and particularly into oil and gas development. He received a fellowship from Fulbright/OAS Ecology Initiative.

Emy Rodriguez
Emy Rodriguez graduated from Wesleyan University in 2001 with a B.A. in the Science in Society Program. She has experience in campaign promotion with the National Wildlife Federation, where she served as manager for the Species Recovery Fund 2003. She recently returned from Costa Rica where she worked on community development projects with the Monteverde Institute, a non-profit conservation association that focuses on providing sustainable alternatives for local residents and organizations. An international student from the Dominican Republic , Emy has also lived in the Netherlands for five years and has traveled throughout Europe and the Caribbean .

Daniella Schweizer
Daniella is a Fulbright fellow who obtained a bachelor's degree in Biology from the Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas – Venezuela . She has experience conducting population assessments of commercially important fish species and with coral reef monitoring and restoration. She taught ecology and statistics courses at the Universidad Nacional Experimental del Tachira - Venezuela and worked on impact assessments at their Botanical Garden. Currently, Daniella is an intern at Conservation International – US gathering information for a database of Key Biodiversity Areas in the Tropical Andes Hotspot and indicators for socio-economic assessments.

Michael Stringer
Michael Stringer graduated with honors from Rutgers University with bachelor's degrees in Environmental Science and English in 1997. While he developed and managed a community-based oyster reef restoration program for the New York/New Jersey Baykeeper, he gained experience in grant writing, volunteer management, and creating inter-organization partnerships to implement projects. In the past year, Michael has worked with the New York City Parks Department, synthesizing research and creating GIS products for an ecological master plan for the Bronx River .

The 2003 PROBLEM SOLVING TEAM:

Liza Karina Agudelo
Liza Karina is a biologist from the Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá – Colombia. For five years she worked with two Colombian NGOs on the development and implementation of community-based projects in the Colombian Amazon. Most recently she has been interning with the Ecoregional Support Unit at the World Wildlife Fund – US, where she has been conducting research on fuel wood use, impact and substitution in developing countries, as well as supporting fundraising projects. She is a Fulbright/OAS fellow.

Rachel Bayer
Rachel graduated Magna cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Allegheny College with a BS in Environmental Science and a minor in Economics. She has worked as an environmental educator at a community nature center and assisted with urban wildlife conservation while working at the Pennsylvania Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Recently, Rachel completed an internship at the Smithsonian Institution Butterfly Habitat Garden, which included the development and release of an interactive garden tour on the Smithsonian Institution Webpage.

Lesley Brown
Lesley holds a BS degree from the University of Miami, FL in Marine Science and Biology with a minor in Chemistry. As an intern for the Conservation Chair of Sierra Club in Miami, she mobilized community volunteers and local organizations to successfully block the proposed airport development near Everglades National Park. She has field experience in northeastern Australia studying the long-term effects of logging on rainforest soils and in Kenya investigating elephant damage to the health of riparian Acacias. Her volunteer position with Conservation International analyzing the relationship between ecotourism and biodiversity has led to her current field research on the impact of dive tourism on Mozambican coastal resources.

Whitney Butler
Whitney graduated Magna cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Gettysburg College with a B.A. in Anthropology/Sociology. She worked as a Soil Conservation Assistant with the USDA NRCS and did coursework in Restoration Ecology before entering the CONS program at the University of Maryland. Currently she manages the Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market in conjunction with Local Foods, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the market for locally grown produce in the Chesapeake region. Her interests include sustainable agriculture, land conservation, and growth management.

Gabrielle Canonico
Gabrielle graduated Magna cum Laude from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Public Relations. Through her work with the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Agriculture, she has gained extensive experience in foreign and domestic policy development, international negotiations, and as a U.S. representative to the United Nations and other international organizations. Her experience covers a range of issues, including agriculture, science and technology, and the environment. Her current professional responsibilities include policy development in the areas of invasive species and agricultural biotechnology. In addition, she is currently conducting independent research for World Wildlife Fund on the impacts and invasiveness of certain aquatic species used in international development programs.

Lauren Kendra Deane
Kendra graduated Magna cum Laude from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, with a B.S. in Environmental Forest Biology. She has field experience studying an endangered palm species in Queensland, Australia, and spent two years conducting molecular biology
research on aging sensory epithelia. As an environmental monitor for the USDA Forest Service, she worked collaboratively with federal and state foresters and members of various environmental organizations, including the Wilderness Society and Colorado Wild. Recently, she worked as an environmental and outdoor educator for the Gore Range Natural Science School and the Norwood School, and also interned with The Nature Conservancy researching private forest landowner conservation and sustainability options.

Christine Fournier
Christine graduated cum Laude from Tulane University in 2002 with a BA in Environmental Studies and Latin American Studies. She has researched invasive species at the Center for Bioenvironmental Research and aided in related publications. She has both study abroad and field experience in Costa Rica, where she studied bird use of Gmelina arborea plantations, and in Brazil, where she studied the dispersal of the invasive plant Artocarpus heterophyllus. Recently she completed an internship for the Nature Conservancy in which she researched conservation priorities of Amazonian ecoregions.

Heather Lindsay
Heather Lindsay graduated with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolution and a concentration in writing from the University of Maryland. She has worked as a medical journalist and as a copywriter for environmental publications. Last summer she was an outreach coordinator for a nonprofit social welfare organization, and also completed an internship with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, focusing on the biogeography and conservation of the Amazon region. Her interests include tropical ecosystems, avian biology, and grassroots community involvement in conservation.

Megan MacDowell
Megan graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Swarthmore College with a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies. After graduating, she worked with The Nature Conservancy, developing strategies for private lands conservation in Latin America and undertaking an analysis of threats across Brazilian ecoregions that became a pillar of their strategic plan for that country. She then helped plan and lead an education abroad program for US students in Brazil focusing on ecology and sustainable development. Megan also has two years of experience as a grant writer and volunteer coordinator for a community-based organization of Latino immigrants in rural North Carolina. Most recently, she worked with World Wildlife Fund’s Conservation Science Program on a project evaluating how Costa Rican coffee farmers are changing land use decisions based on declining world coffee prices.

Julie Mutongi
Julie graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in Economics. Prior to joining the CONS program she worked in the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute's Socioeconomic Division with a team of researchers on ways to improve the productivity of on and off-farm activities in rural areas. Her strong interest in protecting and conserving wildlife populations while simultaneously sustaining economic development and cultural diversity led to an intensive three month study for The World Conservation Union's (IUCN) 2003 World Parks Congress on the interactions between wildlife and humans and consequent conflicts. This eventually resulted in Julie's current project involving the establishment of a human-wildlife conflict database, which will highlight the current "state of knowledge on human-wildlife conflict around the world" and the role of indigenous communities in wildlife conservation.

Courtney Schultz
Courtney graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Biology. She then began work as an experiential educator with the Outward Bound School in Montana where she has been an instructor for 5 years. During the school year, when she feels it is too cold to sleep outside in Montana, she has worked as an environmental educator and has led several service-learning trips in Africa, the Middle East and South America for high school and college students. She is particularly interested in East Africa where her experiences have been especially rich due to her knowledge of Kiswahili. Before entering the CONS program she was the science teacher for two years at Thornton Friends School, a small Quaker school for at-risk youth in Maryland. She looks forward to incorporating her studies of conservation and development into her work as an educator.

Noora Singh
Noora graduated Magna cum Laude from Salem College with a BS in Biology. She has field experience assisting technicians at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest in Asheville. Since graduating she has worked with the Denver Zoo as an intern for developing surveys and establishing communication with various organizations for ongoing research on black-tailed prairie dogs and writing grants for a proposed project for the conservation of wild Bactrian Camels in Mongolia. Her current interests are in integrated water resources management where communities are encouraged to develop their own strategies for sustainable use. Most recently, she worked with IUCN, in their Nepal country office doing preliminary research looking at the feasibility of an ecosystem-based management approach to water resources in Nepal.

Guillermo Terol
Guillermo holds a B.S. in Biology from the Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay. After completing his degree, he worked as a research biologist for the CITES office in Paraguay and later for the Paraguayan government in environmental auditing of public resources. Later he became the Executive Secretary of a multinational NGO (“Chaco-American Committee”) that works toward sustainable development in the Chaco region. He is a Fulbright/OAS Ecology Fellow.

Bill Varettoni
Bill graduated cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame with majors in Accounting, Computer Applications, and Environmental Science. He served two years in Ukraine with the Peace Corps. While there he provided workshop trainings to NGOs around the country on project planning and management and provided business consulting services to Ukrainian SMEs through the International Executive Service Corps. Along with a host of community projects, Bill worked at a USAID office on a project that assisted local and regional governmental officials in promoting international investment and business development in the region. He is currently working with the Alliance to Save Energy in Washington as an intern in their International Programs division, and is preparing a comprehensive guide to Energy Efficiency in Agriculture for publication by the organization. His main interest is in International Development, specifically rural development, poverty alleviation and income distribution, and resource economics.

The 2002 PROBLEM SOLVING TEAM:

Nathaniel Anderson
Nathaniel Anderson graduated from Bates College in 1996 with a B.S. in biology and a concentration in ecology and conservation biology. As an undergraduate, Nate participated in the Sky Island Mexican Wolf Project, worked on a research team investigating climate change in the Canadian high Arctic, and participated in a field program in Costa Rica exploring the role of human communities in biological conservation. He also has varied professional experience in conservation, education and forestry, most recently working as an instructor and program coordinator for the Student Conservation Association and as a forest land specialist for a forestry company in New Hampshire.

Becky Gutierrez Archer
Becky, a member of Alpha Kappa Delta National Sociology Honor Society, graduated from Duke University in 1991 with a B.A. in Comparative Area Studies – East Asia and a certificate in Asian & African Languages & Literatures. After living and working in Japan for several years, she earned an M.A. in International Training & Education and her certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from The American University. She has had several years of experience teaching, working with international exchange students, and managing volunteers. While working toward an M.S. in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology, she has worked on short-term projects with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Rina Aviram
Rina graduated from the State University of New York at Albany in 1995 with a B.A. in Biology. Her interests in animal behavior and communication brought her to Wesleyan University where she studied bird song learning and behavior. There she earned a Masters degree in Neuroscience in 1999. Subsequently, Rina lived in Bolivia for six months, where she assisted a team studying primate behavior. Rina was the Education Director at the Rye Nature Center in New York for one year before she joined the CONS program at the University of Maryland.

Jennifer Bachus
Jennifer graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000 with a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in Spanish. She has worked previously in marine conservation performing outreach and field research with the Whale Center of New England, and in biological oceanography with the Skidaway Institute in Savannah, Georgia. Additionally, Jennifer has recently assisted the Marine Conservation Biology Institute in assessing the status of marine biodiversity, and in developing and promoting legislation to minimize the impacts of commercial fishing gear.

Margot Bass
Margot Bass is interested in protecting tropical forests by integrating ideas from biology, policy, and law. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Princeton University in 1993 (B.A.) in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, receiving the Sigma Xi Scientific Thesis Research Prize. She then worked for three years in Ecuador as a field botanist for the Smithsonian and local organizations. She subsequently consulted with the Center for International Environmental
Law, developing a case for a mahogany CITES listing and commenting on Kyoto Protocol draft rules. Margot is currently pursuing concurrent degrees in Conservation Biology (M.S.) at the University of Maryland and in law at Georgetown University, where she was selected a Global Law Scholar and a member of the Georgetown International Environmental Law Review.

Jim Beck
Jim graduated Cum Laude with departmental honors from Albion College in 1997 with a B.A. in Biology. He has over three years of experience working in Central and West Africa with the U.S. Peace Corps. From 1997-99 he served as a rural fish culture extension agent. During a third year, he was a research assistant with World Wildlife Fund and the Gabonese government, involved in a socioeconomic survey of the rural inhabitants of a protected area. Currently, he is an intern at Conservation International in the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science working on understanding the social dimensions of conservation.

Marcela Caro
Marcela Caro graduated from Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile in 2001 with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics. She has experience in agricultural projects in isolated communities of Southern Chile as part of a program called "Winter Work" and also as a volunteer at U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service assisting in the field inspections of active conservation projects. Recently, Marcela spent the summer working at the Intern-American Development Bank as part of the Summer Internship Program where she was one of 45 interns selected from a pool of 700+ applicants.

Karen Douthwaite
Karen graduated from the University of Virginia in 1999 with a B.A. in Environmental Sciences. Her interest in conservation stems from an undergraduate study abroad experience in Costa Rica that focused on sustainable development and conservation at the community level. Following graduation, she gained extensive laboratory research experience as a Research Technician at the Human Genome Sequencing Center. Most recently, Karen worked as a consultant to the Sustainable Futures program at the Monteverde Institute in Costa Rica, as well as researched potential biological corridors in the Monteverde region.

Jennifer Obadia
Jennifer graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University in 1999 with a BA in creative writing and environmental policy. She has worked as a naturalist at San Mateo Outdoor Education, where she taught fifth and sixth grade students redwood ecology and nature appreciation. Jennifer has dedicated much of her time to grassroots organizing and campaign strategizing in the fight for Tibetan independence, and currently sits on the board of directors for Students for a Free Tibet. Additionally, she has worked under the executive director of Greenpeace USA, focusing her efforts on Freedom of Information Act requests. Currently Jennifer is an intern at Earthjustice, researching the effects of a 2001 Supreme Court case on the protection of isolated wetlands under the Clean Water Act.

Anna Ott
Anna graduated Magna Cum Laude from Eckerd College in 2001 with a B.A. in Environmental Policy. She worked for the NGO Clean Ocean Action on a review document examining the scientific and economic feasibility of alternatives to ocean dumping of contaminated dredged sediments from New York Harbor. She also has experience in outdoor environmental education with the Monmouth County Park System. Most recently, Anna has been working with the USGS constructing a national bird point count database to be used by local, regional, and national managers and policy-makers.

Keri Parker
Keri’s background includes four summers working with puffins and terns as a research assistant and Island Supervisor for National Audubon’s Seabird Restoration Program. With a degree in Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, she authored the Educator’s Guide to the Endangered and Threatened Species of Tennessee for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and completed an internship with World Wildlife Fund’s Education Department. Her recent projects include working with the FWS Office of Scientific Authority to develop a management database for the panda reserve system in China, using GIS to examine coincidence between population trends of migratory birds and the decline of tree species in the eastern United States, and studying the nesting behavior of blackpoll warblers as a research assistant for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

Diane Pitassy
Diane graduated with honors from Wake Forest University in 1997 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Anthropology. Prior to joining the CONS Program, she was employed for two years as a research and curatorial assistant at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History. Diane is currently employed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in the Biospheric Sciences Division where she utilizes satellite data to assess vegetation cover changes in North America and Africa.

David Ruppert
David graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Dallas in 1992, and from Dartmouth College in 1995 with respective B.S. and M.S. degrees, both in Physics. He taught physics and chemistry for four years to high school students and adults, the latter at Trinity College in Washington, DC. Forsaking momentum conservation for conservation, he has studied social change and social marketing at the Worldwatch Institute, consulted on remote sensing and biocontrols for the MD/DC TNC, and is currently modeling wheat production practices for the Joint Global Change Research Institute.

Mindy Selman
Mindy graduated Cum Laude from Mary Washington College in 1995 with a B.A. in International Affairs. While an undergraduate, Mindy studied abroad in Belgium where she worked for a member of the European Parliament on issues such as sustainable development and GATT. Mindy has over five years of experience in the information technology industry. Notably, she worked with the EPA to create a GIS analysis of relative runoff risks associated with concentrated animal feed operations. Most recently, Mindy has worked with the World Resources Institute to perform an agro-economic analysis of ethanol production from alternative feedstocks.

Peter Uimonen
Peter obtained his doctorate in economics from the New School for Social Research in 1993. As an economist at the International Monetary Fund and the Institute for International Economics, he worked primarily on international trade policy issues. His research and publications focused on international trade and environmental policy issues, as well as the effects of international trade negotiations on developing countries. His research interests in conservation biology include the biological and economic factors affecting the sustainability of species harvests, as well as the economic and ecological determinants of designations of species conservation status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Amy Villamagna
Amy graduated Magna Cum Laude from Eckerd College in 2001 with a B.A. in Environmental Policy and a minor in biology. Much of her work has been focused around evaluating and restructuring environmental management plans. Most recently, Amy has worked for Pinellas County Department of Environmental Management (FL) and Audobon Society to protect and manage critical shorebird habitat for listed species, as well as monitor shorebird population in conjunction with human recreation. Prior to this experience, she spent time studying ecology and ecotourism in Haiti, Panama and Costa Rica in addition to creating outdoor education programs for adults and children at the Boyd Hill Nature Park in St. Petersburg, FL.

Erica Wagenhals
Erica graduated Summa Cum Laude from Salisbury State University in 2000 with a B.A. in political science. She has experience in state and local government emphasizing the role of citizens in effective environmental policymaking. In 2001, she completed a year of National Service with Americorps focusing on environmental education and restoration. Currently, Erica is working for the Institute for Governmental Service evaluating the importance of collaborative governance in the land-use planning process.