GRO

Environmental Protection Agency Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Undergraduate Student Fellowships Newsletter 

TheForum

Issue 3, 2005

Brent Chavous, a 1999-2000 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fellow,

was encouraged to apply to the EPA

Greater Research Opportunities (GRO)

Undergraduate Student Fellowship Program by a professor at Hampton University. This fellowship afforded Brent 

an opportunity to conduct independent

research, work for EPA, and receive

money for school. Brent realized that this

opportunity to be an EPA GRO Fellow

was invaluable! 

During the summer of 2000, Brent

interned with EPA in Edison, NJ. As a

member of the helicopter water-monitoring project for the New York Bight

Water Quality Assessment Program,

Brent learned about various EPA techniques and procedures. He monitored

the water quality of public beaches by

measuring their microbial density and 

the concentrations of dissolved oxygen

along the coasts of New Jersey and 

Long Island, NY. Results collected by 

EPA were reported to state government

agencies that monitor the health of the

community.

While interning with EPA, Brent was 

pursuing his Bachelor of Science in

Biological Science. During this time, he

developed a deeper understanding of

environmental issues such as pollution

control, global warming, and waste management.

Brent earned his Bachelor of Science in

Biological Science from Hampton University in May 2001. During the summer

of 2001, he was a participant in the

Minorities At Sea Together (M.A.S.T.) and

the Minority Undergraduate Scholarship

& Training (M.U.S.T) Programs. Brent

took a few months to explore his employment options, and was hired as a high

school science teacher in January 2002.

Brent’s inquisitive mind and the skills he

gained as an EPA Fellow led him to the

classroom. Although he is a high school

Biology I and Physical Science teacher,

Brent does not consider himself a science

teacher—he is a “teacher of life” who

shares essential life skills with his students.

For example, he helps them to develop 

a greater environmental awareness and to 

make contributions to help everyone live a

better life.

Brent feels teaching is an important way to

have a direct and positive impact on children’s lives. Brent constantly motivates

and shapes tomorrow’s leaders to show

compassion and respect towards each

other and the environment. His fascination with science has fueled his desire to

pursue a Masters degree from the University of South Carolina.

GRO-ECO Interview

In this issue

1 GRO-ECO Interview 

2 2004-2005 GRO Fellowship Class Summer Activities

Brent Chavous
2 The Forum

2004-2005 GRO Fellowship Class Summer Activities

Erin Englert

Louisiana State University

Major: Environmental Engineering

Erin gained laboratory experience and

learned how to use a High Pressure

Liquid Chromatography device and a

Gas Chromatograph machine during

her internship with Louisiana State

University’s, EPA-funded, Hazardous

Substance Research Center.

“The project that I worked on

assessed the risks associated with

the release of chemicals into the air

and water as sediment solids become disturbed and resuspended

during dredging activities. With the

help of my project advisor, I compiled data that could possibly be

used in the risk assessment frameworks of the US Army Corps of

Engineers and the US EPA. My laboratory experience from this summer will help me in my future career

goals of designing and implementing environmental protection and

remediation projects and practicing

environmental law.”

Joseph Guido

University of North Dakota

Major: Chemical Engineering

Joseph helped his project advisor set up

inspection reports for various sites,

while writing inspection reports of his

own and working on databases with

EPA’s Region 9 Water Division.

“I have learned to budget my time

effectively, which will definitely help

me both in academics and my

career. I have learned higher proficiency with database programs

and various Microsoft applications,

which will come in handy with my

academics. My knowledge in issues

pertaining to the environment will

help me if I decide to pursue a

career involving the environment. I

feel ECO lets college students get a

good opportunity to have a head

start in life. I have learned so much,

and I recommend (this) to anyone

who gets the chance.”

Krystal Hamlett

Lincoln University

Major: Cell and Molecular Biology

Krystal interned with EPA’s Region 3

Office of Watersheds this summer

where she became a productive part of

a new program that will affect much of

the transportation of America.

“During my internship I networked

and learned a great deal about wetlands and the general framework 

of program development. I also

learned about the influence of politics on the litigation system, and the

importance of compromise, decision making, and networking.”

Clancy Kadrmas

University of North Dakota

Major: Chemical Engineering

At EPA’s Region 9 Superfund Division,

Clancy learned a lot about renewable

energy and created a presentation and

paper for project managers to promote

renewables on their cleanup sites.

Clancy also learned how to scan the

Internet for useable and credible information.

“This skill is useful because it

allows me to find valuable information without wasting time.”

Megan Killian

Towson University

Major: Environmental Science

The Diagnostics team at EPA’s Region

1 Atlantic Ecology Division (AED)

hosted Megan’s internship this summer.

As part of the Diagnostics team in the

AED laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode

Island, she assisted in both laboratory

and field work to further the scientific

development of toxicity identification

and evaluation of sediments from local

watersheds. Megan analyzed sediment

samples for grain size, toxicity, and total

organic carbon. She also analyzed water

samples for total suspended solids and

chlorophyll A content.

“I had never been exposed to this

type of research prior to my internship; everything I did each day this

summer was new to me. Now that I

have some experience in this

research, I feel that I have a better

sense of what I may want to focus

on in the future.”

(continued on page 3)
Issue 3, 2005 3

2004-2005 GRO Fellowship Class Summer Activities (cont.)

Wendy Lucero

University of California, Santa Cruz

Major: Environmental Chemistry

Wendy spent this summer interning in

EPA’s Region 2 Microbiology Laboratory where she gained new skills,

including learning how to conduct

membrane filtration on beach water

samples and test water samples and

treated sludge.

”The knowledge gained this summer has not only given me more

confidence as a scientist but also

armed me with valuable experience

that will help me attain a science

career in the future.”

Megan Mauter

Rice University

Major: Civil and Environmental

Engineering

As part of Megan’s internship with the

National Center for Environmental

Economics in EPA’s Office of Policy

Economics and Innovation, she collaborated with Rice University, other

parts of EPA, the Woodrow Wilson

Institute Center, and the National Science Foundation. Her project gauged

understanding of public trust in EPA

and public acceptance of nanotechnology, resulting in the creation of a theoretical model and a preliminary paper

for her office at EPA.

“This summer I had the opportunity to conduct self-directed, independent research. The freedom to

undertake such an endeavor facilitated the development of research

method skills, as well as the ability

to effectively interview people. I also

enhanced my knowledge of system

dynamics modeling.”

Mia Robbins

Xavier University

Major: Biology

During Mia’s internship with EPA’s

Region 4 Air Pesticides and Toxics

Management Division, she revised

Children’s Health placards so that they

could be translated into Spanish, participated in the Pediatric Environmental

Health Specialty Unit Annual Meeting

in Washington, DC, reviewed grant

proposals dealing with asthma reduction and waste reduction, and

researched the H2E programs for the

Region 4 Web site, among other activities.

“I will be able to use this knowledge

about developing posters and brochures as a future pediatrician. I

would recommend that others go

through the EPA Fellowship Program because it gives one a sense of

the real world. I learned things that

will lead me in the right direction in

the future.”

Shaka Rucker

Phoenix College

Major: Economics

Shaka felt that his summer with the

Office of Science and Technology in

Washington, DC, was a valuable opportunity. He learned how to do cost

analysis and Web site maintenance, and

gained...

“a better understanding of how

EPA and the federal government

work. Any student can prosper from

this experience.”

Kathryn Semmens

Ursinus College

Major: Environmental Studies

Through Kathryn’s internship with the

NEPA team at EPA’s Region 3 Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division, she gained hands-on

experience with the ArcView Program

and learned more about NEPA.

“These skills will be, without a

doubt, very valuable in my future 

as an environmentalist. I gained a

great overview of the whole process

of environmental assessment, not

just by reading the law and examples of past documents and comments, but also through seeing the

process in action. I cannot stress

enough how great it was to see 

all the different projects and activities that EPA has taken on, and I 

felt spoiled to be able to pick 

from among them to best suit my

interests. I think ECO is setting 

up interns to have the best experience possible, as only the interns

know what their best fit would be 

in a project. Basically, I loved it 

and would do it again in a heartbeat.”
4 The Forum

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October 2005

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