GRO

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

TheForum

Issue 1, 2004

Milan Griffin, 2004 GRO Fellow

If not for the encouragement of her advisor

at Spelman College, Milan Griffin might not

have applied for the EPA Greater Research

Opportunities (GRO) Undergraduate Fellowship Program. “He encouraged me to

take advantage of this great opportunity to

broaden my knowledge in the field of environmental science, gain valuable career 

experience, and receive funds that financed

the last 2 years of my college education.”

Mentors really do make a difference.

Milan interned with the EPA’s Environmental

Justice (EJ) program in Region 4, where she

was charged with many tasks, including

developing a model for best practices in EJ,

specifically in the permitting process. This

internal guide will help to better incorporate

EJ in Region 4 programs and practices. Milan

also conducted research to find emergency

relief for an EJ community in Delray Beach,

FL; compiled census data for the Hispanic

Environmental Justice Outreach Campaign;

and participated in outreach initiatives.

Given her past experience with internships,

Milan was unsure what to expect. “My

internships in the past had not been challenging. Beyond typing, faxing, and copying, I was not given projects that required

the extensive application of my skills.” As

she settled into her internship, it became

quite clear that this experience was not like

the others. “I was given several projects that

required me to be resourceful; to apply my

skills, abilities, and intellect, and to work

independently. I gained so much more than

what I expected through this internship. I

have received a firm understanding of the

inner workings of the EPA. I also gained a

first-hand lesson on the processes of a federal agency, programs and developments by

the EPA, the progress the EPA has made in

achieving environmental protection, and the

obstacles that the Agency faces.”

Milan believes that the lessons of this experience helped direct her future career and

educational goals and gave her a different

perspective on ways to achieve environmental protection. “This internship made me

realize how vital environmental protection is

for all citizens and the urgency there is to

protect the environment’s health.”

In this issue

1 Fellow Spotlight

1 Norman Meres: ECO Alum’s Environmental Activism Keeps GROing

2 A Mentoring Profile

2 My Environmental Legacy

3 2003-2004 GRO Undergraduate

Student Fellowship Recipients—

Summer Project Placements

4 A Career Tip

4 “Cyah Says”

Fellow Spotlight

Despite the fact that Norman Meres’ internship ended in 1994, he has remained a

part of the Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) family through the Alumni

Program. His fellowship took place at the

EPA lab in Gulf Breeze, FL, where he

explored the biological degradation of jet

fuels by bacteria under the guidance of Dr.

Peter Chapman. The internship “was a very

important factor in my deciding to work in

an area of microbiology and molecular biology as it relates to environmental science.

The most important things to me were the

new techniques that I learned. I originally

had a background in chemistry. Through

my internship, I was able to develop my

skills in microbiology and see how it could

be combined with biochemistry in a way

that was relevant to environmental science.”

Norman adds, “My internship experience

exceeded my expectations. I expected to work

independently under the guidance of an

experienced scientist. However, I hadn’t

realized that I would be learning so many

new techniques.”

Norman is an adjunct instructor at Northern Virginia Community College in the

Environmental and Natural Sciences Division at the Woodbridge campus. He also 

is working on his doctorate in the

Environmental Science and Public Policy 

continued on page 2

Norman Meres: ECO

Alum’s Environmental

Activism Keeps GROingg
2 The Forum

contined from page 1

By Avonelle Rodney, 2004 GRO Fellow

“At first I was hesitant and procrastinated

with my application to the GRO Undergraduate Fellowship Program. I thought EPA

wouldn’t want a sophomore from a small private university. However, my advisor did not

let me give in to my doubts. She saw something in me I failed to recognize in myself—

potential. I knew I had to do this for the great

opportunities that the fellowship offered.

I interned in Washington, DC, at EPA headquarters, with the Green Chemistry program. I worked on a variety of projects,

including the Presidential Green Chemistry

Challenge Awards and the Green Chemistry

Education Program.

At the end of the program, I was given an

opportunity to choose a project, and I chose

outreach. There are many green chemistry

education resources available to college students, teachers, and businesses, so I wanted to

design a green chemistry educational game or

activity for high school and pre-high school

students. I offered a few ideas and participated in meetings with EPA staff and contractors. Now this project is in high gear.

I have a new perspective about chemistry

and its impact on the environment and our

health. Given the title of my internship program, my initial expectation was that I would

be able to expand my chemistry knowledge.

Not only did I build on what I already knew,

I learned so much more, and most of all I

learned about green chemistry. This fall I

will be volunteering with Hands On Miami,

and I will try to continue educating others

and myself about green chemistry and pollution prevention.”

If you’d like to learn more about the

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge

Awards and the Green Chemistry Education

Program, visit http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/presgcc.html.

My Environmental

Legacy

Stan Austin, Branch Chief in the U.S.

EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and

Watersheds, has been with the Agency for 20

years. During this time, he has sponsored several EPA Fellows.

Stan’s Mentoring Philosophy:

The way Stan sees it, a Fellow usually

approaches the internship with an interest in a

particular topic and also brings a specific set

of skills. He believes that it is the responsibility of the sponsoring Mentor/Project Advisor

to mesh these skills with the needs of the

sponsoring office. This process is not always

straightforward and often requires the

Mentor/Project Advisor to be creative. For

example, “If a Fellow arrives with an interest

in graphic design, I try to develop a project

that uses this skill to meet real program needs,

such as developing a Web site on restoring

wetlands. If I observe, for example, that this

intern needs to enhance his or her aptitude

with a particular required graphics program, I

strive to supplement the Associate’s day-today work with helpful training.” Stan believes

that providing training opportunities for

Fellows enables them to gain valuable skills

that help them excel not only in their internship activities but also in their future career

endeavors.

Stan also understands that the internship

experience is a mutual growth opportunity for

both the Fellow and the sponsor. According

to Stan, “The Fellows who have passed

through this office have come from a variety

of different backgrounds and geographic

locations, bringing with them fresh perspectives gained from their academic pursuits.

The program has provided my office with a

constant flow of new ideas that would not

have existed otherwise.”

Stan’s advice to Fellows is, “Never be idle. Take

advantage of your internship experience to

build and enhance your skills, and make new

contacts by actively pursing new opportunities.

Ask if you can contribute to a new project or

attend a meeting or training opportunity. If you

do not take the initiative, you will not make the

most of your ECO experience.”

Stan continues to mentor EPA Fellows. This

summer, his office sponsored several new

interns, including Alexander Moore, a member

of the 2003-2004 GRO Fellowship Class.

Department at George Mason University,

concentrating in molecular environmental

biology. Norman is investigating the causes

of disease in American lobsters, applying

molecular biology techniques to the environmental field. In addition to his work at

the University, Norman is passing on his

environmental legacy through his relationship with the Boy Scouts of Herndon, VA,

as an assistant Cubmaster. But he wanted to

do more.

As a member of the Alumni Network,

Norman heard about the ECO Cookie

Project Grants and decided to turn an environmental problem into a service project

for his local Boy Scouts chapter. Because

the lead sinkers and rigs used in fishing are

often ingested by and kill migratory waterfowl, he proposed a Fishing Weight

Exchange Program in cooperation with the

Boy Scouts. Lead sinkers can be replaced

with a variety of materials, but bismuth is the

preferred, environmentally safe substitute.

Unfortunately, bismuth is a more expensive

option than lead. Although some states offer government and/or privately sponsored

exchanges to trade lead weights for free 

bismuth replacements, there was no such

program in Virginia until Norman’s proposal. Thanks to his vision and the recent award

of his Cookie Project Grant, he and the

Scouts will promote this program through

exchange booths at local fishing derbies,

popular fishing locations, and sporting goods

stores and by giving presentations about why

to stop using lead. The project is in the initial planning stages and should begin soon.

For more information about the ECO

Cookie Project Grants, see: http://www.

eco.org/sponsors/cookieproj.html.

A Mentoring Profile
Issue 1, 2004 3

Tesha Boado

California State University, Fresno

Major: Molecular Biology

Tesha interned in San Francisco with EPA Region

9 as a Waste Reduction Team Associate. She

worked with the team conducting research, doing

outreach, and supporting innovative grant projects on waste reduction, recycling, buying recycled

products, and “green” building.

Melody Covington

Norfolk State University

Major: Biology

Melody interned in Atlanta with EPA Region 4 as a

Lead-Based Paint Associate. She worked as a member of the lead-based paint team to locate, quantify,

and determine the status of all homes owned by the

Department of Defense and National Park Service

in Region 4.

Millie Gonzalez

University of Puerto Rico, Huacao

Major: Microbiology

Millie interned in Athens, GA, with EPA Region 4 as

a Microbiology Lab Associate. She compared the

structure of the microbial communities inhabiting

the cyanobacterial mats from Cabo Rojo Solar

Salterns, Puerto Rico, and determined whether the

communities are affected by seasonal changes.

Danielle Goode

North Carolina A&T University

Major: Electronics Technology

Danielle interned in Atlanta with EPA Region 4 as

a Class V Data Updates Associate. She reviewed

records of field inventories to determine ways to

research missing or incorrect information.

Milan Griffin

Spelman College

Major: Political Science

Milan interned in Atlanta with EPA Region 4 as

an Environmental Justice Awareness Series

Associate. She assisted the Environmental

Justice/Community Liaison Staff Office in developing and organizing a series of lectures to raise

the awareness of EPA staff and EPA stakeholders regarding environmental justice.

Sarah Jamison

Spelman College

Major: Biology

Sarah interned in Edison, NJ, with EPA Region 2

as a Laboratory Technician Microbiology Associate. She assisted in the biological examination of

recreational water to detect, identify, and enumerate bacterial indicator organisms.

Shara Johnson

Alabama A&M University

Major: Natural/Life Sciences

Shara interned in Atlanta with EPA Region 4 as an

Enforcement Intern. She participated in the Gulf

Enforcement Section, in the Biosolids Work

Group. The project focused on the standards for

the use or disposal of sewage sludge (biosolids).

Ruth Le’au

University of Hawai’i, Monoa

Major: Biology

Ruth interned in San Francisco with EPA Region 9

as a Policy Associate. She researched corporate ownership and facility history for various carbon regeneration facilities and assisted in reviewing grants concerning community-based participatory research.

Alexander Moore

Howard University

Major: Chemistry

Alexander interned in Washington, DC, at EPA

headquarters, as a Policy Associate. He researched

the needs of state, tribal, and local governments to

improve their ability to protect, manage, and

restore wetlands. He also learned how wetland

restoration techniques can be improved to better

replicate wetland functions and values.

Daberat Perez-Rivera

Universidad Metropolitana

Major: Environmental Science

Daberat interned in Boston with EPA Region 1

as a Beach Program Associate. She performed

sanitation surveys for specific watershed 

draining to beaches, analyzed beach closure 

data, and assisted with public outreach activities.

Jermaine Perry

North Carolina A&T University

Major: Bioenvironmental Engineering

Jermaine interned in New York with EPA Region

2 as a Brownfields Assistant. He became a part of

the team providing assistance to cities, municipalities, and local governments engaged in

Brownfields activities.

Avonelle Rodney

Saint Thomas University

Major: Biology

Avonelle interned in Washington, DC, at EPA

headquarters, as a Green Chemistry Associate.

She participated in the 2004 Presidential Green

Chemistry Challenge Awards Ceremony and 

the 2004 Green Chemistry and Engineering

Conference. Avonelle also assisted with outreach

efforts and technical analysis.

Ericka Thomas

Norfolk State University

Major: Chemistry

Ericka interned in Atlanta with EPA Region 4 as

an Environmental Justice Research Associate. She

researched key issues that were used in the regional Environmental Justice Stakeholder Forum. She

researched the results of previous stakeholder

involvement efforts for input related to environmental justice.

Meredith Titterton

Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi

Major: Biology

Meredith interned in Edison, NJ, with EPA

Region 2 as a Helicopter Monitoring Program

Associate. She collected water samples from a 

helicopter and analyzed them for bacteria, phytoplankton, and/or dissolved oxygen. She also monitored the NY/NJ Harbor Complex from a 

helicopter for floating debris with the potential to

affect bathing beaches.

2003-2004 GRO Undergraduate Student Fellowship Recipients—

Summer Project Placements
4 The Forum

In 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency conducted a workforce assessment project and determined that the Agency was well

stocked with good engineers and scientists, but

needed employees who could bring people

together, communicate well with the public, navigate bureaucratic obstacles, and generally do

things a little differently. Many employees of

environmental agencies and companies have recognized themselves in this list of essential skills.

Do you? Take a moment to assess your own

competency levels on:

1. Communication skills (oral and written)

2. Collaboration abilities and team orientation

3. Customer service orientation (focus on

serving an audience’s needs)

4. Creativity, innovative thinking

5. Broad understanding of science

6. Analytical ability, critical thinking, and

problem-solving

7. Work orientation, professionalism, and

positive attitude 

8. Occupation-specific skills and knowledge

9. Mastery of information technology,

including GIS

10. Leadership ability.

Now is the time to enhance or develop those

skills you do not already have.

A Career Tip

Ten Career Skill s All Env ironmental Profes s ional s Need

FIRST CLASS

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

RANDOLPH, MA

PERMIT NO. 35

Recycled/Recyclable

Printed with vegetable based ink on paper that contains a minimum of 50% post-consumer fiber content processed chlorine free.

Several of our Fellows mentioned

the importance of their mentors in

persuading them to pursue internships with the GRO Fellowship Program. If you have a mentor already,

keep in mind how lucky you are that

this professional is taking time out of

his or her busy schedule to help you.

If you don’t have a mentor, try to

approach any professionals you

know through your school or work

experience. And remember that you,

too, can mentor your peers and those

just starting to explore an environmental career. Above all, keep taking

chances and making the most of

opportunities around you. You’ll

never know unless you try....

“Cyah Says”

Office of Research 

and Development (8104R)

Washington, DC 20460

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use

$300

EPA/600/N-04/198

November 2004

www.epa.gov/ord