Rob MTU PCMI

I was born and raised in western Pennsylvania as the oldest of 7 on an old farm amidst substantial fruit trees. Never a dull moment. I graduated from Penn State in spring 2007 with a BS in Geosciences and a minor in Spanish. While conducting research for my senior thesis, I had the opportunity to stay at the Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco (OGC - Geological Observatory of Coldigioco) in Italy, which was an amazing experience. I have been to El Progresso, Honduras five times volunteering with Humanitarian (formerly Honduras) Interfaith Ministries (HIM) for Proniño; once as a high school senior and four times during consecutive spring breaks while at Penn State. I have also spent a month in Costa Rica with International Student Volunteers (ISV) mainly working with members of El Chirripó Producers Association (APECH) in the town of San Jerónimo. As a result of these experiences, I caught the wanderlust (some would call it real-world avoidance) along with a strong desire to help those less fortunate than myself.

During some soul-searching on what I was going to do with my life after graduation, I came across Michigan Tech's Masters International program in Mitigation of Natural Geological Hazards and it seemed like a great fit. I could expand on my knowledge of geosciences and apply it to a good cause. After dealing with formidable questions from family and friends about why I was practically going to Canada for grad school (because MTU has the only MI program in geology if you were wondering), I finally finished all of the applications and was accepted. I started a year of classes at MTU in fall 2007 and am headed to Honduras as a Peace Corps Volunteer for 27 months in July 2008. As a Protected Areas Management volunteer, I look forward to gaining experience combining conservation and development which are often at odds. I hope to expand on my minor and become fluent in Spanish while working with local organizations in water hazards and water resources. My main interests lie in water chemistry, water pollutants, water resource reclamation/protection, and remote sensing of water resources.

Thanks for checking out my web page - if you want to track my Peace Corps experience take a look at my blog.

Que les vaya bien!