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title: Rubenstein School Winter Newsletter
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A challenging and energizing time

| View in browser Winter 2026 Dean's Message: A Challenging and Energizing Time   As a new semester begins, I’m reflecting on how energizing and challenging this time of year can be. There have been many serious and scary events happening in the U.S. and internationally, which are impacting members of our community directly. The Rubenstein School is full of caring individuals who are here to support one another – reach out when you need to.   Fall was a busy time and I’m proud of all that our students, faculty, and staff accomplished. One of my favorite highlights from last semester was seeing the partnership between our first-year students and the City of Burlington, here’s a video of their final lab of the semester at Callahan Park during a snowstorm.   This spring is set to be as busy and impactful as ever. This month we welcomed new faculty member Sara LoTemplio to our Parks, Recreation, and Tourism program. And as the UVM Strategic Plan is finalized, we will dive into creating an aligned strategic plan for the Rubenstein School.   On January 29, 2026, the UVM Division of Intercultural Excellence is offering a wonderful opportunity to honor the legacy of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. This event is open to all and has a virtual attendance option, please register for the MLK Keynote address with special guest speaker Rosalyn "Roz" Pelles at go.uvm.edu/mlk.   I hope you enjoy the stories below highlighting some of the incredible people that make the Rubenstein School an inspiring place to learn, teach, and work.   Sincerely,   Peter Students Forestry Team Wins National Quiz Bowl Championship Rubenstein School students won the Society of American Foresters’ (SAF) National Quiz Bowl at the 2025 National Convention. This marks UVM Forestry’s second championship title in three years. Read more → Learning the Ropes of the Ski Industry For many winter break is a time for rest, but for Rubenstein School student Leo Dabelstein '26 it was an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the ski industry. Thanks to the generosity of the Crowley family, he gained invaluable experience interning at Wachusett Mountain.  Read more → Biodiversity Law Course Broadens Student Horizons and Hones Writing Skills The Sustainability, Ecology, and Policy program’s Biodiversity Law course, now in its second year, gives students the tools they need to interpret regulations that impact biodiversity on local, national, and international levels.  Read more → UVM Libraries' Map Collection Unlocks Stories of Place and Purpose When John Patton and a group of fellow Rubenstein School students were paired with Lake Champlain Sea Grant’s BLUE program for a capstone project, they turned to UVM's map collection to learn more about the surficial geology of the Burlington area.  Read more → Research Beyond the Usual Suspect: UVM Researchers Find Nitrogen Feeds Algae Blooms A new UVM study finds that even tiny amounts of nitrogen can fuel cyanobacterial blooms and disrupt lake ecosystems. Read more → Canadian Wildfire Smoke Worsened Pediatric Asthma in U.S. Northeast Research from UVM reveals exposure to smoke from Canadian wildfires in the summer of 2023 led to worsening asthma symptoms in children in Vermont and New York.  Read more → Solar in Alaska? UVM Researchers Aim to Lower Energy Costs in Northern U.S. UVM researchers have been investigating how to both bring down energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Alaska’s remote Northwest Arctic.  Read more → Alumni WFB Alumni Demonstrate Strength and Variability of Program in their Career Outcomes Just as there are a tremendous number of animal species to learn about, and many ways to focus one's work: toward conservation, management, rehabilitation, and more, alumni of the Wildlife and Fisheries Biology program can (and do) pursue a large variety of career paths upon graduating. Ramsey Anis '25, Caleb May '25, Pierre Beaurang '24, and Grace King '20, have all found opportunities to match their wide ranging interests and skillsets. Read more → Rubenstein School Experts in the News What a US military base lost under Greenland’s ice sheet reveals about the island’s real strategic importance \| The Conversation In a First, Photos Show Moths Sipping a Moose’s Tears \| Scientific American UVM researchers represent Vermont at global climate conference \| WCAX More Rubenstein School News Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA, 802-656-2675 Unsubscribe Manage preferences |
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