Mount Mansfield, photo by the UVM Spatial Analysis Lab
Winter 2025
Dean's Message: Doing Small Things in a Great Way
My first semester as Dean of the Rubenstein School was full of nonstop learning, reconnecting with past colleagues and friends, and meeting our community of incredible students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Throughout the fall our students learned, researched, and worked around the world. Our faculty shared their expertise at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference and published important findings on the health impacts of deforestation, sustainable soils, wildlife movement, and more. And Dr. Marie C. Vea, our Assistant Dean of Student Services was recognized for her unwavering commitment to inclusive excellence at UVM.
This semester, I am thrilled to welcome new faculty members to the Rubenstein School, who will further our impact in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Traditional Ecological Knowledge – Dr. Thaïs Bernos and Dr. Helina Jolly. I am proud to be a part of this growing community that is strengthened by its diverse perspectives and identities.
In the weeks and months ahead, I encourage you to lead with your values and to bring your unique lived experience into your work, learning, and communities. The world needs our work now more than ever. As Reverand Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” While our work on a day-to-day basis can sometimes seem small, when we add up our combined efforts, they have a big impact.
Read my complete Dean's Message for more reflections on the semester ahead. The inspiring stories below detail the incredible work happening across the Rubenstein School. Thank you for all that you do – it really does make a difference.
Peter Newman
Dean and Professor
Student Stories
Ph.D. Student Rosie Chapina Sets Sail on NOAA Expedition
Lake Champlain Sea Grant 2024 Knauss Fellow Rosaura “Rosie” Chapina has spent the past year working with NOAA Ocean Exploration. Rosie’s portfolio focuses on maximizing the use of samples collected from the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and the E/V Nautilus, which include biological, geological, and eDNA samples. Chapina was part of an ROV dive near Hawaii where she met with different scientists and was part of fruitful conversations regarding priorities in the field of ocean exploration. She also spent four weeks on an exploratory mapping expedition from Honolulu to Hilo, Hawaii. Read more →
Advanced Field Ecology in the Adirondacks
In mid-October, sixteen students from multiple programs across UVM ventured to the High Peaks Wilderness Area in Adirondack State Park to observe and study large expanses of primary old-growth. They were there for a two-day field intensive for their graduate-level Advanced Field Ecology course.
Lauren O'Malley, a junior studying Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, had a unique summer experience living in almost complete solitude in Berlin, New Hampshire, working as a field biologist for the Loon Preservation Committee. Lauren’s duties included surveying, banding, and hands-on rescues.
Rigo Melgar, a Ph.D. candidate in Ecological Economics in the Rubenstein School, spoke at a launch event for UVM's Planetary Health Initiative in October. Melgar applied an economic lens to the initiative and shared a vision for co-creating a wellbeing economy in Vermont and beyond.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Walter Poleman's Trip to COP16
Rubenstein School Senior Lecturer Walter Poleman attended the 16th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, Colombia. Walt attended COP16 as a member of the Vermont Biodiversity Alliance (VBA), one of a few U.S. groups granted observer status. While he was in Cali, Walt took up vlogging to document his experience and to show his students and the Rubenstein School community what it was like to be at the conference. Watch the recap →
Research Highlights
Mapping Connectivity: How UVM Researchers are Studying Safe Passages for Wildlife
Dr. Jed Murdoch and his class are working with the Stowe Land Trust (SLT) to model wildlife movement on a stretch of land that SLT is in the process of protecting. Their goals are to conserve connectivity for wildlife by siting a new multi-use recreational connector trail on the parcel in a way that reduces impacts to wildlife movement. Stewardship Director for SLT and Rubenstein School alum Carolyn Loeb, MS ‘19, took Murdoch's course years ago and knew that UVM students could fill information gaps about the site.
Climate Change and Cyanobacteria: UVM's Cutting-Edge Research on Lake and Stream Health
Rubenstein School researchers are tackling pressing water resource challenges. The project aims to better understand the factors driving cyanobacteria blooms in lakes.
Got Sustainability? UVM Researchers Test Ways to Green-Up Dairy Farming
UVM researchers are midway into a six-year study called the Dairy, Soil, and Water Regeneration project, administered by the Soil Health Institute, which aims to determine methods for making dairy farming more sustainable.
Deforestation Reduces Malaria Bed Nets’ Effectiveness
a startling new global study shows that a widespread malaria-fighting strategy—bed nets—becomes less effective as deforestation rises. The research underscores how important a healthy environment can be for human health.
