2007 Muddy River Research Symposium

On Wednesday, April 25, the Colleges of the Fenway (COF) Environmental Science Program held its first COF Environmental Science Symposium focusing on the Muddy River. The symposium, held at Wheelock's Brookline campus, provided an opportunity for students and faculty to share research they have conducted on the Muddy River as well as to share ideas and interest with the local community and environmental groups. Students, faculty, researchers, and educators from COF colleges as well as area high schools and universities including Northeastern and UMass, participated in poster sessions displaying their research, networked with others, and attended the speaker session. Over twenty posters were presented that evening.

During the formal program, Ferdi Hellweger, Ph.D from Northeastern University; Jack Duggan, Ph.D from Wentworth Institute of Technology; and Peter S. Rosen, Ph.D from Northeastern; all presented on research projects in which they have been engaged with students. Following the talks, a plenary roundtable entitled “MySpace, YourSpace, OurSpace: How to Add ‘Muddy River Park Protector’ to Your Profile and Why You Should” took place. Those participating on the panel were: Kelly Brilliant, Executive Director of the Fenway Alliance; Frances Allou Gershwin, Chair of the Muddy River Restoration Project Maintenance and Management Oversight Committee (MMOC); and Betsy Shure Gross, Executive Director of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Office on Public Private Partnerships.

Mike Keegan, P.E.; L.C.S, Project Manager for the US Army Corp of Engineers spoke on “Design Considerations and Challenges of Implementing the Muddy River Flood Control and Environmental Project.”

To end the evening Ellen Faszewski, the COF Environmental Science Program Director and Associate Professor in the Math/Science Department at Wheelock College, presented Certificate of Excellence Awards to four student poster presentations, and one honorable mention to Upper Cape Regional High School student, Amanda Duggan. In total, over 80 people attended the symposium. The event was a great success with many thanks going to Ellen Faszewski and students from the COF Environmental Forum course.

> Download Poster Session and Oral Presentations HERE

> Download a copy of the Agenda

> Download information about the Plenary Roundtable

2007 Certificate of Excellence Student Awards

Baseline Water Quality Study of the Muddy River from September 2006 – April 2007.
Berger, Michael; Zou, Ling.

Bioremediation of Lead by Water Hyacinths.
Henderson, Daniel; Nugent, Sean. Emmanuel College , Boston . Chemistry Department.

Green Roofs for the Muddy River Watershed: A Geospatial Analysis of Potential & Benefits.
Pearson, John. University of Massachusetts , Boston .

Urban Tree Identification in Charlesgate.
Ward, Margo; Pittenger, Haley; Yopak, Regina . Colleges of the Fenway Environmental Science Program.

Honorable Mention
Bioremediation II.
Amanda Dugan Upper Cape Regional High School

2007 Symposium Photos

photographs courtesy of Brian Price, Wheelock College

Plenary Roundtable Speakers, President of Wheelock College Jackie Jenkins-Scott,
and COF Environmental Science Program Director Ellen Ellen Faszewski.

Symposium Registration Table

Jesse Howroyd and Michelle Carmack (Wheelock College)
displaying their project on animal diversity along the Muddy River.

Haley Pittenger (Wheelock) , Regina Yopak (Simmons), and Margo Ward (WIT)
examined tree diversity in the Charlesgate area.

Guests enjoying poster presentations.