Demmer Scholars immersed in policy-making for summer
Print
EmailAdd Summary
A select group of agriculture and natural resources and James Madison College students from Michigan State and Mississippi State are working on their networks more than their tans this summer by studying the intricacies of federal policy-making while working full-time in Washington, D.C.
Students in the William A. Demmer Scholars Program take a senior-level class in natural resources policy that meets one night a week and all day Saturday while working full-time as paid interns at federal agencies or non-governmental organizations that focus on natural resources. The program is led by Mark Rey, executive in residence in the Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.
“The course reviews and analyzes how each branch of federal government, as well as non-governmental groups -- including the media -- affect the development and implementation of federal government policy in the natural resources area,” said Rey.
This is the fourth year of the program and the third year the program has partnered with Mississippi State, offering all the students a chance to learn from each other about their cultures and traditions. The course is offered by Michigan State; Mississippi State students transfer the credits to their home school.
2012 Demmer Scholars are interning at number of high-profile agencies and groups, including the National Science Foundation, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Department of the Interior, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service.
“Through these internships, the students get real-world experience, see classroom principles applied in practice and make valuable career contacts for educational and employment opportunities in the future,” said Rey. “Since we started the program, 14 alumni got jobs in D.C. This program gives the participating universities a cadre of young natural resources leaders with experience in federal policy-making.”
The 2012 Michigan State University Demmer Scholars and their internship placements are:
 | Anagha Bharadwaj |
 | Aaron Browne U.S. Forest Service, Office of International Programs |
 | Cory Carone Society of American Foresters |
 | Jonathan Celmer |
 | Sarah Craddock U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary |
 | Claire Gaut Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research |
 | Zachary Girouard The Clean Water America Alliance |
 | Ashley Hall Executive Office of the President, Domestic Policy Council |
 | Annelise Huber National Science Foundation |
 | Corey Jager Safari Club International |
 | Phillip Keller Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies |
 | Patrick Kennedy U.S. Forest Service, National Partnership Office |
 | Krystal Krejcik The Nature Conservancy |
 | Hanna Kruckman U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
 | Katelyn Liming USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service |
 | Emily Loubert U.S. Forest Service, Division of Watershed, Fish, Wildlife Air, and Rare Plants |
 | Adawnice Lucas Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, United States Senate |
 | Brooke Merrill Trout Unlimited |
 | Francine Pappalardo Executive Office of the President, Council on Environmental Quality |
 | Michael Petlak The Aluminum Association |
 | Miriam Toro Rosario U.S. Forest Service, Office of Legislative Affairs |
 | Ryan VanderMeulen The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation |
 | Dixi Wang U.S. Forest Service Division of Recreation, Heritage, and Volunteer Resources |
The 2011 Mississippi State University Demmer Scholars and their internship placements are:
Jason Ervin, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
Kelsey Unruh, USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service
Valera Webb, Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate
