2016: Madeline Cyr: Madeline is from Pepperell, Massachusetts. She joined the Department as an undergraduate and completed her BS degree in Resource Economics in 2015. A regular Dean’s list student, she graduated Cum Laude. Upon graduation, Madeline was accepted to our MS program and joined our corps of graduate TAs in fall 2015. Madeline had an excellent undergraduate career and was a natural choice to work with Professor Julie Caswell as a TA for our integrative experience seminar course – “Life is Full of Choices.” Madeline was instrumental in helping students develop portfolios of their work and their presentation of their Resource Economics degree. This past year Madeline has provided TA support for a number of different courses and did it with her characteristic smile. For her willingness to take on a difficult schedule and succeed admirably, the Department is happy to award Madeline an Outstanding Service Award. Thanks Madeline!
2016: Irene Mussio Garcia: Irene received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad de la República Uruguay and her Master’s degree, also in Economics, from Universidad de Montevideo. Irene joined the department to pursue her PhD in environmental economics and experimental economics. Her dissertation research focuses on social aspects of risk and health, under the guidance of Dr. Angela de Oliveira. Irene contributes in many ways to the Department, but she has been an especially important part of our experimental economics lab. Her knowledge and skills in programing lab experiments has helped a number of faculty and outside researchers complete research projects using our Willis Experimental lab. This summer Irene will work with Dr. de Oliveira as the Department hosts the Seventh Biennial Conference on Social Dilemmas funded by the National Science Foundation. Thanks Irene for your outstanding contributions to the Department and economic research!
2015: Lawrence De Geest: We are delighted to be able to award Lawrence our first Outstanding Service Award. Lawrence joined us from River Forest, Illinois, but is originally from Belgium. Lawrence has made tremendous and enduring contributions to the Department during his tenure here, especially over the past two years. Lawrence has long worked as a teaching assistant for both environmental economics and natural resource economics with his dissertation advisor, Dr. John Stranlund. During summer 2014, he developed an online environment economics course and taught the course that summer and during summer 2015. Lawrence developed the online course materials, a video introduction and managed all aspects of that online course. During fall 2015, Lawrence stepped forward and taught three sections of the new first year seminars for majors in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS). Lawrence worked with the SBS Dean’s office to develop materials for the first year seminars and brought a number of Resource Economics issues forward to expose student to the Department. Lawrence has also worked with the SBS Dean’s office to analyze teaching data important to current strategic planning for the college and departments. During the first months of 2016, Lawrence organized graduate student meetings with our environmental economics faculty candidates and assembled graduate student feedback on each candidate. This spring, we faced tough allocation decisions given faculty sabbatical and research leaves. Lawrence stepped up again to help the Department and agreed to teach our large lecture section of environmental economics. Lawrence has contributed to the Department’s teaching mission above and beyond what could be expected. He has accepted teaching of small online courses, small first year seminar courses and our large lecture environmental economics course. Lawrence has an outstanding teaching dossier that he has developed and we have been the beneficiaries of his willingness to contribute. This spring, he is providing service to his peers having organized PhD students to work together presenting and advancing their dissertation research. Thank you Lawrence for your many valuable contributions!