Graduates of Penn State wildlife program

influencing policy in Pennsylvania, other states

DUBOIS—As a boy growing up in the rural community of Troy, Bradford County, Kelsey Burguess thought that farming or factory work was all he would ever do.

No one in his family had ever gone to college, and he never imagined he would either. But one day, while still in high school, he heard about a unique program in wildlife technology offered at Penn State DuBois and his love of nature and a desire to build a better life led him to enroll.

Now, little more than a decade later, Burguess is fulfilling his dream of working with wildlife as a black bear biologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, where he is helping shape public opinion and government policy on black bear management in the state.

Even though he went on to earn additional degrees at other universities, he attributes much of his success to the good start he received in the associate-degree program at DuBois.

“I knew when I got here I was in a place that was kind of special, and over the years I came to realize that what goes on here is truly phenomenal. In my field, there is no comparison. I can honestly say I learned more at this campus than I did during the rest of the time I spent in college,” he said.

Burguess is just one success story from a program whose list of graduates reads like a who’s who in wildlife and land management in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. In the Pennsylvania Game Commission alone, two alumni are coordinating efforts that are significantly changing wildlife management practices in the commonwealth.

Gary Alt, a graduate of the program’s 1972 inaugural class, has studied black bear in the commonwealth for 25 years, making it a leader in research and management. Hoping he can do the same with the state’s whitetail population, the PGC named him the head of its new deer management division last fall.

Rawley Cogan, class of 1979, has been managing the state’s growing elk herd for 19 years and led the effort to organize the state’s first modern-day hunt this fall.

Graduates from the program also hold leadership positions in other statewide wildlife management agencies, at wildlife sanctuaries and state parks, and with private consulting firms that study environmental impact issues, just to name a few.

Some grads, like bog turtle specialist Teresa Morrison, preserve habitat for endangered species. Others, like Scott Reinhart, Ducks Unlimited’s habitat biologist for Eastern Pennsylvania, work with various agencies and private landowners to create more wildlife habitat and improve the quality of the environment.

Dr. Charles Schaadt, leader of the campus Wildlife Technology program, believes the program’s success lies in the applied hands-on training it stresses. “From their very first semester here our students take part in extensive fieldwork side-by-side our highly qualified faculty. It’s the best way for them to learn the skills they’ll need in the field,” he said.

The program also encourages student involvement in faculty-led research projects and offers a variety of extended field trips so they can learn skills that fit their particular career goals. This might include learning wetland deliniation techniques in the nearby Beaver Meadow wetlands, studying land management practices at the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, exploring avian conservation at Hawk Mountain in Eastern Pennsylvania, or learning various bird calls to complete a regional bird census.

“It’s almost impossible to get this type of training at the undergraduate level in programs offered elsewhere,” explained Schaadt. “When they leave our program, our graduate are ready for employment or can go on to earn their bachelor’s degree. When they go on to further education, we find the training our students received here helps them stand heads above their peers.”

In addition to extensive field application, the program also introduces students to experts in wildlife and land management, many of whom are campus alumni. These men and women visit classes to share their experiences and backgrounds, which in turn helps motivate students and opens up important networking opportunities.

While visiting a class last spring, Cogan recalled the impact these experts had on him during his own student days. "We had a lot of guest lecturers, people working with wildlife whose shared experiences were invaluable. I'd sit at my desk and listen to them, thinking how I could pattern myself after them so I could one day do what they were doing."