Thi Vu Wins the Locandro Award for Outstanding Student in Natural Resources

Upon my arrival at Rutgers, I was convinced that I would pursue a degree in Biology. Thanks to Dr. Suzanne Sukhdeo’s logical thinking and persuasive charm, I promptly got my calling in Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources. I quickly fell in love with the major after my first EENR class with Dr. Kimberly Russell: Evolution of Sex and Gender in Animals. It was thanks to her that I got the incredible opportunity to try out research for the first time. Assisting with fieldwork for another student’s G.H. Cook project inspired me to pursue my own later. I especially want to thank Dr. Allyson Salisbury for her continued support in my forestry endeavors. My interest was sparked when I first took Forest Measurements with her and Dr. Bernie Isaacson. Through multiple forest inventories and classes, I was motivated to complete a G.H. Cook project researching beech leaf disease under the guidance of Dr. Salisbury. After graduation, I will be a Field Technician with Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space. I plan to continue working in the field for a couple of years before pursuing graduate school. I am incredibly grateful for all the opportunities the department has provided me, which have bolstered my undergraduate education. From bird banding in Field Techniques to coring trees in Forest Measurements, every experience has been invaluable and highly memorable. Thank you to everyone in EENR! I hope to continue doing good for the nature we all love.