Professor, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
- PhD, Forestry, University of Wisconsin
- MA, Economics, University of Wisconsin
- BS, Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin
Combine Peace Corps and Graduate School
1n 1995 the School of Forest Resources began the Peace Corps Master’s International Program with five students. Over the years Michigan Tech has grown to become the largest Peace Corps Master’s International Program in the United States with students serving in Albania, Armenia, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cameroon, the Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Paraguay, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Ukraine, Vanuatu, and Zambia.
The Master’s International Program in Forestry involves nine months of intensive forestry education at Michigan Tech, three months of Peace Corps training, and two years of field work with Peace Corps. The first 14 weeks of fall semester (commonly known as Fall Camp) are located at the Ford Center and Research Forest in Alberta, Michigan and focus on fundamental field skills in forestry, overseas research and tropical forestry. The spring semester is spent at the Michigan Tech campus in Houghton, Michigan. Students then take part in three months of Peace Corps technical, cross-cultural and language training in the country where they will work, followed by two years of Peace Corps service working to improve the environment with people who use and depend upon a healthy ecosystem for their livelihoods and that of their children. Students return to Michigan Tech to complete their degree, typically in one additional academic term.
The Michigan Tech/Peace Corps Master's International program not only develops the skills and knowledge to help meet these needs, but it gives participating students the confidence and credibility they need to make a difference on a grass-roots, people-to-people level. In addition, students gain two years of professional overseas field experience.