91�鶹��Ʒ

This summer, I worked with Adirondack Community Foundation (the Foundation), based in Lake Placid, NY. The Foundation manages over $130 million of charitable funds, also known as assets under management (AUM), from donors who want to support non-profits in the Adirondack region. The Foundation grants out a portion of these funds every year to Adirondack non-profits, specifically those focused on basic needs, educational pathways, economic vitality, arts and culture, and the environment. 

This summer I had the privilege of working with the New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) to address the question: “How do the Barriers to Postpartum Care in Rural New York Influence the Health of Birthing People?” NYSARH serves as the bridge between advocacy and policy work, healthcare and public health officials, and rural New York communities.

During the summer of 2026, I had the amazing opportunity to work as an Upstate Institute Summer Field School Fellow at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees. The Center is a not-for-profit organization located in Utica, NY that has served refugees and immigrants from more than 40 countries since 1981. The Center provides refugee resettlement, employment help, translation and interpretation, access to social services, English and citizenship classes, and one-on-one tutoring to help clients prepare for the naturalization process.

Working with the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum (NAHOF) this summer, Sophia Luziett ’28 created a comprehensive guide to anti-racist resources, organizations, and museums both locally and regionally through interviews, site visits, and secondary research.

This summer, I had the honor and privilege to work under the Thaw Curator of Native Art Christina Burke at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY. During my fellowship, I conducted provenance research on a collection of baskets and objects from the Gottlieb Adam Steiner (1844–1916) Collection and Native objects donated by his grandson, William Steiner Huff (1927–2021).

To ensure these landscapes remain resilient for future generations, the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF) is embracing new mapping technologies to monitor forest health and climate resilience. My role was to build a knowledge base in preparation for developing an organization-wide invasive species management plan.

91�鶹��Ʒ has been awarded the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation recognizing the University’s continuing commitment to community engagement and partnerships.

This summer, I worked with the Adirondack Community Foundation (ACF), the region’s primary grant maker, on three financial forecasting projects focused on charitable fund resilience. Since 1997, ACF has stewarded donor assets and distributed over $83 million in grants supporting basic needs, education, economic vitality, the arts, the environment, and more.

I worked with the Rogers Environmental Education Center in Sherburne, NY, where I advanced their first community science initiative to collect baseline data on native bee species across nine Central New York counties. Building on this effort, I developed the Great Pollinator Project: Rogers Center Survey, which expanded the scope to include all native pollinators—bees, beetles, butterflies, and moths—utilizing iNaturalist and involving community scientists.

This summer, I worked with the United Way of Mid Rural New York (UWMRNY) to create a promotional video for funded partners and simulations to show complex choices many face due to poverty. UWMRNY is a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring that every person in the communities it serves has access to education, healthcare, financial stability, and basic necessities.