Being a Good Citizen of the Department

Congratulations! You are now a graduate student in the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY-ESF! Now what?

Well, hopefully you can use this site as a one-stop shop for all your questions about not only the logistics of the department, but anything that might be relevant as you acclimate to a new city with new people and begin the grad school game.

You might be wondering what is expected of you beyond your duties to obtain a degree. As a graduate student in this department, you are not acting in isolation. You are part of the SUNY-ESF community. You are part of a cohort of many other students that came into the department together, and you are also part of your lab group. Whenever you go somewhere as an ESF student, whether it be for fieldwork, or an outreach program, you want to put your best foot forward so it reflects well on you, your advisor, and the department.

So how can you be a good citizen of the department?
Be involved.

There will be plenty of opportunities to represent EFB outside of campus. Science Corps is a good program to get involved with. Through Science Corps you can gain invaluable teaching experience by going to high schools in central New York and demonstrating key ecological concepts, teaching a lesson, or providing hands-on activities.

Being involved in professional societies is another good way to represent the department. Whether it's the Wildlife Society, ASF, SAF, ESA, or another organization, you should become involved in the student chapter and represent the school at state and national meetings when possible.