A project to educate Siena students to address complex, interdisciplinary environmental challenges and to meet state and regional green workforce demands was launched this summer courtesy of the University’s Summer Project Incubator (SPIn).
Led by Kate Meierdiercks, Ph.D., professor of environmental studies and sciences and director of Siena’s Academic Center for Sustainability (ACS), the three-year community engaged project will help participants understand how climate change impacts ecological and social vulnerabilities, with the goal to develop strategies to build flood resiliency in the City of Albany.
“One of the benefits of SPin projects is that the first year is dedicated to thoroughly understanding the problem and forming research questions collaboratively,” explained Meierdiercks. “We were able to gather background information on flooding in Albany and explore potential solutions, as well as engage with stakeholders to identify where our project goals align with their needs.”
Structure and training for the project is provided through Siena’s Center for Academic Community Engagement (ACE), with funding through CURCA.
This project will advance the vision statement and strategies detailed in Albany’s recently published Waterfront Access, Vitality, Economic Strategy (WAVES) study, according to Mairead Carr, ACE assistant director. The deliverables will be shared broadly with the Hudson River Estuary and watershed education communities, through a project website and resource hub that includes research findings and presentations, training resources, and resources on best practices for interdisciplinary environmental science, as well as community-engaged, student-led climate and flood resiliency research.
Nevaeh Brown ‘28 (above, left) and Dharvena Sookra ’28 (above, right) contributed to this summer’s research. Brown, a psychology major, said the environmental project was valuable to her future goals.
“I gained a deeper understanding of how environmental challenges impact communities and the ways people collectively respond,” she said. “This experience was highly relevant to my future goals, as it reinforced my interest in using industrial-organizational psychology to help build stronger, more supportive communities within the workplace.”
Sookra added that during the project’s eight weeks she grew to realize that doing research isn’t always a linear path.
“There are many times where you have to start over, and that’s okay,” she said. “My love and passion for doing research has definitely gone up from this.”
A second SPIn team worked toward creating a floating wetland in partnership with Little’s Lake, on a 25-acre plot of public access land near Albany. Mary Beth Kolozsvary, Ph.D., department chair and professor of environmental studies and sciences, worked with Isabelle Rowley ’26 and Joel Singh ’26 to restore the area to its former glory: over the years, Little’s Lake has suffered from an overgrowth of algae and duckweed due to excess nitrogen and phosphorus. Their project will ultimately provide a more welcoming outdoor space for Capital Region residents to enjoy outdoor activities year-round. Check out a video of their work here.
“This was the first year of working with Little’s Lake. We hit the ground running and had a lot of fun in the process!” said Kolozsvary. “The students worked cooperatively with our partner and the community, and figured out how to troubleshoot problems when things went awry. We developed approaches to improve water quality and enhance the recreational value of the lake and surrounding forest. This natural area is such a valuable asset for the public, and it is a pleasure to be working with such a welcoming community!”
The team sampled water quality, surveyed for aquatic invasive species, and sampled invertebrates and zooplankton; some of the techniques were new to the students.
“My biggest takeaway from the SPIn project was working closely with the Little’s Lake community to turn an early idea into a real wetland restoration effort,” said Rowley. “Seeing that vision come to life with the support of so many partners was incredibly rewarding. I’m hopeful that the work we’ve done will help clean up the lake and make a lasting impact on the ecosystem and the surrounding community.”
"This project was very engaging, productive, and hands-on," said Singh. "It not only improves aquatic ecosystem quality but also fosters community engagement. We aim to share the knowledge of floating wetlands in areas where water quality and health are crucial to human and ecosystem populations, and community engagement is needed most."
