Malia Boyum - US Forest Service
Bachelor of Science, 1999
Major: Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
I'm currently working on my Masters at Colorado State University looking at the effect of post-burn spruce-fir regeneration on lynx and snowshoe hare habitat. My research is funded through a co-operative program with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) called the Student Career Enhancement Program (SCEP). In exchange for 650 hours of fire crew work (less than one full summer field season) over the course of my graduate studies, the Forest Service pays my tuition and research expenses. I am on a helitack crew (firefighters assigned to a helicopter), and also write prescribed burn plans and coordinate training.
The breadth of the WEC program, with courses in forestry, human dimensions, and other natural resource-related topics, has proven extremely useful in my "real-world" interactions at USFS and in collaborations with scientists having a wide range of Abackgrounds. I especially liked the field work associated with WEC classes, and I needed it for this job!
Students in the SCEP program are given non-competitive hiring preference with federal agencies after graduation. The support received in graduate school carries an obligation. For example, I must work one year for each semester that I received agency funding. The co-op program is a great way to get a Masters Degree funded and make contacts for a career with a federal agency.
