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The Joseph Branch Rail With Trail Feasibility Study project is grateful to have three students working on web development and economic assessments this quarter! Continue reading below to learn more about these students. If you are interested in an internship opportunity with this project, please contact dkurtz@eou.edu for more information.
My name is Dana Kurtz. I am the project manager for the Joseph Branch Feasibility Study. I am an environmental scientist who has worked in a variety of settings from academic research to environmental consulting. I graduated from the University of Washington in Environmental Studies. As a part of my education I completed a legislative internship in Washington State working on environmental issues, and completed a Mary Gates Research fellowship conducting a baseline evaluation of three streams. After graduation, I worked on nearshore oceanography as Woods Hole Swashzone fellow, and have enjoyed studying complex environmental systems (primarily aquatic) ever since. Before moving to La Grande, I worked on remediation investigations for large rivers at a consulting firm in Seattle. I enjoy working at the intersection of science and policy.
I am enrolled as a MBA student at Eastern Oregon University and hope to advance my project management, community/environmental planning, and rural business knowledge throughout the course of my studies. The Joseph Branch Feasibility Study is a multidisciplinary assessment that provides a hands-on way to apply my current course work and learn more about my Eastern Oregon Community.
My name is Tylor Hardwick and I am the web development intern this term for the rail with trails project. This will be my sophomore year here at Eastern Oregon University studying computer science. To tell you a bit about myself I served in the Marine Corps for 5 years as an f-18 electrician and communications specialist and one year reserve as a headquarters platoon sergeant for a tank battalion out of Boise ID. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful family, my wife Amanda and two boys Wyatt, and Nathan. I enjoy most things people associate nerds doing and among other things like snowboarding and getting out into the woods to do some hunting and fishing.
I am very excited to gain some hands on experience with web content management as well as development for such a cool projects such as rail with trails project. I plan on doing the best to bring a well updated and fresh user friendly website to the public so that we can share and discuss this project. Thank you for taking the time to read my short bio and be sure to look at all the website has to offer.
My name is Sarah Palmer and I am finishing up my senior year here at Eastern Oregon University earning a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Economics. Before moving to La Grande I lived in Beaverton, Oregon with my family. In my free time I enjoy snowboarding, hiking, snowshoeing, biking, and kayaking. I am looking forward to be working on the Rails-With-Trails project as the lead writer for the Economic Impact Assessment and in charge of analyzing the possible effects the trail would have on the local communities.
I am a standing sophomore at EOU pursuing an economics major as well as a chemistry minor. I came to EOU from Kane’ohe, Hawaii with a plan to participate in the pre-optometry program, however I found a passion in economics and took the opportunity to indulge in the new economics major program EOU has to offer. I took interest in this project to get a more hands on experience of the world in economics as well as to get more involved with the community. Far from home, I realize and recognize the problems in the community here are quite similar to those in Hawaii. I believes being actively involved with this project, will not only help find better solutions for Eastern Oregon, but will potentially be able to find it’s way back to Hawaii as well. I will be taking the lead role for the Economic Impact Analysis.