Posted: May 4, 2018
The Agriculture and Environment Center welcomes four Environmental Resource Management students as full time interns this summer, Sean Bernheisel, Bill Ryan, Ryan Hill and Craig Zemitis.
Sean Bernheisel and Bill Ryan are experienced hands; they both interned with the AEC this academic year and are staying on board for the summer. Their extensive work product and experiences from the school year included conducting a watershed assessment and developing a restoration plan for the Lost Creek watershed in Juniata County and planning and putting on a successful stormwater workshop for homeowners in the Borough of Bellefonte.
Bill, a rising junior and resident of Boalsburg, will be stationed in AEC's University Park office and will concentrate on work with partners in the State College area. Sean, who graduated in May, will be based out of the AEC's Lower Susquehanna Office at Penn State Harrisburg.
Joining Sean will be senior Ryan Hill. Along with majoring in ERM, Ryan has minors in Geographic Information Science and 
Watersheds and Water Resources. He grew up in the Poconos, spending time camping, hiking, and fishing. Following high school, Ryan spent five years in the Marine Corps where he worked as a Signals Intelligence Analyst. He remained working in the intelligence field until 2015, when he enrolled at Penn State. His interest in Chesapeake Bay issues and desire to pursue a career in water quality protection and restoration drew him to the AEC.
Craig Zemitis is the AEC's first agricultural conservation technician intern. Craig, a senior from Hummelstown, has a close connection to the environment, having grown up in rural East Hanover Township and volunteering with the Manada Conservancy. His interest in nutrient management and farm conservation led Craig to become one of the first Penn State undergraduates to enroll in the College's new Agricultural Stewardship and Conservation Certificate Program, being administered through ERM.
Craig's internship this summer is the result of a unique partnership with the Lancaster County Conservation District to provide undergraduates enrolled in the new certificate program the work experiences needed for a career in agricultural conservation. Craig will spend the summer working alongside agricultural technicians at the conservation district, learning the skills needed to work with farmers to develop conservation plans and implement conservation practices on farms.
