Ripple Effect
SUSQUEHANNA’S RESTORATION EFFORTS ON STREAMS ALSO IMPACT RIVER WATERSHED AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
Seven years and 56 streams later, Susquehanna University and the Chesapeake Conservancy have formalized their ongoing collaboration on restoration projects within the Susquehanna River watershed.
Susquehanna and the Conservancy are partnered to support research, education, environmental remediation and advocacy to improve the ecological health of the regional watershed, as well as the ways this work can be applied to restore the health of other nearby habitats.
Since 2016, five members of the Conservancy’s staff have been hosted at Susquehanna’s Freshwater Research Institute, thanks to seed funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The pilot program brought together dozens of partners to restore local streams using the Conservancy’s GIS-based precision conservation approach, which was tested in the field by Susquehanna’s faculty and students.
Together, Susquehanna and the Conservancy have scaled the program to six Pennsylvania counties, secured partnerships with over 60 organizations and attracted over $25 million in private, state and federal funding to implement the strategy — with restoration completed or underway on 162 farms along 56 streams.
“Susquehanna and the Conservancy have enjoyed working closely together in shared space at the Freshwater Research Institute,” says Matt Wilson, director of the Center for Environmental Education and Research and FRI. “I look forward to deepening and expanding our relationship with them as we pursue our mutual goal of improving the health of the Susquehanna River watershed and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay.”
Moving forward, Susquehanna and the Conservancy will work together to support restoration, prioritization and research to meet sediment load-reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay. They will deliver applied research to inform local and state decision-makers while providing professional skill development for the next generation of conservation leaders.
Susquehanna’s students and campus will continue to benefit from the partnership. Students will be integrated into research to determine the effectiveness of ongoing restoration projects and provided with internship opportunities with Conservancy staff. The partners will implement and maintain restoration projects on campus, using them as teaching opportunities for students, staff and partners.
Campus is a short distance from the Susquehanna River — the Chesapeake Bay’s largest tributary and the longest river on the east coast within the U.S.
“I truly believe that the Conservancy’s partnership with the FRI’s staff and students has helped launch a new chapter in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts,” says Carly Dean, director of the Conservancy’s Chesapeake Tributaries Initiative. “Rooted in strong partnerships and data-driven decisionmaking, the Conservancy just launched its Chesapeake Tributaries Initiative to scale the approach bay-wide, based on what we’ve learned right here in central Pennsylvania.”
New Majors and Offerings at Susquehanna
SUSQUEHANNA’S PROGRAM OFFERINGS EXPAND TO INCLUDE THREE NEW MAJORS IN 2023–24
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
A Social Justice Approach
An interdisciplinary program between the departments of political science and sociology & anthropology, Susquehanna’s criminal justice program was designed especially for students who want to pursue careers in politics, government and nonprofit administration, including schools and the policy sector. They will be prepared for careers in law enforcement, policymaking, correctional counseling and victim advocacy.
Students will examine different aspects of the criminal justice system, such as the socioeconomic foundations of criminal behavior, the laws and policies that seek to prevent and respond to criminal acts, and the social, economic and racial biases that are embedded in the system.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & CORPORATE INNOVATION
For Future Market Disrupters
A new flexible major offered by the Sigmund Weis School of Business was created for students to recognize and capitalize on high-potential business ideas. When majoring in entrepreneurship & corporate innovation, students can select from courses in management, luxury brand marketing & management and marketing. With access to an entrepreneur in residence, students will engage in one-on-one mentorship and develop skills to start a business enterprise or thrive as an entrepreneurial thinker in an established company.
Through this major, students will grow an entrepreneurial, problem-solving mindset by learning to think critically and leveraging innovation, by building and launching multiple businesses and by participating in consulting projects with small businesses and high-growth startups — while qualifying for business development funding.
REAL ESTATE
Sold on Commercial Investment
Commercial real estate is now on the market at Susquehanna — in the form of a new degree offering: real estate. Students will master the critical skills to enter and succeed in this market as a commercial real estate investor, developer, broker or property manager. Through foundational courses offered by the Sigmund Weis School of Business, students will be guided by expert faculty as they learn to navigate investments and finance and to evaluate development opportunities. From studying real estate law to analyzing market opportunities to perfecting project pitches, they will be positioned to make strategic decisions in this competitive and constantly evolving industry.
TWO COOPERATIVE PROGRAMS EXTEND THE FOUNDATIONAL VALUE OF A SUSQUEHANNA EDUCATION
MBA
Centered in the Mediterranean Sea
Susquehanna’s partnership with the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, offers Susquehanna graduates an accelerated path to earn their Master of Business Administration degree.
As part of the MBA 4+1, students who participate in a semester-long study-abroad program at the University of Nicosia, located in the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, can take coursework that concurrently counts toward an MBA. After graduating from Susquehanna, they’ll take just one more year of courses to complete their MBA with the University of Nicosia. Students who do not study abroad in Cyprus for a full semester can still pursue their MBA at the University of Nicosia through its 18-month program.
PHARMACY
3+4 = Degree in One Less Year
Susquehanna’s new program allows students to accelerate their Doctor of Pharmacy, earning both a bachelor’s degree from Susquehanna and a doctorate from Duquesne University or Temple University. Known as a 3+4 program, this cooperative can save students a year of study and tuition dollars by earning two degrees in just seven years. Open to chemistry and biochemistry majors, the 3+4 pharmacy programs provide students with collaborative research opportunities, cutting-edge laboratory equipment and rigorous coursework — effectively preparing them for the demands of a pharmacy program.
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