New Salem State University & Department of Conservation & Recreation Leadership Fellows Selected

The new Salem State University & Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Leadership Fellows (SSU/DCRLF) program is pleased to announce the selection of seven Salem State University students as Leadership Fellows for the Summer 2023 term.  The students, representing three College of Arts and Sciences departments and one Patricia Maguire Meservey College of Health & Human Services department, have been selected to participate in the Leadership Fellows program with the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) based upon their interest in conservation and recreation, grade point average, prior experiences, and recommendations. The selected students are as follows:

Antonio DeLuca – Criminal Justice/Recreation Management Minor

Karen Velasco Duffy – Sport & Movement Science/Business Minor

Elden Hubisz – Geography & Sustainability/Recreation Management Minor

Matt Pastagal – Geography & Sustainability

Zachary Stark – Political Science/Geography & Legal Studies Minors

Gianna Tortorici – Geography & Sustainability

Chanda Wallace – Geography & Sustainability

Each Leadership Fellow will be placed with a mentor from the DCR throughout the summer as part of an immersive experience to learn about all aspects of conservation and recreation with a concentration in an area of interest to that particular Fellow.  The Leadership Fellows will gain hands on experience within the agency and learn leadership skills through a weekly leadership seminar and applied practice.  They will also work on and develop projects of importance to the DCR and the Commonwealth such as Greening the Gateway Cities, Climate Change, Heart Healthy Trails, Shorebird Recovery and others. 

The SSU/DCRLF program is in its first year.  It was developed to allow Massachusetts college & university students of at least junior status an opportunity to gain paid hands-on experience in conservation and recreation field, knowledge of the complex operations within the DCR, and leadership experience while being mentored by a professional in the field.  The SSU/DCRLF is a combined effort of the coordinator of the Recreation Management concentration in the Sport and Movement Science Department, Dr KC Bloom, and Priscilla Geigis, the Deputy Commissioner of Conservation & Resource Stewardship/Director of State Parks for the DCR.   Recruitment for the summer 2024 cohort will begin in November, 2023.