Purchase College Professor Awarded Major Grant by New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation

Dr. Allyson Jackson, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Purchase College, has been awarded a major grant in the amount of $99,480 by New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation to support invasive species prevention.

PURCHASE, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Purchase College, SUNY, is pleased to announce that Dr. Allyson Jackson, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, has been awarded a major grant in the amount of $99,480 by New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation to support invasive species prevention.

The Purchase College grant is one 43 projects awarded a total of $3 million to reduce the negative impacts of invasive species on New York State's natural resources, economy, and communities. These grants are part of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Invasive Species Grant Program, which provides funding for aquatic and terrestrial invasive species spread prevention, early detection and rapid response, lake management planning, research, and education and outreach.

The Purchase College grant will provide 3 years of funding to help combat invasive species in the Blind Brook Forest on the eastern side of the campus. Parts of this forest are at least 100 years old and it has a diverse community of plants and animals.

Due to the construction of Broadview, the new senior living community on campus, part of the forest had to be cut down to connect to the sewer line, leaving a corridor that allows invasive species to move into the forest. As invasive species can take over a forest and kill many of the trees without management, this grant will provide funding to actively remove invasive species from that area and replant native trees and shrubs.

Dr. Jackson said, "The majority of this funding is going toward hiring full time student technicians in the summer and paid student internships during the academic year for the next 3 years. I'm really excited to be able to provide educational hands-on work experiences for our students, while also taking care of the forest that we all love so deeply. With our help, the forest will be able to recover and regrow and we will be able to help protect this environment for years to come."

Dr. Ryan Taylor, Chair of the Environmental Studies department, said, "The entire Environmental Studies department is eager to start implementing this restoration project. Our students come to college wanting to change the world for the better, and thanks to Dr. Jackson's visionary efforts and this generous grant, they have a tangible way they can make a significant impact."

Dr. Rudolf Gaudio, Director of the School of Natural and Social Sciences at Purchase said, "This award recognizes Dr. Jackson's commitment to scientific research and teaching that serves the needs of our campus, our community, and our planet. Environmental Studies thrives at Purchase College!"

Purchase College President Dr. Milagros (Milly) Peña said, "I congratulate Dr. Jackson on this prestigious grant, and on her dedication to inspiring the next generation of environmental scientists and stewards of the environment. I believe this work will have a profound impact on our students and on our community."

The grants are supported by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The EPF is a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects.

The Invasive Species Grant Program is administered by the Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health in DEC's Division of Lands and Forests.

About Purchase College, SUNY

Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of 64 universities and colleges, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspiration for Purchase was to create a dynamic campus that combined conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences, in order to inspire an appreciation for both intellectual and artistic talents in all students. Today, Purchase College, SUNY is a community of students, faculty, and friends where open-minded engagement with the creative process leads to a lifetime of intellectual growth and professional opportunity. For more information about the college, visit www.purchase.edu.

Media Contact

Betsy Aldredge, Purchase College, SUNY, 1 914 251 6959, [email protected], www.purchase.edu

SOURCE Purchase College, SUNY