Michele Brooks

mbrooks3144@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/micheleabrooks
EDUCATION
Westfield State University, Westfield, MA
Dual Major: B.S. Environmental Science, B.S Regional Planning
Minor in Geographic Information Systems
HONORS
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Lambda Sigma Honor Society
Deans List (all semesters)

May 2016
GPA 3.75/4.0

Environmental Science Departmental Service Award

Stephanie B. Kelly Award

HIGHLIGHTED COURSEWORK AND SKILLS

Natural History & Field Techniques: Tree identification, forestry measurements
Soil Science: Soil color, texture classification, and soil compaction testing
Water Resources Planning & Management: Measuring water flow, pH level, and identifying aquatic macro
invertebrates
Wetlands Planning & Assessment: Knowledge of wetland regulations, NOI Reports
Environmental Legislation: Knowledge of major environmental acts
Software: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, GIS (Esri ArcMap), GPS, SPSS
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Intern, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Northampton, MA
February May 2016
Conduct outreach to organizational partners to collect information on land and transportation
infrastructure projects in the Western, MA wildlife corridor
Develop a report of mitigation projects to position TNC for funding
Create GIS maps and river discharge graphs for a TNC Connecticut River watershed model report
Intern, Massachusetts Sierra Club, Boston, MA
May August 2015
Organized a local protest part of a nationwide day protest against Shell Oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean
Conducted research on health effects of crumb rubber to present to city of Boston officials, asking for
warning signs to be posted at city recreational facilities
Attended and prepared materials for sustainability events and festivals to represent the chapters work
Presenter, UMass Undergraduate Research Conference, Amherst, MA
Facilitated An Analysis of Vegetarian Ethos and Environmental Impacts

Spring 2013

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Costa Rica: Flowering Plants found in Open Forest vs. Closed
January 2015
Collected data on the number of flowering plants found in open areas of the cloud forest in Monteverde
and compared it to neighboring closed areas of forest
Performed a paired t-test on the data which suggested that the relationship between open areas of forest
created by fallen trees, and the number of flowering plants found, is statistically significant
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Impacts of Sea Level Rise and Storms on Brewster
Fall 2014
Used GIS software to create a model with Model Builder and set the parameters to display land expected
to be underwater by 2100, and land that will flood in the event of a 10-meter storm surge in Brewster,
MA
Analyzed impacts on the population and land value

RESEARCH PROJECTS (CONTINUED)

The Potential of Geothermal Energy
Spring 2014
Analyzed data on the potential of geothermal energy in the United States
Estimated the number of coal fired power plants that could be replaced with geothermal plants
Westfield, MA: A City of Biking and Walking
Spring 2015
Met and spoke with residents of the Westfield Senior Center, and the Westfield Commission for Citizens
with Disabilities to gather their thoughts and concerns regarding transportation in Westfield
Assessed this information and peer-reviewed literature to write a section on the needs of special
populations in designing a complete streets plan, as part of a group report prepared for the City of
Westfield Planning Department
Proposal for a Plastic Bag Ban in the City of Westfield, MA
Spring 2016
Conducted research on the effectiveness of plastic bag bans across the state of Massachusetts through key
person interviews and a survey of business owners in Northampton, MA
Initiated a public outreach campaign by way of an information booth where signatures were collected for
a citizens petition
Presented Results of Research to the City Council for further review by the Public Health and Safety
Committee
COLLEGIATE LEADERSHIP
Campaign Leader, Ban the Bag Campaign, MassPIRG [Fall 2015 Spring 2016]
Member, Environmental Science Curriculum Committee [2013 2016]
Member, Regional Planning Curriculum Committee [2015 2016]
Student Representative, Environmental Science/Regional Planning Departments [2015 2016]
Member, GARP Regional Advisory Board [Spring 2015]
Tour Guide, Admissions Department [2013 2016]
Tutor, Math Department (Elementary Statistics course) [2014 2015]
Peer Mentor, Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment (ICE) Program [2013-2014]
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Civic Engagement Workshop [January 2016]
Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) Environmental Fellows Program [April 2016]