Meet our New Staff at the New England WSC - September 2023
By New England Water Science Center
September 29, 2023
Join us in welcoming our recently hired staff at the New England Water Science Center.
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Shannon started her career as a Hydrologic Technician at the USGS Ithaca Field Office in 2014 while studying geology at State University of New York (SUNY) Cortland. During this time, she gained experience in sampling private and municipal wells for a groundwater-quality monitoring project. Shannon earned an MS in Earth Science from Syracuse University in 2018. Her research focused on identifying patterns between dissolved methane and halogens in groundwater. The following year, she accepted a physical scientist position at the New York Water Science Center where she managed several aquifer mapping projects and helped manage the NWIS database. Shannon is a registered remote pilot with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of the Interior and has experience piloting drones equipped with RGB and thermal sensors. The New England Water Science Center welcomed her into the Integrated Modeling Section in September 2023. Outside of work, Shannon enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, fishing, and hiking with her husband Ben and dog Soji.
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Kendall recently transferred to the New England Water Science Center in East Hartford, Connecticut, from the Central Midwest Water Science Center in Iowa City, Iowa. She grew up on Long Island, New York, and earned her bachelor's degree in geological sciences from State University of New York (SUNY) Genseo in 2017. After graduating, Kendall moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to attend the University of Utah for her master's degree, where she used groundwater age-dating to determine the source of springs in the Salt Lake Valley. Kendall is passionate about science communication and was involved in multiple outreach efforts during graduate school, including the STEM Ambassadors Program and trips to Washington D.C. to advocate for Federal geoscience funding. She was hired at the Utah Water Science Center in 2019 through the Recent Graduates program and later transferred to the Central Midwest Science Center, where she worked with the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi to develop a groundwater model of their water resources. Kendall is excited to be back on the East Coast with the New England Water Science Center and is looking forward to continuing her groundwater modeling work and learning all about coastal systems!
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Alex grew up in central Maine. He found success performing IT, customer service, and sales-related duties for several companies in the years leading up to 2012, when he switched to administrative work. For eight years, Alex managed a team of professional problem solvers who primarily worked on rehabilitation projects in stormwater, wastewater, and municipal drinking water systems. In 2020, Alex decided to pivot again by completing courses in housing management and then enrolled at Kennebec Valley Community College in the accounting program in early 2021. While taking classes, he did property and project management part-time and earned his associate degree in accounting in 2023. In his spare time, Alex enjoys adventuring with his wife and two kids, biking, DIY projects, home A/V equipment, and experimenting with electronics.
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Colin received a Bachelor of Science in environmental sciences from the University of Vermont in 2009. After graduating, he moved West and started as a seasonal hydrologic technician for the USGS Colorado Water Science Center. Colin received a Master of Science in hydrology from Colorado School of Mines in 2014. He then transitioned from a student trainee to a hydrologist position with the center, working on various snowpack, water quality, groundwater, hydrologic modeling, and data review projects. In 2023, Colin returned to eastern Connecticut where he grew up, and transferred to the New England Water Science Center Statistical and Geospatial Section. In his free time, he loves to ski, mountain bike, hike, and anything out on the water, and is excited to re-explore New England with his family.
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Zachary Rand grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He earned a Bachelor of Science in 2018 from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, in chemistry and environmental science. In 2019, Zach began working as a seasonal hydrologic technician at the Bureau of Land Management in Arizona and Oregon. Two years later he began working as a USGS hydrologic technician in Tallahassee, Florida. In 2023, Zach moved to Massachusetts to begin working as a hydrologic technician for the New England Water Science Center. He is passionate for water resources and enjoys working to collect vital data to better understand it. When he is not working, Zach’s hobbies include canoeing, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, reading, cooking, grilling meat, and socializing with friends. He is looking forward to a new chapter at the New England WSC and exploring all the nature and culture than New England has to offer.
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Sam Robinson was raised in Tolland, Connecticut. She is currently finishing her last year at Manchester Community College obtaining her associate degree in liberal arts and science. Sam plans on transferring to University of Connecticut to get a bachelor's degree in geoscience with a minor in studio art. She discovered the USGS from her professor at MCC, Jon Morrison. It was through this experience that she discovered her passion for earth science and her future major. She started volunteering at the USGS Connecticut office for about four months before being officially accepted for the hydrological technician internship on the water quality team. Sam adores her current position and finds joy in participating in science that positively impacts Earth and its inhabitants. In her free time, Sam enjoys sculpting, baking, dancing, her pets, and doing anything hands-on outdoors!
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