referenceletterfromtpolandv2
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Northern Research Station NRS-03 3101 Technology Blvd. Forest Ecology & Management of Invasive Suite F
Service Species and Forest Ecosystems Lansing, MI 48910
File Code: 4500 Date: July 29, 2015
To whom it may concern,
I am writing in support of Dana Dake’s application for future employment opportunities. Dana has worked for me since the end of April as a summer intern assisting with laboratory and field research on the emerald ash borer. During this time, she has gained considerable experience in conducting research, from mastering a diverse suite of laboratory and field skills to understanding the principals of experimental design including randomization, replication, and standardization of controls and operating procedures. Dana is very bright, a quick learner, and truly an exceptional employee. I first met Dana when she attended a career fair hosted by the Lyman Briggs Residential College at Michigan State University. I was invited to host a booth at the career fair and present information about Forest Service research and summer internship opportunities. Dozens of students visited the booth; however, Dana stood out from the others because of her exceptional interest, her background knowledge and insightful questions, and her professionalism. She expressed a sincere interest in the position and asked about the start date. She informed me that she had registered for a 3-week study abroad program and would not be available to begin work full-time until the second week of June. I was hoping to have student assistants begin immediately after final exams the second week of May. However, after interviewing several other candidates, I decided that Dana would be worth waiting for - a decision that proved to be very wise. Dana asked if it would be helpful to begin working part time immediately and even through final exam week, so that she could learn the skills of the job and be able to hit the ground running as soon as she returned from her study abroad program. This turned out to be an excellent arrangement. Dana was so well prepared in all of her classes that she was able to work many hours during the final weeks of the spring semester and during final exam week. She mastered many of the skills required for the position and was able to work independently upon her return from the study abroad. Dana is extremely organized, very punctual, and careful and meticulous in her work. She asks many questions, not only to clarify what needs to be done to ensure its accuracy, but also specific questions about the particular scientific experiments and broad questions about how the research fits into the bigger picture of the scientific field and natural resource management, the environment, and ecology in general. Her questions always demonstrate a deep interest in the work and in-depth understanding and high level of thinking about environmental and scientific
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issues. Dana has assisted with insect rearing, care of trees in a greenhouse, setting up field experiments, collecting tree and insect samples from the field, sorting trap catches, identifying beetles, and collecting and entering data. She has worked in the field doing rigorous work under adverse conditions including pouring rain, heat and humidity, and in very high levels of biting flies, poison ivy, and ticks. In the lab she has performed tedious tasks meticulously for hours. No matter what duties are assigned, Dana works cheerfully and carefully and completes the work accurately. After initial training in all of the various aspects of the job, Dana has worked largely unsupervised, usually with another student. They are provided a list of activities for the week, and coordinate among themselves to get the work done. I have found Dana to be extremely dependable and reliable to complete all of the assigned work and keep me informed about its progress. Although, I have not had the opportunity to review any of Dana’s written work or school assignments, she frequently communicates by email and her messages are always very well written and are never careless or casual as is so often the case using this medium. Her oral communication skills are excellent. We have had many scientific discussions during our conversations and she is able to express complex thoughts very clearly. I know that Dana has volunteered at several environmental events and had the opportunity to communicate with large groups of people. In our laboratory Dana interacts regularly with several research scientists, professional entomologists, a post-doctoral associate, and three other students. We also collaborate with members from other labs and other faculty members at Michigan State University. Dana is very personable, and interacts and communicates positively with everyone. I am confident that Dana has the communication skills necessary to produce written documents, promotional material, website content, develop presentations, and present information to large groups of people. Dana is an outstanding candidate for employment and I fully support her application. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any additional information. Very respectfully,
/s/ Therese M. Poland Therese M. Poland, Ph.D. Research Entomologist and Adjunct Associate Professor
