Post by Kiera Hale

Hello LinkedIn! I am excited to announce that I have received The Garden Club of America's Casey Trees - Barbara Shea Award in Urban Forestry! I have been awarded this Urban Forestry Fellowship in support of my ongoing honors thesis research project on the ecosystem services provided by trees on college and university campuses in Washington, D.C. I am honored to receive this scholarship, which recognizes the legacy of Barbara Shea, a founding Board Member of Casey Trees and a dedicated forestry leader. I deeply appreciate the Garden Club of America's support, and I will strive to honor Barbara Shea's lasting impact as I continue conducting meaningful and purposeful urban forestry research. I want to thank Dr. Janelle Burke and Dr. Lemir Teron for their consistent mentorship on my research journey. This award would not have been possible without the many project meetings, feedback sessions, and literature reviews that you both guided me through. I also want to extend my gratitude to Ron Smith, Tracey R. Holmes, M.S., Sika Odoom, J. Elijah Bratton, PhD, and LaTanya Brown-Robertson, Ph.D., for the continued guidance of the Karsh STEM Scholars Program and the COAS Honors Program. Empowered by your support, I look forward to using this Urban Forestry Fellowship to make my research even more impactful.