Syd Cheney Awarded 2014 Boyle Prize

Syd Cheney, EES 2014 with a concentration in Ecosystem Ecology, has been selected as the 2014 recipient of the John F. Boyle Prize in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. The prize is issued each year to the top graduating senior in Ecology and Environmental Sciences.

Syd began her college career at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York. While she reports that she enjoyed the challenging academic work, it was the “people” part of the puzzle that was missing; the students had priorities and interests that were different from her own. Syd decided to come home to the University of Maine. Initially she chose a major in biology; however, after a university-sponsored trip to Tanzania, she quickly discovered that the EES major was where she belonged. Syd credits her success to a good academic and social fit. She loves the ecology courses she has taken along with the students in her major. The input and support she received from UMaine professors really helped to refine her interest and define her course of study. Syd has only the fondest of memories of her time spent here at the University of Maine.

This summer, Syd will monitor seabird colonies on Metinic Island as an intern for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She plans to eventually apply to graduate school, after working a variety of field positions so that she can narrow her area of focus.

Congratulations Syd!