Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources is well-represented in one of the nation’s top programs dedicated to cultivating the next generation of leaders.
Two Warner College of Natural Resources graduate students and one recent alumnus were recently selected as finalists in the Presidential Management Fellows Program, a leadership initiative that serves as the federal government’s premiere pipeline for moving advanced degree graduates into government leadership positions.
Being announced a finalist in the highly selective program allows them to apply for fellowships at government agencies.
The Warner College finalists are Camden Baker, Natural Resource Stewardship in Forest and Rangeland Stewardship; Jeremiah Gorske, Conservation Leadership in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources; and Anna Wright, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology through Forest and Rangeland Stewardship.
Camden Baker, who plans to graduate with his Master of Natural Resource Stewardship degree this spring, hopes to accept an appointment opportunity that involves natural resource planning and policy compliance with a federal land management agency.
“Becoming a Presidential Management Fellowship Finalist means that I have an opportunity to join a community that promotes good leadership principles in our federal agencies,” he said.
Anna Wright, who plans to graduate with an M.S. in ecology this summer, wants to combine her science training and policy experience to expand climate adaptation programs in cities in ways that benefit both nature and people.
“I’m very excited about the fellowship because it is an opportunity to improve urban ecology programs at the national scale,” she said.
Jeremiah Gorske (Master of Conservation Leadership, ‘22) will use the opportunity to gain the skills and awareness to be an excellent leader and practitioner in the conservation field.
“I am incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity. This is a chance to work with talented individuals, gain a big-picture view of how federal agencies manage our natural resources, and contribute to positive change,” he said.
Established in 1977 by an executive order from President Jimmy Carter, the two-year fellowship program is designed to help graduate students jump-start their careers through unique leadership training. Each fellowship comes with a full salary and benefits at a select federal agency, which provides training, development and mentoring.
Last year, the PMF program had a class of 1,100 finalists. Those finalists participated in a round of federal agency meet-and-greets in the spring and then in the summer took part in a hiring fair hosted by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
This year, the PMF program selected 850 applicants as finalists out of a pool of more than 10,000 applicants. The 2023 finalist pool represents approximately 98 academic degree programs and 249 academic institutions worldwide. Additionally, approximately 18% are veterans. Finalists have an appointment eligibility period of 12 months, expiring in February 2024.
“I am so excited that our CSU graduate community will be represented within our government by these amazing Graduate School — soon to be — alumni,” said Colleen Webb, vice provost for graduate affairs and dean of the Graduate School. “The PMF program will allow them to share their incredible talents and provide leadership to our nation. It is an important reminder of our graduate students’ abilities to further CSU’s land-grant mission and Principles of Community at the national level.”
*Adapted from this story: https://source.colostate.edu/five-csu-students-named-presidential-management-fellows-program-finalists/
