Graduates of Distinction

Meera A. Jagroop ’12

What better way to ensure that the future of our planet is in capable, well-informed hands than educating the youth of today, Earth’s future caretakers? That is exactly what Meera Jagroop has been doing since graduating from ESF in 2012.  Armed with a degree in Natural History and Interpretation, Jagroop began working as a science educator at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum where she developed educational programming for the public, local schools and community outreach utilizing the Museum’s living and non-living collections.  During this time, she also earned a master’s degree in museum education at Bank Street College of Education in New York City.

After completing her master’s degree, Jagroop took her talents to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden where she oversees an interpretive education program, including exhibit development and delivery of robust year-round programming with an emphasis on hands-on, inquiry-based experiences. As manager of the discovery garden and family programs, she was responsible for overseeing more than 70 volunteers and instructors, as well as creating innovative programming designed to deepen the visitor’s personal connection to the natural world through storytelling and science learning.

Jagroop now serves as director of youth programs, where she has been instrumental in helping to establish a connection between urban youth and nature through the management of the 100-year old Children’s Garden.  With a focus on greening the urban environment through education, sustainable practices, and stewardship, Jagroop encourages young people to develop basic horticulture and botany skills as they bring garden plots to life.  From the youngest participants at two-to-three years old who work with adult partners to harvest the garden and create nature crafts, to teens who participate in a nine-month Garden Apprentice Program learning about botany, horticulture and urban farming, Jagroop is creating a comprehensive environmental education program that encourages a life-long connection with nature. 

When you consider the impressive accomplishments of Meera Jagroop in the short amount of time since she graduated, it is clear why she has been selected as this year’s Graduate of Distinction Award recipient in the category of Incipiens Quercu.

Last thing that you read:

The last thing I read was a graphic novel called Bone. Description I found of the book: “There are three modern characters who happen to be cartoons who get lost in a fairy-tale valley. They spend a year there and make friends and enemies, finding themselves caught up in the trials and tribulations of the valley, and even a war.”

Advice to Younger Self:

-Embrace your identity and being different! This includes culture/interests/beliefs. 

-Prioritize mental health – participate in therapy, self-care time, etc. even when nothing feels “wrong.”

Favorite Way to Spend a Day Off:

My favorite way to spend a day off is exploring NYC by foot with friends. I love going on long walks through many different neighborhoods in search of new foods, green spaces, art, music, and more! In the summer I especially love spending time at NYC’s beaches and many hiking trails along the coast.

Causes You Are Passionate About:

I am passionate about social and environmental justice, feminism and women’s rights, and centering the history and stories BIPOC in botany, science, and nature.

Next Place on your travel bucket list?

I would love to go to Trinidad, or anywhere in the Caribbean! My family is from Guyana, and I would love to see the trees, flowers, birds, and nature that surrounded them as children.

Lasting impressions of ESF:

Some of my closest friends to this day I met during my time at ESF, and we continue to bond and grow together because of our experiences together. ESF was one of my first times outside of NYC spending time in nature with genuine, empathetic, and kind people who cared about each other and the world. Having this experience showed me how important this is to me, and I carry it with me in the work I do and beyond.

It is no coincidence that Eric Murdock found his way to ESF; the profound experience of growing up on a lake contaminated with inadequate septic systems had an enormous influence on his career path.  As a student at ESF, Murdock had a vision that he wanted to do something more than just make a living, he wanted to make a lasting contribution to the community and the environment.

After graduating from ESF with a degree in environmental resources engineering, Murdock’s career trajectory took him from a material testing company, to a local environmental firm, and then to a large international engineering firm with a focus on environmental clean-up.  His work eventually led him to an opportunity to manage a US EPA grant from the Office of Wastewater Management. As project manager for the EPA’s National Community Decentralized Wastewater Demonstration Project at Skaneateles Lake, Murdock developed a viable long-term solution for wastewater infrastructure that utilized smaller footprints while ensuring suitable treatment. The project drew state and national attention thanks in part to the innovative systems installed using technology not previously seen in New York or the United States.  Additionally, Murdock’s alternative approach to septic systems on the Skaneateles Lake project led to changes in NYS regulations pertaining to septic systems. 

After working across the country investigating various enhanced septic systems and their impact on water quality, Murdock realized there was a need within the industry that was not being met, and so he formed ONSITE Engineering.  The company specializes in onsite and decentralized wastewater systems for difficult sites with a focus on lake and river waterfronts throughout New York.

Murdock still finds time to give back to his industry and the College. He serves as a volunteer member of the New York Onsite Wastewater Training Network where he serves as Vice Chair as well as a Lead Environmental Trainer.  He remains connected to the College by serving as an alumni speaker, guest instructor, and career advisor for the ERE department.

For his outstanding contributions in the field of Environmental Resources Engineering, we proudly recognize Eric Murdock as the 2022 Graduate of Distinction in the Notable Achievement category.

Last thing that you read:

I recently read the book “Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming with the Grateful Dead” by Bill Kreutzmann.  I’ve always wanted to be a drummer, but my journey just hasn’t taken me there yet.

Advice to Younger Self:

When things don’t feel right, don’t be afraid to make changes.  The quicker the better.  Always have a long-term goal and try to make decisions along the way that allow you to move towards it.

Favorite Way to Spend a Day Off:

In the fresh air, picking tomatoes in the morning and being on the motorcycle exploring rolling hills or the boat by the afternoon. Or, if it’s winter, in the woodshop building furniture.

Causes You Are Passionate About:

I’ve always been in awe at the beauty of nature and the many faces it shows itself.  I’ve always been drawn towards work that somehow cleans it up or an effort to keep it clean.  Our branding is “ONSITE Loves Lakes” and nothing is more rewarding than fixing an old problem using an innovative septic solution.  My best most rewarding work, which is the soul of my passion, is developing a remarkably simple solution to otherwise very complicated problem.

Next Place on your travel bucket list?

Next stop is London.  I want to visit Buckingham Palace to pay my respect to the late Queen.

Lasting impressions of ESF:

I will be forever grateful for the lifelong friendships I received while at the ESF fraternity Kappa Phi Delta.  We will forever be friends of the forest.  It makes me so proud to be an alumnus seeing the continuous evolution of the curriculums and college as a whole.

Karyn Bartow Richards’ lifelong love of the Adirondacks began as a child during summers spent in Raquette Lake, NY and continued through her studies at ESF.  A third-generation seasonal resident of Raquette Lake, Richards learned to recognize the value of the forest from her grandfather and parents and took that keen awareness with her as she embarked upon her undergraduate and graduate studies in resources management and planning.  Through her notable positions at the NYS DEC and the Adirondack Park Agency, Richards made a lasting and positive impact on forest policy as well as the lives of the many people who live, serve, and govern in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks where the Forest Preserve lands are protected by state of New York.

In 1981, Richards embarked on a four-decade career in public service. First as the Policy and Planning Chief, Division of Lands and Forests at the NYS DEC and then as the Deputy Director of the Adirondack Park Agency.  The last 20 years of her career she served as the DEC Forest Preserve Coordinator, managing and protecting the New York State Forest Preserve which includes approximately 3 million acres of public lands within the Adirondack and Catskill Parks.  

From engaging in efforts of the Northern Forest Lands Council to managing recreational use of Forest Preserve lands in conformance with the State Land Use Master Plans, Richards has facilitated policies and programs that serve to protect these “Forever Wild” lands.  She approached all her policy and programmatic efforts with a sound understanding of law and precedent in the Forest Preserve, and an appreciation of the interests of stakeholders from local officials to private landowners to environmental non-governmental organizations. 

Richards has advised three Governors, 11 DEC Commissioners and four State Foresters within the DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests. She has provided objective and sound advice on Forest Preserve policy and litigation, worked with State and local officials on the acquisition of over one million acres of fee and easements lands in the Adirondacks and Catskills, and has helped shape Forest Preserve policy throughout her career.

Over the past four decades she has strived to ensure that not only would these lands be protected and stewarded for their wilderness and resource benefits, but that the region’s forest-based economy could continue to survive.  Richards is widely recognized by her peers as one of the top experts in the country regarding some of the most complex legal and land management policy decisions in one of the most storied places on earth: the New York State Forest Preserve.

For her continuous and impactful service within the area of forest resources management, we proudly confer the Lifetime Achievement Graduate of Distinction Award upon Karyn Richards.

Last thing that you read:

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Pulitzer Prize, 2015).  A beautifully written story of a journey of two young children who relied on strength and determination to endure attacks on humanity in occupied France. They found courage by relying on the foundations of family, friendship, love and hope to survive. This book reflects on the magic of technology and the human need to communicate and be connected, capturing even the smallest details of life as they shed light in a dark world.

Advice to Younger Self:

Worry less and trust the path that unfolds in front of you. Focus on the journey and not the things that won’t matter in 20 years.  Life is good!  And when it is not good it will get better. Embrace diversity and do not judge.  Truly care for others and learn from them, as you can never be successful by yourself.

Favorite Way to Spend a Day Off:

Connecting to what is important – my family, the beauty of the natural world and the restorative powers of rest and reflection.  I love to exercise, be outdoors in all seasons in all types of weather (I may be partial to a very snowy day on snowshoes) and sharing adventures with friends. I have a strong sense of place. Rest and relaxation work best for me when I am surrounded by nature. I am blessed with both of these at home on our farm and in the Adirondacks at our lakeside cabin.

Causes You Are Passionate About:

The Environment–the world we share as humans, communities, cultures and societies. The natural world feeds us and nourishes our souls. All life is dependent on the quality of our environment. People should respect it, care for it and protect it from harm.  Equal rights for All – ending sexism, supporting choice and establishing respect for diversity. Hold true, speak up and stay engaged. Change will not happen unless the passionate stay in the game to effectuate what needs to be accomplished.

Next Place on your travel bucket list?

A land and sea tour of Alaska. Nature and culture are changing rapidly in the world. I want to experience what remains of the past – how people, plants and animals have existed–and gain a better understanding of how this is being affected by time. Alaska is a place of great wildness and an open space I can only imagine. It is also rich in customs, arts, social institutions and achievements which I would like to share with my husband who is deeply connected to art and indigenous cultures.

Lasting impressions of ESF:

In the late 70’s, ESF represented cutting-edge thinking at a time when the modern environmental movement was relatively young.  Traditional approaches to problem solving were being challenged by energetic, more diverse and passionate young people.  At the same time there was a code of respect on campus – for the beautiful spaces we shared, for each other, the hallowed halls of learning and the faculty who nurtured us. I imagine and hope much of this has remained the same for the past 40 years!