The West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences has named its outstanding seniors for the 2003-04 academic year.
They are: Kathleen Coffers , Division of Family and Consumer Sciences; Matthew Knopp , Division of Resource Management; Laura Paugh , Division of Plant and Soil Sciences;
Joseph D. Rossetti , Division of Forestry; and Natalie Sanders , Division of Animal and Veterinary Sciences.
Coffers, of Morgantown, has been pursuing a degree in child development and family studies part-time for more than 10 years while raising her two sons. Switching to full-time in 2002, she has maintained a 4.0 grade point average and is a member of Gamma Sigma Delta and Golden Key.
She plans on attending graduate school in the fall of 2004. Her goals include conducting research in diverse family structures and using the knowledge gained to help form public policy.
Knopp, of Ripley, is majoring in agricultural and environmental education. He has been a member of the Collegiate FFA , Direct Marketing Association, Davis College Student Council and West Virginia Farm Bureau.
In addition, he is involved in Alpha Tau Alpha and Golden Key and serves as the sergeant at arms for Alpha Gamma Rho.
He is currently completing a student teaching assignment at the Wood County Technical Center in Parkersburg. His responsibilities include mentoring student beef and equine judging teams and teaching courses in agriculture, animal science and horticulture. He also helps students manage the school’s greenhouse and develop their aquaculture program.
Paugh, of Baltimore, is studying environmental protection with a minor in geography and geology. A member of Gamma Sigma Delta, she received the Blue and Gold, Pest Control Operators of America and Newton M. Baughman Memorial scholarships and the WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior Award.
Outside of the classroom, she volunteers her with the Friends of Deckers Creek in Morgantown and has assisted Davis College researchers working on water quality issues. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the violin and teaching gymnastics.
Rossetti, of Monroeville, Pa., is majoring in forest resources management. He has been active in the Society of American Foresters, serving as chair and vice chair, and he participated in men’s crew and marching band.
In the Newman Club at St. John University Parish, he acted as co-director and service chair. He also takes part in Xi Sigma Pi, served as editor ofThe Cruiserfor two years and participated in the WVU Honors program.
Besides these activities, Rossetti has been involved in research projects in the Davis College, working with John Brooks, assistant professor of forest resources management, and Linda Butler, professor of entomology. He worked with the NCRS Forest Inventory and Analysis program in the summer of 2003, and has volunteered in the WVU Arboretum doing trail work and removal of invasive species. Sanders, of Kingwood, is majoring in animal and veterinary sciences. While a student at WVU , she has volunteered at a local veterinary clinic and tutors peers in chemistry, biochemistry and advanced biology.
Sanders has been active in a number of organizations in the Davis College and is a member of Sigma Alpha, Golden Key and Gamma Sigma Delta. She has earned numerous honors including being named a Presidential Scholar and WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior.
Sanders has been a student employee in the Davis College’s Rumen Fermentation Profiling Laboratory, which conducts nutrient analysis on animal feeds and feed products. After graduation, Sanders plans to pursue a master’s degree in education and a career as a high school science teacher.