Earth Science major Bloom receives Honors Program award

Justine Bloom, a sophomore from Bergen majoring in Earth Science, with a minor in Environmental Studies, has received the Honors Student of the Month Award for September, co-sponsored by the Fredonia Honors Program and the Office of Residence Life.

“Justine's contributions are manifold,” said Department of Biology Professor Jon Titus. “In class I am always impressed by her intellectual curiosity, creativity, grasp of ideas and ability to synthesize information. Justine is an active participant in class discussions and consistently makes interesting and creative contributions to discussions.”

“In class I am always impressed by her intellectual curiosity, creativity, grasp of ideas and ability to synthesize information." - Professor Jon Titus

It’s clear Ms. Bloom embodies the three pillars of the Honors Program, according to Dr. Titus, who nominated Bloom for the award. “She is an excellent student and teacher. She leads in labs, field work and greenhouse work and she leads in campus activities and organizing. Justine is enthusiastic about life.”

Titus indicated Bloom stands out in classes, such as Plant Taxonomy, an upper-level course with capstone and graduate students. She has excellent presentation skills and communicates concepts clearly and from different perspectives in order to get her point across, he elaborated. “Her passion for biology is clear and causes others to become excited by the material.”

Even when conditions in the field are challenging, Bloom always remains cheerful and enthusiastic and works to maintain data quality, exhibiting patience and perseverance in even the most difficult of conditions, Titus said. He added she is an excellent researcher with insightful ideas.

Bloom is also an integral part of the greenhouse, leading a group of students in organizing tasks and carefully tending to the plants. In addition, she has also been involved in microplastics research.

Titus views Bloom as an excellent teaching assistant. She is very articulate in explaining the lab to first-semester students.

Bloom also took a leadership role on trying to get the campus to take action on multiple bird deaths that have occurred around the windows of the Rockefeller Arts Center. She has organized other students to get them involved and is poised, articulate and patient in meetings with the administration, Titus remarked. “If this problem is solved it will be due to Justine's efforts.”

Bloom, who plans to pursue environmental conservation and restoration field work after graduation, had a lead role in organizing efforts to bring renowned ornithologist Scott Weidensaul to speak on campus.

“I'm incredibly thankful for my professors in the geology and biology departments for how supportive they've been for all my endeavors,” Bloom said.