Andy Zou completes Union College Adirondack Fellowship

2015 Aug 7

Andy Zou, of Forest Hills, NY, completed Union College's Adirondack Fellowship, based out of the College's Kelly Adirondack Center.

Now in its third year, the competitive program selects students enrolled in an undergraduate, master's or doctoral program in urban planning, public policy, environmental science, the physical sciences or social sciences.

Over the course of seven weeks, fellows conduct independent research on an issue impacting the Adirondacks. They also participate in workshops and seminars, meet with representatives of organizations involved with Adirondack advocacy and policy, and write op-eds related to their topic. Hikes and visits to places such as the Adirondack Museum are also part of the itinerary.

Each fellow receives a stipend and housing

Zou is majoring in managerial economics and environmental policy. As part of his research, he is looking into whether the Adirondack Park Agency is ideally suited to manage the park, or whether it's feasible to revisit the idea of having the preserve be included in the National Park System, as once proposed in the 1960s.

"There has been considerable debate about this over the years," said Zou. " I want to find out whether the park is actually better off under the APA today," Zou said, " and whether conservation groups believe that the abandoned Adirondack Mountains National Park proposal promise more robust protection of the Adirondack experience."

To learn more about Zou and the fellowship, click here.