Upstate Institute News and Announcements

This summer, Daniel Montan Jacome ’28 worked with the United Way of Mid Rural New York, an organization focused on improving lives across a rural four-county region of roughly 225,000 people. His research through the Upstate Institute Summer Field School involved two projects, both centered on United Way’s impact coalitions and both tied to the same challenge: helping working families, people with jobs, and those who still struggle to cover rent, food, and childcare to reach support that already exists.

Arden Williamson ’28 worked with the Oneida Community Mansion House this summer helping to reimagine the OC Cemetery Tour by adding personal details about original members and their lives in the Community to create a more engaging tour. The tour aims to transform the cemetery from a collection of gravestones into a place where visitors can engage with the lives behind the names. This project included three layers of research: general information about the OC, a deep dive into my seven chosen Community members, and a study of the broader historical context of the time in which they lived by comparing Oneida funerary and mourning practices with those of mainstream America.

Tejas Prakash ’28 worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County (CCE) this summer, primarily focused on conducting research to find innovative solutions addressing the local food economy in Madison County and how artificial intelligence can support the growth and resilience of local food economies. My research focus this summer aligned with CCE’s focus on supporting all stakeholders in local food economies here in Madison County by introducing new methods to the county that aligned with the rapidly changing technology landscape that AI continues to bring to today’s world, leaving an impact across all global industries. 

This summer, I had the opportunity to work with Madison County’s Public Information Office (PIO) to create a file organization system and archive for their collection of county photographs. PIO staff strive to ensure that anything released by the county is accessible, easily conveys important information, and portrays the county in a welcoming, positive light.

Through the Upstate Institute’s Summer Field School, I had the opportunity to serve the community by partnering with the Hamilton Historical Commission. My research this summer included themes commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The goal of my research was to tell the stories of several of Hamilton’s founders and their Revolutionary War service through a public exhibit displayed in the Hamilton Public Library. 

Pallen McArdle ’27 spent the summer working with the Adirondack Experience, a historical, social, and cultural museum dedicated to representing diverse Adirondack stories since 1957, located in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. McArdle’s Upstate Institute Summer Field School research project focused exclusively on developing the upcoming “Nature of Belonging: Black Experience in the Adirondacks” exhibit.

Allan Crounse ’27 worked with the Food Bank of Central New York this summer on a project designed to help “Mend the Meal Gap” in Herkimer County through a survey to help better understand people’s perceptions, awareness, and experiences with food insecurity and the food assistance network.

Catherine Stevens ’27 spent the summer working with the not-for-profit organization Friends of Rogers as the lead of their Great Pollinator Project, documenting native pollinators at Rogers Environmental Education Center, New York State’s longest-standing environmental education center located in Sherburne, NY.

As an Upstate Institute Summer Field School Fellow, Solomon Kirby ’29 had the opportunity to work with the non-profit organization John Brown Lives whose work is dedicated to celebrating the legacy of John Brown and breathing new life into his message of radical justice through action.

This summer Miriam Garnaas ’28 worked with Champlain Area Trails (CATs), a non-profit organization based in Westport, NY, in the Champlain Valley region of the Adirondacks helping to maintain the approximately 100 miles of trails under CAT’s management.