Randolph-Macon College student Jack Lambert ’19 is passionate about the environment. The environmental studies major and biology minor knew that an internship would give him valuable experience, so he contacted Biology and Environmental Studies Professor Chas. Gowan, his advisor. Thanks to the efforts of Gowan and the Town of Ashland, Lambert spent January Term (J-term) getting hands-on experience in an internship guided by Town Engineer Ingrid Stenbjorn.

Lambert’s days were busy: He performed Best Management Practices (BMP) inspections (making sure the Town’s stormwater control measures are in working order) and helped with taking water samples from Mechumps Creek to evaluate whether there is an E. coli contamination problem. He also worked with civil engineers on surveying, using a laser level to determine elevations to solve a drainage problem.

Lambert also worked with Tom Dickerson, civil engineer for the Town of Ashland, to develop a sidewalk form that gathers data used to assess issues that could affect Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. And he assisted in measuring the slope of sidewalks and noted other possible obstructions.

Honing Skills
Lambert worked on the Town’s Geographic Information System (GIS) by adding data regarding the history of development in the Town, and he helped keep the Town compliant with its environmental permits and ADA requirements.

“We always enjoy having RMC interns,” says Stenbjorn. “Jack worked to help update our GIS with information on development over the years in Ashland. Well-honed GIS skills are useful in any field, particularly environmental studies. While he brushed up on his skills, we advanced an important data management project for the Town.” Lambert also assisted with surveying, water sampling, and stormwater pollution prevention inspections.

“We have worked with many intelligent, hardworking J-term interns over the years, and it is always refreshing to work with an intern who also has as good an attitude as Jack does,” says Stenbjorn.

Lambert also worked with Clancy Addington, project manager and GIS analyst for the Town of Ashland, on an ongoing Public Works project.

Addington says, “One of my college professors put it brilliantly when he said, ‘there can be a geography of anything.’ That’s why I wanted Jack to help out with some of our GIS work. Even if the material wasn’t exactly what he was used to working with, it showed him a multitude of different ways to process GIS data. In today’s world, whether you are an engineer or a fish biologist or anything in between, there is a useful purpose for GIS.”

Ongoing Partnership
Lambert and Gowan also collaborated with the Town of Ashland as they surveyed Mechumps Creek, which throughout the years has been damaged from increased stormwater runoff due to urban development. An ongoing partnership between the Town of Ashland, RMC and a consulting firm with expertise in stream restoration has since 2010 worked toward fixing Mechumps Creek. Lambert used a laser level to measure the extent of erosion on the banks of the creek.

“The Town stores information on GIS software to keep it in a central, accessible location,” says Lambert. “Each parcel of land in the Town is displayed there, and I attached files so that Town employees can click on a parcel and see associated files in their server.”

Mentorship + Future Plans
Stormwater management, GIS analysis, and stream survey work are fundamental aspects in most environmental consulting work, which means that Lambert’s internship dovetails perfectly with his plan to pursue an M.S. in natural resources management.

“Professor Gowan has been so supportive in the classroom and in helping me gain valuable experience in fieldwork and lab work,” says Lambert. “He has also worked with me to network with organizations and individuals in my field. These experiences, plus my internship, will help prepare me for graduate school and beyond.”

“I knew from the beginning that Jack was a special student,” says Gowan. “He was a leader and a workhorse in our introductory course, EVST105, when the class tackled a very difficult project: estimating the effects of an innovative method to reduce pollution in Chesapeake Bay. The method was being proposed by the Hampton Roads Sanitation District and evaluated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Jack was instrumental in making sure both organizations got the information they needed to understand the likely environmental risks and benefits of the project. I’m not surprised that he was able, during his internship, to help the Town of Ashland analyze their stormwater issues.”

A Yellow Jacket Legacy
Lambert is a recipient of RMC’s Legacy Grant, which is awarded to students whose family members attended the college. Lambert’s grandfather (Robert Lambert Sr. ’60), father (Robert Lambert Jr. ’86) and aunt (Mary Kay Lambert ’84) are all Yellow Jackets.

“They encouraged me to look in to and apply to RMC,” says Lambert, whose father used to bring him to Homecoming and Hampden-Sydney games when he attended reunion weekends. “Hearing stories from my family about their experiences at RMC is a cool insight into the history of the college and how the academic and social life of the school has evolved. I know they are proud that I elected to carry on the family YJ legacy, and my younger brother Landon is now looking at the school as well. Hopefully the Lamberts will send another generation to Randolph-Macon!”