The ETSU Edge

He plants shrubs and flowers, ensuring the vegetation gets the appropriate amount of water and sunlight. He cultivates newly planted trees, pruning and assessing the health of the saplings. He helps craft plans for a range of extreme weather events, including droughts and floods. 

East Tennessee State University’s Travis Watson is the campus arborist. He’s also a graduate student working toward a certificate in geospatial analysis.    

“Community projects are huge for me, and I get a lot of personal enjoyment from that,” said Watson, who recently graduated with a master’s degree in biology. “My graduate training at ETSU gave me some incredible opportunities to get real-world training.”    

A project he’s especially proud of: The creation of a website that integrates a wave of helpful information, including a natural history, about Bristol’s Steele Creek Park.    

We were able to develop a real product for a real customer, Watson added.    

Students getting hands-on learning opportunities is at the core of ETSU’s approach to education. Across a range of college majors, the goal is to help students shift seamlessly from enrollment to employment.    

“Steele Creek is just one example of the many stakeholders we work with around Johnson City and the region,” said Dr. Andrew Joyner, an associate professor in the Geosciences Department who taught the class where the Steele Creek project began. “This is a wonderful opportunity all around. Stakeholders get to work directly with our students and see their skills. Our students get valuable experience and critical connections with potential employers.”    

For more information, visit etsu.edu/edge. To read the first story in the ETSU Edge series, visit here.