ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan Biological Station hired four U-M students who recently took courses at the research and teaching campus in northern Michigan to serve as Student Ambassadors during the 2024-25 academic year.
UMBS selected Ethan Devereaux, Isabel Gil, Carma Johnson and Anya Renzi to represent the field station at community events, connect with prospective students and collaborate with leaders at the Biological Station.
“UMBS alumni are in a unique position to offer invaluable feedback on station operations, course offerings, and ways to connect with prospective students,” said Candice Everett, academic programs manager at UMBS. “We’re proud that Ethan, Isabel, Carma and Anya are excited to share their experiences at the field station with other students and assist leadership with planning for the future.”
Carma Johnson, a senior from Sturgis, Mich., is double majoring in Spanish and the Program in the Environment (PitE), specializing in agroecology. This summer she took two courses at UMBS: Agroecology and Forest Ecosystems. During summer 2023, she took General Ecology Lecture and Lab.
"The time I spent at the University of Michigan Biological Station was truly transformative,” Johnson said. “I formed lifelong friendships and also established meaningful connections with the professors I had there. I stepped outside of my comfort zone, and, in return, I gained invaluable knowledge and experiences I couldn’t have found elsewhere. Now, as an official ambassador, I’m excited to share the incredible opportunities the Biostation has to offer and encourage other students to take a leap into the unknown, just as I did. It’s an experience that’s worth every moment, and I’m eager to inspire others to begin their own journey."
Anya Renzi is a junior at U-M majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology.
In the spring term this year at the University of Michigan Biological Station, Renzi took General Ecology Lecture and Lab.
“I love the outdoors, any body of water, and learning more about the natural world around me, which made the Biological Station the perfect place for me to spend my summer,” Renzi said.
“When I'm not talking about the UMBS, I'm likely crafting in some form or another, reading mystery novels, or petting my two cats. I'm passionate about the ocean and sustainability and hope to go on to grad school for marine biology.”
Isabel Gil is a senior at U-M double majoring in English and PitE, with a specialization in environmental writing and communication. Her minor is sustainability.
The 21-year-old Michigan-native from Ada, just outside of Grand Rapids, served as the science communications intern at UMBS this summer.
In summer 2023 she took General Ecology Lecture and Lab at UMBS.
Read this Q&A to meet Gil and learn why she thinks “heaven is a hammock on the edge of Douglas Lake.”
Ethan Devereaux is a senior at U-M majoring in PitE. He took General Ecology Lecture and Lab at UMBS this spring.
The Student Ambassadors will be available to answer questions about living and learning at the field station at an Information Session on Main Campus in Ann Arbor from 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Dana Building Room 1046.
A virtual Information Session also is available. Registration is required in advance for the Information Session on Zoom at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The historic field station is about a three-and-a-half-hour drive north from Ann Arbor. Cabins, classrooms and laboratories are nestled along Douglas Lake.
Applications for 2025 courses and scholarships will be open by December 2024.
The spring 2025 term is from May 20 through June 19. The summer 2025 term is from July 1 through July 31.
Learn about available courses, review the schedule structure and sign up to be notified when the course application is live on the UMBS course website.
The priority deadline for course applications and scholarships is March 15, 2025.
Visit the Student Life at the Station web page to help navigate common questions about housing, dining, laundry and more.
To support UMBS students and science, make a donation to the Biological Station Discretionary Fund on the Michigan Giving website.
Founded in 1909, the U-M Biological Station is one of the nation’s largest and longest continuously operating field research stations.
Laboratories, classrooms and cabins are tucked into more than 11,000 acres along Douglas Lake to support long-term science research and education.
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