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Kearfott Recommendation

Jayson Fetterley
Jayson Fetterley

Jayson Fetterley participated in a challenging 4-week international trip to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota led by the author. Jayson excelled at building relationships with the local community through volunteering at the radio station and helping his host family. He also demonstrated leadership among the student group during difficult living conditions. Prior to the trip, Jayson had also impressed the author through significant contributions to research projects in their laboratory, co-authoring multiple papers. The author believes Jayson has strong qualities like intelligence, problem-solving skills, and strength of character that would serve him well as a doctoral student.

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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERiNG NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND RADIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 1906 COOLEY BUILDING 2355 BONISTEEL BOULEVARD ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 45190-2101 734 763-4260 FAX 734 763-1540 http: www.engin.umich.edu nudear To whom it may concern (1 of 3 pages) February 10, 2010 It is my deep honor to be able to write this letter of recommendation for Mr. Jayson Fetterley. I have known Jayson since Fall 2008, when I first interviewed him for participation in the University of Michigan Global Intercultural Experiences for Undergraduates (GIEU) program. This program involves two semesters of preparations culminating in a 3-4 week international trip to perform work or research while immersed in a different culture. I was the solely responsible Faculty Fellow for a trip to the Tetuwan Oyate (Sioux or Lakota) Territory, with home stays for students on the Pine Ridge Reservation (South Dakota). I conceived of the trip as a joke: commenting to the GIEU program director that I thought there were parts of the continental US that have active sovereignty disputes with U. S. government, and where, in fact, the culture is differs from our dominant culture more than the culture of other foreign countries. This eventually lead to my journey, accompanied by 12 undergraduates aging from 18 to 22 years old, for 4 weeks to what is undoubtedly the poorest, most isolating location in the continental US. This was the most difficult thing that I have ever done, including defending a doctoral dissertation at M. I. T. in the mid-i 970s (first woman in my field to do so, and in the presence of substantial hostility). We were hosted by a leader of the traditional Treaty Council, which is distinct from the elected reservation government and recognized by many tribal members as the true, legitimate government of the people. She, the first woman leader in hundreds of years, is also spokesperson to the United Nations for the tribe. Our work was focussed on concerns about the environment, specifically past, present, and future uranium mining activities (I am a nuclear engineering professor in the #1 ranked nuclear engineering department in the US). I could not have survived the trip without Jayson, the only male who travelled with us. He was one of two student leaders who mediated the uninterrupted trainwreck of issues. Jayson was in a group of four who camped in two very small tents for 3 weeks, because the accommodations that were promised to the group did not materialize. They were literally surrounded by poisonous snakes, coyotes, and wildcats, not to mention gnats and mosquitoes and uncomfortable weather (from hot to cold). One of the four students living in the tents, who had never been camping, was terrified. Jayson held that group together repeatedly. A severe thunderstorm completely destroyed one of the tents at the end of the third week, and the group moved into a tin shack that became available that had no electricity or running water, except for the holes in the roof when it rained. The single-room shack was not much bigger than the tents, and much smaller than a travel trailer. 111/ i/
Throughout the challenges of the living situation, Jayson got up each day and walked a to Radio Kili. There, he did whatever was needed from sweeping the floors to answering the telephones. By building his relationship there, he ended up having his own radio program, did interviews of great interest to the tribe, and went on location to at least once (the opening of a new school). Radio Kill, where he worked, is unusual in that it represents true community radio, and is a true life-line on the reservation, where homes are spread quite far apart. Jayson also befriended his host family, which lived in cramped quarters on the land where his group camped. He did a lot of hard work on the land when he was not at the radio station, including working with the horses, painting, and cleaning up the property. Did I mention that Jayson is a great cook, serving as a chef for parties of more than 20 people on two occasions? The host family thought so highly of Jayson that they presented him with a blanket, a deep honor, the day of his departure. He was considered family, and the patriarch of the family stated that he would always consider Jayson his son. It is hard to explain to those unfamiliar with the situation and culture, but for outsiders to establish trust in such a short time period in the Tetuwan Qyate Territory is truly remarkable. This usually takes several years of living with the people, and even then such acceptance is not guaranteed. Jayson stood out as a leader at other times during the trip. Several of our team, including Jayson, were honored to be able to witness a treaty meeting between the Tetuwan people and representatives of a Canadian tribe. He immediately grasp the international importance of the meeting: we had very interesting conversations afterwards about it. He further contributed to the discussion without being impolite in terms of the prevalent culture, which he had quickly figured out. In addition, in a couple of field trips aimed at making environmental radiation measurements, recorded by a PBS-funded movie crew, Jayson was articulate and held his own in explaining the environmental situations and issues. None of this surprised me in the slightest, since Jayson had already volunteered in my laboratory during the 2008-2009 academic year. I had offered the GIEU students the option of going with me to the annual Health Physics Society (concerned with technical aspects of radiation safety) the week before the GIEU experience. The conditions I imposed were that the students had to contribute in some significant way to the projects, write up the abstracts themselves (with my serious editting assistance), and present their work at the conference. This had been offered primarily because a number of the students in the group were science and engineering majors, and this would give them more experience of a different type, and directly relevant to our mission in the Tetuwan Territory. I was a bit surprised by Jaysons interest, but he ended up having a statistics background that contributed significantly to several projects. His contributions were equivalent to those of seniors in my department with several years of research experience, which is, to say the least, impressive. At the conference, Jayson was co-author on four abstracts and ended up presenting not one, but two talks. This turned out to be quite fortuitous, because his second, less 2/3
technical talk, ended up being tougher than anticipated. One of the students who spoke about uranium issues was severely and inappropriately attacked by a mining company official who was in the audience. In fact, I was later approached by an apologetic conference organizer about possibly sanctioning the individual who was hostile. The behavior was surprising given that the talk was basically about a computation that showed that the radiological impacts of a particular type of uranium mining accident would be small. It was Jaysons talk, not yet given, that was actually controversial, since it dealt with the position of the Tetuwan Oyate on uranium mining: opposed, contrary to the majority of individuals in the audience. I was personally worried that I had set up a student for a disaster. But Jayson, who agreed to both prepare and give the talk at the last minute because the other student author was unable to travel to the conference, met the challenge. He stuck to planned talk, and handled all the questions without becoming emotional while remaining focussed on the message. He also did not start opinionating (inappropriate in the context), but stuck to the points of the work itself, which were designed to help the run-of-the-mill radiation safety professional understand a little more about communication issues and the nature of concern about radiation when working with the public. A former Assistant Secretary of Energy (one of my personal mentors) congratulated Jayson whole-heartedly after the session. I was proud, but unsure what I had done to merit having Jayson associated with me! The technical work that Jayson did was such that he is being included as co-author on a full-length paper being considered for publication by a peer-reviewed journal. It is important to note that scientific papers often have numerous authors, but that these are very selectively chosen based upon intellectual substance of their contributions. Several other papers will be coming out from my laboratory acknowledging his contributions. This is amazing considering he never took a single course or credit relating to this research, so it does not show up on his transcripts. He has followed through with the work, despite having no immediate incentives to do so, during the revision process, which has been much appreciated. I do not know exactly what the qualities are that you are looking for. What I do know is that I would not mind having Jayson as a doctoral student. Jayson has the drive, he has the persistence, he has the creativity, he is a teacher who knows how to listen, he has unusual intelligence, he learns quickly, he can express himself very well, he has demonstrated a lot of creative problem solving thinking, and, well, he is just plain good to have around. He has a strength of character and gentle calmness that I have never seen in such ample supply in any student, in 29 years of being an engineering faculty member. Perhaps my anecdotes about him will help you appreciate Jayson Fetterley. Jayson stands up for justice, and now knows about things that I care about, so I guess it is, in part, motivated by selfishness that I encourage you to open whatever doors that you can for him. He will make a difference in the world. There is no doubt in my mind. Respectfully our 4 Professor Kim Kearfott, ScD, CHP

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Kearfott Recommendation

  • 1. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERiNG NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND RADIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 1906 COOLEY BUILDING 2355 BONISTEEL BOULEVARD ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 45190-2101 734 763-4260 FAX 734 763-1540 http: www.engin.umich.edu nudear To whom it may concern (1 of 3 pages) February 10, 2010 It is my deep honor to be able to write this letter of recommendation for Mr. Jayson Fetterley. I have known Jayson since Fall 2008, when I first interviewed him for participation in the University of Michigan Global Intercultural Experiences for Undergraduates (GIEU) program. This program involves two semesters of preparations culminating in a 3-4 week international trip to perform work or research while immersed in a different culture. I was the solely responsible Faculty Fellow for a trip to the Tetuwan Oyate (Sioux or Lakota) Territory, with home stays for students on the Pine Ridge Reservation (South Dakota). I conceived of the trip as a joke: commenting to the GIEU program director that I thought there were parts of the continental US that have active sovereignty disputes with U. S. government, and where, in fact, the culture is differs from our dominant culture more than the culture of other foreign countries. This eventually lead to my journey, accompanied by 12 undergraduates aging from 18 to 22 years old, for 4 weeks to what is undoubtedly the poorest, most isolating location in the continental US. This was the most difficult thing that I have ever done, including defending a doctoral dissertation at M. I. T. in the mid-i 970s (first woman in my field to do so, and in the presence of substantial hostility). We were hosted by a leader of the traditional Treaty Council, which is distinct from the elected reservation government and recognized by many tribal members as the true, legitimate government of the people. She, the first woman leader in hundreds of years, is also spokesperson to the United Nations for the tribe. Our work was focussed on concerns about the environment, specifically past, present, and future uranium mining activities (I am a nuclear engineering professor in the #1 ranked nuclear engineering department in the US). I could not have survived the trip without Jayson, the only male who travelled with us. He was one of two student leaders who mediated the uninterrupted trainwreck of issues. Jayson was in a group of four who camped in two very small tents for 3 weeks, because the accommodations that were promised to the group did not materialize. They were literally surrounded by poisonous snakes, coyotes, and wildcats, not to mention gnats and mosquitoes and uncomfortable weather (from hot to cold). One of the four students living in the tents, who had never been camping, was terrified. Jayson held that group together repeatedly. A severe thunderstorm completely destroyed one of the tents at the end of the third week, and the group moved into a tin shack that became available that had no electricity or running water, except for the holes in the roof when it rained. The single-room shack was not much bigger than the tents, and much smaller than a travel trailer. 111/ i/
  • 2. Throughout the challenges of the living situation, Jayson got up each day and walked a to Radio Kili. There, he did whatever was needed from sweeping the floors to answering the telephones. By building his relationship there, he ended up having his own radio program, did interviews of great interest to the tribe, and went on location to at least once (the opening of a new school). Radio Kill, where he worked, is unusual in that it represents true community radio, and is a true life-line on the reservation, where homes are spread quite far apart. Jayson also befriended his host family, which lived in cramped quarters on the land where his group camped. He did a lot of hard work on the land when he was not at the radio station, including working with the horses, painting, and cleaning up the property. Did I mention that Jayson is a great cook, serving as a chef for parties of more than 20 people on two occasions? The host family thought so highly of Jayson that they presented him with a blanket, a deep honor, the day of his departure. He was considered family, and the patriarch of the family stated that he would always consider Jayson his son. It is hard to explain to those unfamiliar with the situation and culture, but for outsiders to establish trust in such a short time period in the Tetuwan Qyate Territory is truly remarkable. This usually takes several years of living with the people, and even then such acceptance is not guaranteed. Jayson stood out as a leader at other times during the trip. Several of our team, including Jayson, were honored to be able to witness a treaty meeting between the Tetuwan people and representatives of a Canadian tribe. He immediately grasp the international importance of the meeting: we had very interesting conversations afterwards about it. He further contributed to the discussion without being impolite in terms of the prevalent culture, which he had quickly figured out. In addition, in a couple of field trips aimed at making environmental radiation measurements, recorded by a PBS-funded movie crew, Jayson was articulate and held his own in explaining the environmental situations and issues. None of this surprised me in the slightest, since Jayson had already volunteered in my laboratory during the 2008-2009 academic year. I had offered the GIEU students the option of going with me to the annual Health Physics Society (concerned with technical aspects of radiation safety) the week before the GIEU experience. The conditions I imposed were that the students had to contribute in some significant way to the projects, write up the abstracts themselves (with my serious editting assistance), and present their work at the conference. This had been offered primarily because a number of the students in the group were science and engineering majors, and this would give them more experience of a different type, and directly relevant to our mission in the Tetuwan Territory. I was a bit surprised by Jaysons interest, but he ended up having a statistics background that contributed significantly to several projects. His contributions were equivalent to those of seniors in my department with several years of research experience, which is, to say the least, impressive. At the conference, Jayson was co-author on four abstracts and ended up presenting not one, but two talks. This turned out to be quite fortuitous, because his second, less 2/3
  • 3. technical talk, ended up being tougher than anticipated. One of the students who spoke about uranium issues was severely and inappropriately attacked by a mining company official who was in the audience. In fact, I was later approached by an apologetic conference organizer about possibly sanctioning the individual who was hostile. The behavior was surprising given that the talk was basically about a computation that showed that the radiological impacts of a particular type of uranium mining accident would be small. It was Jaysons talk, not yet given, that was actually controversial, since it dealt with the position of the Tetuwan Oyate on uranium mining: opposed, contrary to the majority of individuals in the audience. I was personally worried that I had set up a student for a disaster. But Jayson, who agreed to both prepare and give the talk at the last minute because the other student author was unable to travel to the conference, met the challenge. He stuck to planned talk, and handled all the questions without becoming emotional while remaining focussed on the message. He also did not start opinionating (inappropriate in the context), but stuck to the points of the work itself, which were designed to help the run-of-the-mill radiation safety professional understand a little more about communication issues and the nature of concern about radiation when working with the public. A former Assistant Secretary of Energy (one of my personal mentors) congratulated Jayson whole-heartedly after the session. I was proud, but unsure what I had done to merit having Jayson associated with me! The technical work that Jayson did was such that he is being included as co-author on a full-length paper being considered for publication by a peer-reviewed journal. It is important to note that scientific papers often have numerous authors, but that these are very selectively chosen based upon intellectual substance of their contributions. Several other papers will be coming out from my laboratory acknowledging his contributions. This is amazing considering he never took a single course or credit relating to this research, so it does not show up on his transcripts. He has followed through with the work, despite having no immediate incentives to do so, during the revision process, which has been much appreciated. I do not know exactly what the qualities are that you are looking for. What I do know is that I would not mind having Jayson as a doctoral student. Jayson has the drive, he has the persistence, he has the creativity, he is a teacher who knows how to listen, he has unusual intelligence, he learns quickly, he can express himself very well, he has demonstrated a lot of creative problem solving thinking, and, well, he is just plain good to have around. He has a strength of character and gentle calmness that I have never seen in such ample supply in any student, in 29 years of being an engineering faculty member. Perhaps my anecdotes about him will help you appreciate Jayson Fetterley. Jayson stands up for justice, and now knows about things that I care about, so I guess it is, in part, motivated by selfishness that I encourage you to open whatever doors that you can for him. He will make a difference in the world. There is no doubt in my mind. Respectfully our 4 Professor Kim Kearfott, ScD, CHP