University of Lynchburg
A University of Lynchburg graduate and former Westover Honors Fellow has been granted an award from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to study water management in Greece.
Wrenn Cleary ’20, who has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Lynchburg, is currently finishing a master’s degree in water science, policy, and management at the University of Oxford, in England.
Her Fulbright research, conducted in collaboration with the University of Ioannina in Greece, starts this summer and ends in May 2025.
“I will be collecting and analyzing water quality data throughout the Aoos River basin, located in the northwest region of Epirus, Greece,” she said. “The Aoos River has been called one of the last wild rivers of Europe, as it is largely undammed along its main course.
“The river is mostly protected [where] it starts in a national park and all throughout Albania until it reaches the sea. However, one segment with a main tributary river is unprotected and there are currently higher rates of pollution, as well as plans to build over 40 small hydropower plants.
“These activities threaten one of the most biodiverse regions in Greece, which hosts nearly all the country’s endangered and threatened mammals and a few species of aquatic organisms found only in this river.”
She added that her goal is to “give quantifiable data” to local nongovernmental organizations to “bolster their efforts in increasing protection status for the entire Aoos River.”
Cleary said the project reminds her of work she did last year with AmeriCorps, a U.S. government agency that, as described on its website, “provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and improve lives and communities.”
With AmeriCorps, Cleary oversaw a project that monitored the Yuba River in northern California. She finds similarities between the Aoos and Yuba.
“There are parallels in these two rivers, as both have an amazing amount of surrounding biodiversity and both have a community wanting to protect their local environment and resources,” she said.
“For the Yuba River, avenues for the community to get involved are plenty. The river is already established as ‘Wild and Scenic’ [and] protected by Congress, and the monitoring program I worked on had been running for decades.
“For the Aoos River, the community is ready to act and help elevate the protection status, but there are opportunities and [a] need for research to help solidify policy changes and protect the wildlife, as well as the community’s ability to enjoy and use the river.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity, through Fulbright, to help contribute to this community and bring in the skills and knowledge I gained through AmeriCorps.”
Cleary credits Dr. Tom Shahady, professor of environmental science and director of Lynchburg’s Center for Water Quality, for teaching her the “basics of water.” She also worked with Shahady, collecting water quality data at nearby Leesville Lake.
“This experience set me on the water path, as I learned about the chemical components of water. On a bigger scale, I learned how water could be used to trace back sources of pollution and keep companies and governments alike accountable for their actions,” she said.
“I enjoyed how water quality was dynamic and like a puzzle always needing to be solved. The opportunity to do a thesis as a student in the Westover Honors College solidified my interest in water, as I completed research of the College Lake dam.”
All of this real-world experience, she added, enabled her to “keep building to the next opportunity, from my time with AmeriCorps in California to studying for my master’s degree from Oxford.”
Last summer, Cleary contacted Lynchburg faculty members and Fulbright Program advisors Dr. Cindi Spaulding and Dr. Beth Savage for assistance with the Fulbright application process.
“Though she graduated a few years ago and has applied ‘at large’ for a Fulbright in the past, when Wrenn learned Beth and I are now serving as designated Fulbright Program advisors she reached out last summer,” Spaulding said.
Cleary completed Lynchburg’s Fulbright application process and was evaluated by the University’s Fulbright Council, which was joined by Dr. David Perault, a professor of environmental science and biology at Lynchburg.
“Our committee provided an enthusiastic institutional endorsement and Wrenn was also supported and given a glowing reference by [professor of environmental sciences and sustainability] Dr. Brooke Haiar,” Spaulding said.
Past support from the Lynchburg community is what prompted Cleary to reach out for help. “Dr. Beth Savage had always given me words of encouragement and is one of the main reasons I decided to apply for the Fulbright award again after previously being unsuccessful,” she said.
“I would also credit my friends at Lynchburg for having an impactful role, as we were always supportive of one another and celebrating each other’s successes.”
Spaulding added that Cleary is the University’s “second successful applicant to apply to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program through our recently implemented institutional application process.”
The first successful applicant, former Westover Honors Fellow and history major Rick Smallshaw ’23, is currently teaching English in Germany.
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