This article is an excerpt from the Winter 2026 Talcott Continuum newsletter. Download the full newsletter.
Linda C. Ivany, PhD, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse University, credits her early experiences at Talcott Mountain Science Center (TMSC) with shaping her career and her love of discovery.
Linda began attending TMSC in the mid-1970s as a fifth-grader in the Saturday program with Rob Amrein. From sixth grade through eighth grade, she joined small-group geology field trips across New York State. She even went on multi-week adventures to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, guided by Rob Amrein, John Pellino, Maggie Wilkinson, and other TMSC mentors.
“The field trips were incredibly formative,” she recalls. “They showed me such a diversity of geology, parts of the country I’d not seen before, and taught interpersonal skills that came from being with the same group 24 hours a day for a week or two, often in challenging conditions.”
Her connection to Talcott deepened in high school when she became a teaching assistant in the summer programs. There, she helped younger students explore geology, meteorology, astronomy, plant ecology, and pond ecology.
“Being a teaching assistant was a great way to build confidence, gain experience, and ‘practice’ for what I would ultimately end up doing as a professor,” she says. “It was really fun and inspiring to see kids get excited about things they’d never seen before.”
Today, Linda brings her passion for hands-on, discovery-based science to the Talcott Mountain Research Institute (TMRI) STEM Advisory Board. In this role, she helps guide TMRI’s initiatives and supports the advancement of STEM education.
“I’m a big fan of discovery-based science in the natural world,” she says. “Learning about some of the new initiatives brought me back around, and I’m looking forward to seeing how things develop [at TMRI].”
As a Syracuse University faculty member, Linda balances research, teaching, and service, reflecting the mix of curiosity, rigor, and mentorship she first experienced at Talcott decades ago. Her story is a testament to the lasting impact of early STEM experiences and the ways Talcott continues to inspire the next generation of scientists and educators.