Shelby Andre, an upcoming
West Virginia University
Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources graduate, is ready to
take the next step in her mission of leaving the environment better than she
found it.
Andre has always been passionate about keeping the environment around her clean. Growing up in a self-proclaimed “mountains family,” a love for nature was instilled in her from a young age.
“My parents would always tell me that it’s important to leave a place better than you found it. They’d say, ‘leave only footprints, take only pictures,’ and I really took that to heart,” Andre said. “I’ve been passionate about sustainability for a lot longer than I realized. Once I got to WVU and started learning more about nature, I realized that looking back, I’ve had a very long history of wanting to take care of the environment and have a positive impact.”
Andre, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, is a senior environmental, soil and water science major with a minor in horticulture. She was originally on the fence about attending WVU, but once she arrived, it immediately felt like home.
Part of her positive experience came because she involved herself in as much as possible. In her time at WVU, Andre was on the WVU rowing team, volunteered with the Appalachian Advocacy Network, became an athletics tutor, worked at the WVU Soil Testing Lab, and participated in the research apprenticeship program.
While she was kept busy with all her extracurricular activities on top of her major and minor coursework, the experiences and hands-on opportunities made it worth it. The interactive learning experiences available in the Davis College were an integral part of her college experience.
“One of my favorite memories is an honors class I took with Dr. Amy Welsh, where we went out into the national forest to plant trees as part of a reestablishment project. It was really cool to not only be able to go out in the field, get your hands dirty and be very physical with the rehabilitation, but also to do something that I knew was going to make a positive impact,” Andre said.
Andre also got to work with Eugenia M. Pena-Yewtukhiw, associate professor of soil science, on a research project, even getting the opportunity to present it at the CANVAS Soil Science Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she placed third in the Undergraduate Research Oral Presentation Competition.
Her research was centered on saturated hydraulic conductivity, which looks at the way water moves through soil. Andre worked both in the lab and in the field at the WVU Organic Farm to collect data to look at how soil reacts in flood situations and how hydraulic conductivity can be an indicator of overall soil health.
She cites this kind of hands-on learning incorporated into her program as one of the reasons she feels ready for the next step.
After graduation, Andre will move to New York City to pursue her master’s degree in Sustainability Sciences at Columbia University. Continuing her education has always been a goal, and she’s excited to continue learning about sustainability and become a well-rounded professional in the field. She hopes to work in environmental consulting, helping companies focus on being environmentally conscious in their production practices.
“I’m excited for the next step in my journey, and I think my time here has definitely prepared me in a lot of different ways. Soil and water are two things that we will always need, and we need to make sure we're using them in the most responsible way, and a lot of my courses here have revolved around that,” Andre said. “I feel like I have a really good base to understand how to work in ways where we can be the most sustainable and the most environmentally friendly.”
Andre’s one piece of advice for other college students is to take the classes you’re afraid of. She encourages others not to be intimidated by something that sounds out of their depth at first, because it is really just a new challenge and learning opportunity.
“Don’t be afraid of the hard classes! There are going to be classes that seem scary that you will be nervous about, but it’s important to take them anyway,” Andre said. “I’ve taken some classes that sounded really daunting, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do it. Just remember, the professors are there to help you and you’re going to learn the most in those classes.”
The Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources envisions a West Virginia with healthy food, resilient natural resources, and thriving communities. To learn more about the Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, visit davis.wvu.edu. Keep up with the latest updates and news from the Davis College @WVUDavis on Facebook and Instagram.
-WVU-
Sk/12/18/25
CONTACT: Sydney Keener
Communications Specialist
WVU Division for Land-Grant Engagement
304-293-8986; Sydney.keener@mail.wvu.edu