Senior Ryan Rotigliano is graduating from Keene State College this semester, and he has earned high praise from professors and peers alike for his work around campus, involving clubs, WKNH and his senior capstone project.
Rotigliano is the general manager of the student-run radio station WKNH, the treasurer of Eco-Reps, a student club on campus serving as a resource, voice and leader for sustainability on campus and an intern for the sustainability office on campus.
“I would say I’m across the spectrum when it comes to both stuff that relates to my academic life … and stuff for fun in terms of WKNH,” Rotigliano said. “I like to get involved, if you couldn’t tell, I like to keep busy. It makes me who I am.”
He continued to say that he attended a nontraditional high school where he chose an area of study similar to a major. He first worked in plant studies because landscaping was his career choice at the time. After learning more about climate change, he switched to an environmental major in high school.
“It’s [climate change] something I’ve been learning about and realizing it’s a real problem for a while,” he said. “I think climate change is the biggest problem we have yet to solve. I don’t want to do anything else but make a difference.”
Last semester, Rotigliano completed his capstone project with his classmates regarding forest diversity and forests’ responses to logging.
“We were like, ‘It’s very understudied in this area, let’s go for it’ … The goal was to just understand what’s around us more,” said Rotigliano. “Logging for timber is a huge industry. A lot of our land has been cut or damaged in the past, so we looked at parcels of land that were cut within 10-20 years.”
Rotigliano said that they also surveyed the Louis Cabot Preserve, which Keene State owns.
“We were able to go out there and see what trees were growing out there and how fast they were growing,” he said. “Our goal was to understand what was happening around us more … it’s inherently tied to Keene State.”
Rotigliano also had high praise for the Environmental Studies, Geography, and Sustainability Department, saying that if anyone is contemplating taking environmental studies as a major or minor, he highly recommends it.
“All of the faculty is really nice and supportive,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot and been able to engage beyond class by doing the major. “If you’re interested, I’d definitely consider it … If you need advice on that, I’m happy to be there.”
Karen Seaver, a professor in sustainability studies, said she has known Rotigliano since the summer of 2023. He was an intern for Seaver at the Harris Center for Conservation Education before taking any of her classes.
“[Rotigliano] really shined that summer, he’s really an outdoors, comfortable person, he’s a really great navigator in the woods,” Seaver said. “We hire a team of four Keene State students to work as a crew … [Rotigliano] was such a valuable asset because he is a really fast learner, and he’s really passionate about trees and forests, especially. I can always trust him, that he was going to absorb the trainings he was being given.”
Seaver added that people look up to Rotigliano, including her. She pointed to the connections he has made to people across campus and the growth and confidence she has seen him gain over the past two years.
“I’m sad to see him graduate … There is something extra special about [Rotigliano], his investment in me as a teacher over the years that always helps me bring my best to the day,” Seaver said.
“I think he is a really good leader,” junior Lena Goins, Eco-Reps Vice President and Rotigliano’s girlfriend of two-and-a-half years, said. “He’s very kind… he’s very inclusive, and I think that a lot of people gravitate towards him. He takes everybody’s thoughts and ideas into account … he’s a good, calm leader.”
Goins continued, saying that Rotigliano is great in a group and would keep up his end of a group project, and he shows that in his leadership.
“It’s so great to see how he’s grown as a person … he’s just had so much character development,” she said. “That’s definitely made him a better person, it will benefit future careers for him.”
Dominic Rubio can be contacted at
drubio@kscequinox.com
