Cindy Fitzwilliams Heck

Biography

Cindy Fitzwilliams Heck, As an Ferris State University faculty member since 2001, Fitzwilliams-Heck has lectured in Nature Study, Environmental Biology, Ecology, and Biological Concepts classes, and she has taught General Biology labs. Her interests are in Aquatic Ecology, and Wildlife and Water Resource Management. She was the co-coordinator of the Ferris Rain Garden Project, a partnership with the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA) and funded by the Ferris Foundation, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, and Consumers Energy Foundation. This project was part of Fitzwilliams-Heck’s efforts to have students involved with a service-learning project. Every semester she has her students participate in a stewardship project within the watershed, such as stream clean-ups, tree planting or invasive-species removal. Fitzwilliams-Heck serves on the MRWA Education and Muskegon River Voyage of Discovery Committees. She facilitates many MRWA workshops, and trains or supervises volunteers. MRWA programs include the Volunteer Stream Monitoring Workshop: Using Macroinvertebrates as Water Quality Indicators, Aquatic Academy for Teachers, Natural Shorescaping: A Workshop for Landscapers and Waterfront Homeowners, and Water Fairs for Public Schools in the Muskegon River Watershed. She is also the advisor for the Ferris Outdoor Club, a registered student organization. The club partakes in a variety of outdoor recreational pursuits, volunteers with local stewardship projects, and organizes environmental- or nature-related events or guest speakers on campus.

Research Interest

Her interests are in Aquatic Ecology, and Wildlife and Water Resource Management.