Hampton University senior and Birmingham native Crystal Smitherman has been selected to participate in a four-week course in Brazil on the campus of the Iracambi Rainforest Research Center and on the Rio Pomba campus of the Federal Technical Institute of Southeastern Minas Gerais. The course in the Atlantic Rainforest begins on January 5.
Smitherman, who is majoring in biological science, is one of six Hampton University students tapped to participate in the prestigious all-expense-paid program that offers opportunities for U.S. and Brazilian students to live and study together in a practical internship in the fields of biodiversity conservation, agro-ecology and sustainable environmental management.
The Atlantic Rainforest is one of the world’s top five biodiversity hotspots. It lies between the states of Rio Grande de Norte and Rio Grande do Sul, stretching from the coast to the inland mountains.
Located on the banks of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay, Hampton University for 140 years has set the standard or excellence and provided students with an education for life.
Smitherman is a graduate of Ramsay High School. She is the daughter of Senator Rodger and Judge Carole Smitherman. She is enrolled in the Freddye T. Davy Honors College at Hampton and is a member of the Women’s Golf Team. In addition to her participation in the Honor’s College and the golf team, Smitherman is in the Greer Dawson Wilson Student Leadership Program and a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma honor society and the Golden Key International Honor Society. She has been on the Dean’s List and maintained her academic and athletic scholarships throughout her collegiate career.
