DVIDS – News – Coming Full Circle: Buffalo District Biologist Sam Knapp Builds a Career Rooted in Restoration

There are moments when life and work come full circle. For Sam Knapp, a biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, that moment has already arrived early in her career.

Sam, a native of Suffield, Ohio, and graduate of the University of Akron, has been connected to the Buffalo District since 2021—first through interagency work as an intern, and now as a full-time biologist with the Regulatory team in the Stow, Ohio, field office.

Her passion lies in stream and wetland restoration, a field that demands equal parts technical skill and willingness to get hands-on. Sam is ready for the unseen, often muddy work required to restore waterways and support the species that depend on them.

Q&A With Sam Knapp

Where are you from?
I grew up in Suffield, Ohio, just east of Akron. I currently live in West Akron with my boyfriend and our two dogs.

Where and what did you study in college?
I earned my bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Akron, where I took courses in biology and geology, including botany, restoration ecology, geomorphology, and hydrology.

What do you do in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy running, playing with my dogs, and snorkeling in rivers around—mostly—Ohio.

How did you learn about the position with USACE?
For both positions I’ve held with the Corps of Engineers, I learned about the openings from Corps of Engineers’ staff and applied online through USAJobs.

What are your future goals?
My future goals include building a balance of technical and regulatory experience, strengthening my skills as a biologist, and expanding my applied knowledge of Ohio flora and fauna identification.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
My favorite part of my job is going out in the field—often joined by my amazing coworkers—to meet with consultants and applicants, walk project sites, and verify aquatic resource boundaries.

How have you partnered with the Buffalo District in previous roles?
My first interaction with the Corps of Engineers was in 2021, during my second year as a biological science technician with the National Park Service in Cuyahoga Valley. Through an interagency partnership, I worked with Buffalo District biologists on a pilot survivorship study of the fatmucket mussel in the Cuyahoga River, followed by a larger study in 2022.

I also worked with Chicago District biologists on fish tissue sampling associated with U.S. Geological Survey fish surveys for the Gorge Dam Removal Project.

At the end of 2022, I joined the Buffalo District as a Regulatory biologist in the Oak Harbor, Ohio, field office. I later worked as an aquatic biologist for a consulting firm in Stow, NY before returning to the Buffalo District in November 2024 as a Regulatory biologist.

Throughout these experiences, I’ve been consistently impressed with the professionalism and technical expertise of USACE staff.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on with the district?
My favorite project has been continuing the mussel reintroduction effort in the Cuyahoga River. I enjoy opportunities to work across practice areas and collaborate with people I wouldn’t typically work with. In my regulatory role, I’m especially drawn to projects involving stream and wetland restoration.

The Buffalo District delivers world-class engineering solutions to the Great Lakes Region, the Army and the Nation to ensure national security, environmental sustainability, water resource management, and emergency assistance during peace and war.

For 250 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been at the forefront of the nation’s engineering excellence, responding when called. From constructing fortifications during the Revolutionary War, to building the infrastructure that saw America’s strength grow militarily and economically, USACE’s mission has always been to deliver engineering solutions for our nation’s toughest challenges.**Learn more athttp://www.usace.army.mil/Home/250th.

This article was written with assistance from artificial intelligence.