Professor Jay Sullivan, who has been a member of our faculty for nearly three decades, has been selected as head of the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. He was selected from among several top-notch candidates and has the knowledge, skill, and ability to lead the department forward. There has never been a more important time for forestry and the effective and sustainable management and utilization of forest resources on a global scale. We are also selecting a new department head for geography and will fill several additional faculty positions important to our teaching, research, and outreach.

We are nearing historic enrollment levels in the college; undergraduate enrollment will exceed 800 during the spring semester. Applications for fall 2016 were at record levels and will yield a larger, more diverse, and academically accomplished freshman class. Our enrollment goals for the next six years are aspirational and aggressive, and we are examining all aspects of our ability to support a growing enrollment without compromising the quality we are noted for. Growth is important, quality even more so. Our new degree programs in packaging systems and design, meteorology, and water: resources, policy, and management are all in high demand and growing rapidly, while all of the college’s degree programs are experiencing demand.

We successfully completed our inaugural cohort of the Sustainability Institute in January (to be highlighted in the spring issue). This 10-day intensive training program gives us a platform to bring students from diverse majors across campus into comprehensive study and conversation about all aspects of sustainability. We plan to convene a cohort during the summer; future planning will include a study abroad experience. Everything we do in the college contributes to a sustainable future, provision of sustainable natural resources, and health and quality of life.

In mid-January we held our first CNRE Briefing Day, a compilation of 20 faculty presentations in 10-minute format. It was an informative and fun day learning from each other as we examine ways to leverage our expertise and build collaborations. And we have begun planning for a conference this fall on the theme “Women in Natural Resources: Leading, Mentoring, and Connecting.” Look for more information in the coming months.

Finally, in partnership with the School of Architecture, the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, and the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management, we are proud to announce the Mitchell O. Carr Symposium, titled “Creative Use of Wood in Design,” to be held on campus March 18-21, 2016. It will feature a three-day student competition and a full-day symposium, which will offer continuing education credits for professionals. This event is made possible through the support of the Carr Family Foundation and family patriarch Mitch Carr, who founded Augusta Lumber and is a noted hardwood lumberman. We are excited about the symposium and hope it can become an annual event.

The summer will bring renovations to several rooms, orientation for new students, and arrival of new faculty. While we execute today, we are always looking ahead. Let’s get to it. Thank you for your support and interest in the college.

Warm regards on behalf of our faculty, staff, and students,

 

 

Paul

 

 

Paul M. Winistorfer
Dean

 

 

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