University Catalog 2025-2026

Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources

Undergraduate programs in forestry and environmental resources incorporate the many topics needed to make decisions about how society will interact with natural resources, including the aquatic, atmospheric, and terrestrial ecosystems upon which human lives depend. Faculty and students in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources study all of these resources and their interactions. As they plan for and assess impacts to natural resources, they integrate STEM and social science areas of study in multiple ways.

All of our students graduate with a wealth of real-world experiences and a deep understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of solving complex challenges. Graduates go on to have successful careers as forest managers, environmental educators, land conservation specialists, sustainability consultants, wildlife biologists, environmental health and safety officers, restoration ecologists, and many more.

Five programs allow undergraduate students to focus study on the kinds of problems they want to solve:

  • Environmental Science
  • Environmental Technology and Management
  • Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology
  • Forest Management (Production and Ecology concentrations)
  • Natural Resources (Ecosystem Assessment and Policy/Administration concentrations)

Department Highlights

  • Hands-on and field-based coursework throughout programs of study 
  • Strong emphasis on professional development, internships, and experiential learning
  • Generous scholarship support for students with proven academic credentials
  • Broad range of research opportunities within and outside the academy
  • Personal advising attention focused on students’ career opportunities
     

For more information about our department and majors, visit our website.

Contact

Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources
Box 8008
North Carolina State University,
Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8008

Faculty

Department Head

  • Erin Sills

Professors

  • Robert Bardon, Associate Dean for Extension
  • Gary Blank
  • Caren Cooper
  • Frederick Cubbage
  • Jason Delborne
  • Christopher DePerno, FWCB Coordinator
  • Gary Hodge
  • Fikret Isik
  • John King
  • Bailian Li
  • Ross Meentemeyer, Director, Center for Geospatial Analytics
  • Christopher Moorman
  • Stacy Nelson, Associate Dean for College Culture and Community
  • Elizabeth Nichols
  • Nils Peterson
  • Joseph Roise
  • Robert Scheller, Associate Dean for Research
  • Ge Sun, USDA Professor
  • Mirela Tulbure
  • R. Whetten

Research Professor

  • Roland Kays, Director, Biodiversity & Earth Observation Lab, Nature Research Center, NC Museum of Natural Sciences

Teaching Professor

  • Lara Pacifici

Associate Professors

  • Juan Acosta Jaramillo
  • Marcelo Ardon
  • Justin Baker
  • Rachel Cook
  • Ayse Ercumen
  • Jodi Forrester
  • Josh Gray
  • Robert Jetton
  • Madhusudan Katti
  • Zakiya Leggett
  • Ivana Mali
  • Katie Martin
  • Krishna Pacifici
  • Rajan Parajuli
  • Jennifer Richmond-Bryant
  • Jack Wang

Teaching Associate Professor

  • Steph Jeffries

Assistant Professors

  • Jeffrey Doser
  • Ritwick Ghosh
  • Meredith Martin
  • Kelly Oten
  • Kurt Smith
  • Trevor Walker
  • Justin Whitehill

Assistant Research Professor

  • Maricar Aguilos
  • Daniel Barletta Sulis Sr.
  • Liz Kierepka, Senior Scientist, Biodiversity & Earth Observation Lab, Nature Research Center, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
  • Simone Lim-Hing
  • Karun Pandit

Teaching Assistant Professors

  • Angela Allen
  • Megan Lupek
  • A Nicole Mihnovets
  • Tamara Pandolfo

Lecturers

  • Stephen Graham
  • Eli Typhina

Adjunct Faculty

  • Karen Abt, Professor
  • John Coulston, Associate Professor
  • William Cumbie, Assistant Professor
  • Douglas Duncan, Lecturer
  • Gregory Frey, Assistant Professor
  • Dario Grattapaglia
  • Cathryn Greenberg, Professor
  • Tara Keyser, Associate Professor
  • Frank Koch, Associate Professor
  • Kathleen McGinley, Assistant Professor
  • Bob Mickler, Lecturer
  • Kevin Potter, Professor
  • Jeffrey Prestemon, Professor
  • Robert Purnell, Professor
  • Kurt Ritters, Professor
  • Rafael Rubilar, Associate Professor
  • Toddi Steelman, Professor
  • Linda Taylor
  • James Vose, Professor
  • David Wear, Professor

Emeritus Faculty

  • Robert Abt, Professor
  • H. Lee Allen, C.A. Schenck Distinguished Professor
  • Richard Braham, Professor
  • Robert Brown, Professor
  • Vincent Chiang, Jordan Family Distinguished Professor
  • A. W Cooper, Professor
  • Phillip Doerr, Professor
  • William Dvorak, Professor
  • John Frampton, Professor
  • E. Franklin, Professor
  • Douglas Frederick, Professor
  • Barry Goldfarb, Professor
  • James Gregory, Professor
  • Awatif Hassan, Professor
  • Dennis Hazel, Professor
  • George Hess, Professor
  • L. Hinesley, Professor
  • Larry Jervis, Associate Professor
  • Jackson Jett, Professor
  • R.C. Kellison
  • Robert Kellison, Professor
  • Jan Laarman, Professor
  • Richard Lancia, Professor
  • Steve McKeand, Professor
  • Larry Nielsen, Professor
  • Ron Sederoff, Professor
  • Theodore Shear
  • Sarah Warren, Professor
  • Mary Watzin, Professor

Plans