Forest resources faculty receive honors
Mississippi State University College of Forest Resources faculty receiving awards include, from left to right, David Evans, forestry professor, Sharp Professorship; Stephen Dicke, forestry Extension professor, Extension/Outreach Award; James Martin, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture assistant professor, Early Career Achievement Award; Emily Schultz, forestry professor, Teaching Award; Ian Munn, forestry professor and interim associate dean, Service Award; and Philip Steele, forest products professor, Research Award. PHOTO: Karen Brasher | College of Forest Resources
Mississippi State University faculty in the College of Forest Resources and Forest and Wildlife Research Center were recently recognized for exceptional teaching, service and research accomplishments. They were honored during ceremonies at the college’s annual advisory banquet recently.
Professorship
Forestry professor David Evans was named Sharp Professor of Forestry. The professorship honors an individual who has exemplified leadership in teaching, research and service. It is funded through the Tishomingo County Sharp Forest, a 1,600-acre tract of timber given to Mississippi State in the 1970s. Evans is noted for his teaching and research in remote-sensing applications. He is advisor of the MSU Chapter of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing and teaches courses in spatial technologies and tree identification.
Extension/Outreach
Forestry Extension professor Stephen Dicke received the Extension/Outreach Award. Dicke is stationed at the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Raymond and specializes in urban forestry and timber taxation. He is a certified arborist and assists landowners with a wide range of urban forestry topics including construction impact and casualty loss. Dicke has a passion for working with youth in natural resources training and has worked with 4-H, the National FFA Organization and Boy Scouts of America.
Early Career
James Martin is the recipient of the Early Career Achievement Award. An assistant professor in wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture, Martin works in the agriculture/natural resources field. He has garnered nearly $2 million in extramural grants during his first two years of employment. His projects examine land use around airports, northern bobwhite recovery on prairies, grassland prairie restoration in agricultural landscapes, and using native grassland systems for livestock foraging.
Teaching
Forestry professor Emily Schultz received the Teaching Award. Schultz teaches a computer applications course that serves as a foundation for many courses in the curriculum. She is often praised by students for incorporating new applications and technologies into the course. She serves on the university’s committee on courses and curriculum and has recently led the effort to establish a new major within the department. She also serves on the Educational Policy Review Committee of the Society of American Foresters, the accrediting body for the undergraduate program in forestry.
Service
Ian Munn was recognized with the annual Service Award. Munn is a forestry professor and currently serves as interim associate dean of the college. Munn is noted for his service to the community, university and professional organizations. He serves as councilman for the Society of American Foresters, representing the states of Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. He was named a fellow by the Society of American Foresters in 2008 and served as editor of the Southern Journal of Applied Forestry for nine years. Munn is actively involved in the Kiwanis Club of Starkville and also serves on numerous committees at the university, college and departmental level.
Research
Forest products professor Philip Steele received the Research Award. Steele’s research focuses on the conversion of woody biomass into renewable energy. He manages more than $3 million in extramural research funding and holds four patents. Steele has received numerous awards for his research productivity. He received the 2012 MSU Innovator of the Year award and was named the Warren S. Thompson Professor of Wood Science and Technology in 2010.
Karen Brasher | College of Forest Resources
