Dr. Mary Watzin Named Dean of NC State’s College of Natural Resources

Posted on July 3, 2012 by

Dr. Mary Catherine Watzin, dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, has been named dean of the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University, effective Oct. 15. Provost Warwick Arden announced the appointment today.

“I’m very pleased that Dr. Watzin will be joining us to lead the College of Natural Resources,” Arden says. “She has demonstrated significant administrative leadership skills and experience, and brings a broad perspective on natural resources and the environment that will serve this highly regarded college extremely well moving forward.”

An expert in marine sciences, aquatic ecology and management, Watzin has served as dean of the Rubenstein School since 2009 and as professor since 2005. Before becoming dean, she founded and directed the University of Vermont’s lakefront ecosystem science laboratory, which also oversees the university’s research vessel and collaborates closely with an adjacent science center and aquarium.

“I am deeply honored by the opportunity to lead NC State’s nationally prominent College of Natural Resources,” she said. “The college and the university have a bold vision for the future and I am inspired by the transformational change that is under way across the campus. Solutions to the challenges of today’s world will come through new collaborations and the kinds of interdisciplinary teaching, research and global engagement that NC State is pursuing. I am very excited to join this effort.”

Watzin has received numerous awards for her work, including the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Award, the Ibakari-Kasumigaura Prize from the International Lake Environment Committee in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Partner of the Year Award in 2006.

Watzin has collaborated with a wide range of partners to explore topics ranging from toxicology to aquatic food web dynamics, harmful algae blooms, hydrodyanamics and stream habitat conditions, nonpoint source pollution, and the effectiveness of environmental management approaches and policies. She has won more than $8.7 million in grants to support her efforts. She has also worked continuously to bring science into the policy arena, especially around water quality issues.

From 1992 to 2009, Watzin served as chair of the technical advisory committee to the Lake Champlain Steering Committee while also serving on the steering committee itself. She oversaw all technical aspects of the Lake Champlain Basin Program, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior along with the state of Vermont, state of New York and the province of Québec. About $70 million has been invested in the program.

A prolific scholar and noted speaker, Watzin has authored or co-authored more than 60 refereed journal articles and book chapters and more than 45 refereed technical reports and other publications. For the last decade she has presented local talks on research and environmental topics of interest to her community.

She is a member of numerous scientific societies, including the Ecological Society of America, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Watzin received her bachelor’s degree in marine science from the University of South Carolina in 1978 and her Ph.D. in marine sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1984. After receiving her Ph.D., she worked as an ecologist for the National Wetlands Research Center, part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in Slidell, La.

– gardiner mccullough –

Media Contact: Tracey Peake, News Services, 919/515-6142 or tracey_peake@ncsu.edu

(Photos – Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources, University of Vermont)

LaPan Awarded 2012 ASTA Holland America Line Graduate Research Scholarship

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Tourism Cares, the tourism industry’s premier charitable organization for preservation, conservation, restoration, and education, has awarded Chantell LaPan, a doctoral student in the NC State Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, the 2012 ASTA Holland America Line Graduate Research Scholarship from Tourism Cares.

The $4,000 award is a portion of $78,000 in academic scholarships awarded to 58 travel, tourism, and hospitality students attending colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada.

LaPan will use the scholarship to investigate tourism entrepreneurship in the Coastal region of Ghana, West Africa, including the process by which tourism entrepreneurs decide to go into business and factors that contribute to successful tourism enterprises. Ghana is a highly entrepreneurial society, with an interest in expanding their tourism industry. This study could have impacts for both tourism professionals and development workers in the region, as it will concentrate on the intersection of poverty, entrepreneurship, and tourism.

In addition to the monetary awards, the academic scholarship recipients are also invited to attend the Tourism Cares Experience the Industry Student Program at the annual NTA Convention, January 20 – 24, 2013 in Orlando, Florida. The program gives students the opportunity to shadow professional mentors and participate in tourism industry workshops.

The scholarships are funded jointly by Tourism Cares and by members of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN), and NTA and are awarded annually to students pursuing undergraduate or graduate travel, tourism, or hospitality degrees at accredited colleges and universities.

More information on scholarship recipients and their educational institutions

About Tourism Cares
Tourism Cares is an innovative nonprofit organization formed in 2005 through a consolidation of the National Tourism Foundation and the Travelers Conservation Foundation. The organization works to preserve the travel experience for future generations through a three pronged approach. We award grants to natural, cultural, and historic sites throughout the world. In addition, we host unique volunteer restoration projects designed specifically for travel professionals. Recognized as the most innovative “give-back” program in the industry, Tourism Cares volunteer project and Volunteer Day draw thousands of corporate leaders and individuals together to share in the conservation and preservation of treasured cultural and historic sites. We also help assure a knowledgeable tourism workforce by granting academic and service-focused scholarships to hospitality and tourism students.

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For More Information, Contact:
Tilla Fearn, Communication Director, (919) 513-4644 or tilla_fearn@ncsu.edu

Fellowship To Support Park and Recreation Professionals Pursuing Advanced Degrees

Posted on May 23, 2012 by

The NC State Natural Resources Foundation is pleased to announce the founding of the Susie Deazley Walston and Mac Walston Fellowship. The fellowship will support current professionals who wish to seek an advanced degree in the area of parks and recreation from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management(PRTM) at NC State University. The fellowship is the result of a generous gift by Susie and Mac Walston of Virginia Beach.

Susie Deazley Walston is a 1973 NC State graduate in Recreation Park Administration. Early in her career she saw the need for an advanced degree and earned a master’s degree at George Washington University in Public Administration. Susie retired in 2011 with 38 years of public service at the municipal level in such capacities as Parks and Recreation Director, Organizational Development Director and Deputy City Manager for Virginia Beach, Virginia. Though, not directly involved with Parks and Recreation in the later stages of her career, Susie remained active in the Virginia Recreation and Parks Society and continues to support NC State’s PRTM department who honored her with the PRTM Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2003.

Mac Walston started college at East Carolina University but dropped out to join the U. S. Marine Corps. He received a Presidential Unit Citation (Vietnam), Navy Achievement Medal with Combat “V” and Purple Heart for his service. He founded and was Head Coach of the Tidewater Aquatic Club (US Swimming Association). His 25-year parks and recreation career was in Newport News, Virginia where he served as Golf Course Manager; Marina, Beaches & Pools Manager; and Recreation District Supervisor.

Susie and Mac met while working in Newport News and have been married for over 38 years. They believe parks and recreation is vital to a community’s quality of life.

About Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management at NC State
PRTM specializes in preparing planning and management professionals for the fields of parks, recreation, tourism, golf and recreational sports. One of three departments in the College of Natural Resources, PRTM teaches skills that are applicable across a wide range of environments and prepare our graduates to be the leaders in the next generation of park, recreation, tourism and sport professionals.

PRTM is a national leader in research and extension activities in the areas of Livable Communities and Healthy Living, Sustainable Tourism and Economic Development, and the Human Dimensions of Built and Natural Environments. The faculty, staff, and students are dedicated to finding real solutions to real problems and transferring that knowledge to help communities and people thrive.

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For more information, contact:
Tilla Fearn, Communication Director, (919) 513-4644

Endowment Provides Forestry Summer Camp Scholarship at NC State

Posted on May 23, 2012 by

The NC State Natural Resources Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of a new scholarship which will provide recipient(s) with scholarship funds to offset expenses incurred by attending the 9 week Forestry Summer Camp required of all forest management majors in the NC State Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources.

On August 29, 1986, John M. Sherrill made a commitment to support forestry and the study of forestry at NC State University by naming the NC State Natural Resources Foundation, Inc. (formerly NC Forestry Foundation, INC) as irrevocable beneficiary of two life insurance policies. Prior to his death in 2011, Jack designated his funds to help students attending summer camp and established the John M. “Jack” Sherrill Summer Camp Scholarship in Forestry.

Mr. Sherrill was a longtime supporter and advocate for forestry and forestry education in North Carolina. Having attended summer camp himself, Mr. Sherrill understood the hardships both financially and physically demanded by the rigorous 9 week program. However, he also understood the importance of this unique experience on the future of forestry and in the life of a professional forester.

The John M. “Jack” Sherrill Summer Camp Scholarship in Forestry will help NC State recruit and retain bright students who will enter the world of forestry and make a positive impact on future of our natural resources.

About the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources
NC State’s Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources (FER) is one of the oldest and largest schools of its kind in America. One of 3 departments in the College of Natural Resources, FER is committed to promoting the science, policy and practice of modern forestry, as well as, state-of-the-art environmental resource management.

Distinguished by a long history of innovation, an exceptional faculty, outstanding learning facilities, a commitment to research and extension plus an ability to educate students in all sectors of forestry and environmental science, FER is proud to have graduated many of today’s most prominent forestry and environmental policy makers, researchers, scientists, executives, field experts and academic leaders.

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For more information, contact:
Tilla Fearn, Communication Director, (919) 513-4644

Dr. Kays and Smithsonian WILD Win Outreach Achievement Award

Posted on April 18, 2012 by

Smithsonian WILD, an outreach project stemming from a collaboration between the Smithsonian and NC State researcher/Nature Research Center Biodiversity Lab director Roland Kays has just won a 2012 Outreach Achievement Award from the Smithsonian.

This Temminck's Tragopan was photographed in China utilizing motion-activated camera-traps.

The Smithsonian WILD site makes over 200,000 camera trap photos collected by researchers around the world available to the public in a fun interactive way.

The website had 565,826 visits since launching last year, and with a 36% returning visitor rate, which is quite high. Visitors are from 189 countries, from Vatican City and Burkina Faso to Russia.

The photos are also all available through Flickr, which has registered another 187,048 visitors over the last year. The team now has an NSF grant to make the site interactive by adding new photos collected by other researchers as well as citizen scientists as part of the eMammal project.

Dr. Roland Kays

Dr. Kays is recently joined the NC State College of Natural Resources‘ forestry & environmental resources faculty and is excited about having students working with him in his lab at the exciting new Nature Research Center in downtown Raleigh, NC. The NRC’s grand opening is scheduled for April 20-21, 2012.

More about NC State/Nature Research Center Partnership>>>
More about Smithsonian WILD>>>
More about the Nature Research Center>>>