Gift Will Create Stephen H. Conger, Sr. Professorship in Forestry

Posted on June 4, 2013 by

The College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University is honored to announce that Stephen H. Conger, Jr., Forestry ’78, has named the NC State Natural Resources Foundation, Inc. in his estate plans. When funded, the Stephen H. Conger, Sr. Professorship in Forestry will honor his father and extend the Conger family legacy in forestry.

Steve Conger and Mary Watzin with Conger Professorship Plaque

Dean Mary Watzin (R) presents the Conger Professorate plaque to donor Steve Conger ’78 .

Stephen Halsey Conger Sr. was a native of Augusta, Ga. and earned his forestry degree from the University of Georgia in 1949. His long career in the forestry industry began in 1949 with Coastal Lumber Company in Lake City, SC and retired as Vice-Chairman in Weldon, NC. Mr. Conger was a leader in the hardwood lumber industry and active in leadership roles for many related associations. Mr. Conger believed in service and did by actively engaging in his civic community, his church, and political affairs.

Support for this professorship will be directed to the person holding the Stephen H. Conger, Sr. Professorship in Forestry and will be appointed by the Dean of the NC State College of Natural Resources in accordance with the established procedures for granting endowed professional awards.

About the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources

The Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources (FER) is part of the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University. It was founded in 1929 as the NC State’s School of Forest Resources and is one of the oldest and largest departments of its kind in the nation. Since its beginning, the department has grown steadily in scope and global reach to reflect evolving industry needs and environmental concerns.

Distinguished by a long history of innovation, an exceptional faculty, outstanding learning facilities, a commitment to research, a diverse extension and outreach program, and the ability to educate students in all sectors related to forestry and environmental resources, FER’s integrated approach to teaching, research and extension allows students to work side-by-side with academic and industry professionals on real-life challenges.

FER has graduated many prominent forestry and environmental policy makers, researchers, scientists, executives, practitioners, and academic leaders. Students have opportunities for many study abroad programs, internships, and research experiences. Over 4070 alumni live in all 50 US states and in 24 countries.

NC State Golf Management Program One of Five in the Carolinas

Posted on June 3, 2013 by

Professional Golf Management programs prominent in the Carolinas
Excerpt from worldgolf.com / Robb Wade featured

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Today, Michael Cooper, PGA, is the general manager at Harbour Pointe Golf Club in New Bern, N.C. But not too long ago he was just a young high school graduate trying to plan a career path in the golf industry. Cooper eventually entered one of America’s 20 Professional Golf Management University Programs (also known as PGM schools), which are designed to help provide entrée into the realm of real-world golf in the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA). It is a high-motivation, high-reward, plenty-of-opportunities-for-long-term success kind of career path.

The PGM is a true educational program – one designed to prepare college students for a variety of employment opportunities in the golf industry. The program is a four-and-a-half to five-year curriculum for aspiring PGA Professionals looking to combine their golf education with their overall one.

Each year, five sanctioned universities throughout the Carolinas PGA Section – Clemson, N.C. State, Campbell, Coastal Carolina and Methodist – provide participants with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for success in the golf industry through extensive classroom studies and internship experience.

North Carolina State University’s PGM program in Raleigh, N.C., is designed to teach its students how to combine the best practices for managing the business of golf with the best stewardship of natural resources.

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New Endowment Honors Forestry Advocate, Bob Slocum

Posted on May 20, 2013 by

The College of Natural Resources is pleased to announce that the Bob Slocum Forestry Communication Scholarship Endowment has been established in honor of the late Bob Slocum.

The Slocum Family with Dean Mary Watzin at Slocum endowment signing ceremony

Slocum Endowment Signing (pictured L to R) Sons- Wes and Matt, Wife- Linda, Dean Mary Watzin, Son- Ryan and brother- David

The late Robert “Bob” W. Slocum

Robert “Bob” W. Slocum Jr. was a great family man, communicator, forestry advocate and alumnus of NC State University. Slocum graduated in 1973 from North Carolina State University with a Forest Management degree. He started his career as a field forester for the state of Virginia and later served as vice president for forestry policy and research of the American Forest Council in Washington, DC.

For 24 years, he served as the Executive Vice President of the North Carolina Forestry Association, where he personally directed the association’s legislative efforts at both the state and federal level.

Slocum served on the board of the NC State Natural Resource Foundation for several years and was an adjunct professor for NC State’s College of Natural Resources.

He enjoyed playing golf and racquetball, hunting and fishing, but more than anything, he enjoyed spending time with his family.

Slocum died in October 2012 and to continue his legacy of communicator, advocate and coach, his family established this scholarship to encourage foresters to practice effective communication for the benefit of sustainable management of forestlands.

The scholarship is funded by contributions made in his honor by family, friends, co-workers, industry leaders and land owners.

Merit-based awards will be made from this endowment to undergraduate students enrolled the College of Natural Resources at NC State. Awards will be for one academic year and may be renewed based on specific criteria being met. The student must be enrolled in the area of forest management/natural resource management and have an interest in promoting sustainable forest management through various, evolving avenues of communications.

Two named to Board of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Posted on May 17, 2013 by

Two North Carolina State University faculty members have been named to the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources (BANR), a major program unit of the National Research Council.

Dr. Stephen Kelley, professor and head of the Department of Forest Biomaterials in the College of Natural Resources and Dr. Fred Gould, William Neal Reynolds Professor of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, were named to the board.

The board is responsible for organizing and overseeing studies on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, wildlife and the use of land, water, and other natural resources. The National Research Council is a private, nonprofit institution that provides expert advice.

Known collectively as the National Academies, the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and Institute of Medicine provide information designed to address the most pressing challenges facing the nation and world, help shape sound policies, inform public opinion and advance the pursuit of science, engineering and medicine.

Gould and Kelley join the board as Dr. Julia Kornegay, professor of Horticultural Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, leaves it.

Dr. Steve Kelley

About Dr. Steve Kelley

Kelley’s research interests include the sustainable production of energy and materials from biomass and the application of novel analytical tools to biomass. He teaches classes in Wood Chemistry, Wood Adhesives and Composites, and Sustainable Building Materials.In addition to his research and teaching, he has helped develop international partnerships for his department.

Prior to joining NCSU, he spent 13 years at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) working on biomass conversion technologies. At NREL his responsibilities included technical leadership and innovation in the areas of biomass characterization, production of value-added biobased products and thermal conversion processes, and project management.

Prior to joining NREL, Kelley worked in industry (Eastman Chemical Co. and Bend Research Inc.) for seven years developing new cellulose-based materials and membrane processes.

Dr. Fred Gould

About Dr. Fred Gould

Gould, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, studies the ecology and genetics of insect pests to improve food production and human and environmental health. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, among others, for his work.

Gould has been honored with both N.C. State’s Holladay Medal, the highest honor presented for faculty achievement, and the O. Max Gardner Award, the most significant university wide honor given to faculty by the UNC Board of Governors.

Gould has served on National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council committees to study the environmental effects of the commercialization of genetically modified plants and develop recommendations on genetically modified pest-protected crops. He has also served on Environmental Protection Agency panels on genetically modified crops.

More About BANR

A variety of problems and causes drive work on issues in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, wildlife, and the use of land, water, and other natural resources . Often conflicts arise between growing demands for food and resources and the impacts of developing and producing those resources on the natural ecosystem. The need to sustain, restore and improve the productivity of agriculture for the economic well-being of the nation can also generate vital questions.

BANF maintains a critical overview of the several fields under its purview so that it is aware of relevant work relating to public policy formulation, research frontiers, technological developments, human resource needs, economic and social trends. The Board is also responsible for planning new studies, conducting oversight on projects carried out by its subsidiary committees, and making an annual appraisal of emerging issues related to food, fiber, fuel and the natural resource base supporting their production.

“Wild” 4-Hers Compete in 2013 NC WHEP Contest

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

2013 State 4-H WHEP Contest

On Saturday, April 24, forty-four 4-Hers descended upon Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center in Johnston County for the 2013 State WHEP Contest. Nine counties put forth two Senior Division teams and seven Junior Division teams. In addition, 12 individuals and nine Cloverbuds participated in the contest. The contest consisted of wildlife identification and general wildlife knowledge, wildlife foods, aerial photo interpretation, and on-site wildlife habitat recommendations.

Alamance County WHEP Team
Front Row L-R: Nicholas Weidemann (JR Division), Emma Bailey.
Back Row L-R: Zachary Weidemann, Courtney Eckmann, Nathan Troxler.

The top scoring Senior Division team from Alamance County will have the opportunity to represent North Carolina at the National 4-H WHEP Invitational this July in Indianapolis, Indiana. Members of the Alamance County team are Emma Bailey, Courtney Eckmann, Nathan Troxler, and Zachary Weidemann.

Christy Bailey, Kim Eckmann, and Barbara Weidemann are coaches for the team. “We came hoping to win this year and already mapped out a route to the national contest. Of course we are going!” Courtney Eckmann stated. Henderson County placed first in the Junior Division, with Alleghany and Wilson Counties placing second and third. Tatum Epperson, from the Henderson County Junior Team, received the state contest high score. Teams traveled from across the state to participate in the state contest at Howell Woods. The counties represented included Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Catawba, Henderson, Jones, Lee, Wayne and Wilson.

About WHEP
WHEP (Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program) is a 4-H program teaching youth about wildlife and the management of their habitats. WHEP is sponsored nationally by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and International Paper.

Extension Forestry, within NC State University’s College of Natural Resources, supports and promotes the WHEP program in North Carolina.

For Further Information Contact:
Renee Strnad
Extension Forestry
North Carolina State University
919-515-5518 renee_strnad@ncsu.edu