Our Fall Forest Scene rounds out the Department of Forest Resources’ 2023 year. By this point, students have finished their final exams and are looking forward to returning to their families, getting a little rest, and traveling.
Many students started the Fall semester with the FNRM 2104 session at Cloquet Forestry Center, where they practiced tree felling (read "Field Session Snapshots"). The experience was so inspiring that members of our student Forestry Club decided to join with students from other Midwest forestry programs to organize a Foresters Conclave this spring. This marks an exciting return of timber sports to the University of Minnesota following the COVID-19 pandemic! (Stay tuned for more info!)
In this issue of Forest Scene, we celebrate the 32 years of service Colleen O’Connor gave to all of us as our Academic Program Coordinator (read "Staff Retirement: Colleen O'Connor"). Her welcoming smile and wealth of knowledge about 'how things work' at the University of Minnesota made our jobs easier and supported the success and wellbeing of countless students. THANK YOU, COLLEEN!
Plus, we introduce you to our new faculty members, Dr. Alicia Coleman and Dr. Irene De Pellegrin Llorente (read "New Faculty"). Dr. Coleman is focused on starting new teaching and research projects for urban and community forestry; Dr. De Pellegrin researches and teaches about forest management and the bioeconomy. We are fortunate to have them with us, working with students, colleagues, and forest communities.
The SAF National Convention is always a highlight of the year as it is a wonderful opportunity to gather with our students, faculty, staff, former colleagues, and alumni. This issue, we share moments from our time at the 2023 Society of American Foresters (SAF) Convention in Sacramento, California, for which our own Associate Professor Dr. Marcella Windmuller-Campione was the Programs Chair (read "Highlights from the 2023 SAF National Convention"). Thanks to everyone for your hard work, great presentations, and posters at the event!
Finally, our student and researcher snapshots feature Kira Pollack tracking eastern hemlock across the state (read "Graduate Research: Boosting Eastern Hemlock") and Ryan Murphy’s collaboration with others to revitalize Minnesota’s elm populations (read "Survivor Elms Key to Revitalizing Minnesota's Elm Population").
Thank you all for the support you provide for current and future students.
The Forest Scene newsletter is published biannually in the spring and fall, featuring stories and updates from the Department of Forest Resources. Readers can download issue 30 of Forest Scene as an interactive PDF that is fully tagged and compatible with most screen readers, or read the individual stories here in a web-based format:
- New Faculty: Alicia Coleman and Irene De Pellegrin Llorente
- Donor Alum Recognition: Dr. Narinder Dhir
- Highlights from the 2023 SAF National Convention
- Staff Retirement: Colleen O'Connor
- Graduate Research: Boosting Eastern Hemlock
- New Research: Survivor Elms Key to Revitalizing Minnesota's Elm Population
- New Resource: Creating Climate-Ready Woodlands
- Field Session Snapshots