USDA national needs graduate fellowship

Full Fellowships for Master of Forest Resources (MFR) Degrees

The Warnell School (www.forestry.uga.edu) prepares leaders in the conservation and sustainable management of forests and other natural resources; to discover ways to restore and better use the earth’s natural resources; and to put into practice forestry and natural resources knowledge into practice.

Master of Forest Resources (MFR) is a terminal degree for students with a strong desire to gain specialized expertise and advanced training in Forest Resources. The non-thesis graduate degree combines forestry knowledge with other disciplines to prepare individuals for a host of leadership career options in forestry. For more information regarding this degree see: www.forestry.uga.edu/grad/degrees.php

USDA National Needs Fellows:

Dana is a native of South Carolina. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English at Claflin University located in Orangeburg, SC. Although she studied English, she has always expressed a passion for the forest. During her undergraduate career, Dana spent a great amount of time outdoors and even interned with the Clemson Cooperative Extension in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Dana currently attends the University of Georgia as a graduate student in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. She is working on a Master of Forest Resources degree; and plans to use the knowledge, skills, and techniques that she obtains at this institution, along with other experience related opportunities to pursue a career in Timber management. As a hobby, Dana portrays the seen and unseen characteristics of the forest through poetry and short stories.

Danielle recently obtained a Bachelors of Science in Forest Resources from UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources in wildlife sciences, and is currently working on a Master of Forest Resources degree within the School. Through extracurricular activities during her undergraduate career, she discovered a passion for trees, and decided to redirect her career path towards the forestry field. Her current career goals are to become a forest planner, based on a recent internship with Weyerhaeuser and her educational background. Confident in her direction, she feels she has an ability to recognize small scale objectives while understanding the large-scale plan, and she is interested in incorporating different perspectives and components in efforts to solve problems. Her goal is to be able to incorporate all of the different aspects and objectives, such as social, wildlife and forestry, in efforts to recognize the best plan of action for a company or a landowner.

USDA Forest Service Fellow:

Krisha recently obtained a Bachelors of Science in Natural Resources Conservation & Management with a concentration in Forest Resources at Western Carolina University.  She is also an alumnus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.  As an undergraduate at ABAC she was vice-president of the Forestry & Wildlife Club.  At WCU, she saw the need for a student group in the NRCM department and started a Forestry & Wildlife Club that was honored at the WCU Celebrate Excellence Awards as Best New Student Organization.  Krisha has enjoyed attending many conferences where she has shared her love for the outdoors and networked with other in the same field.  Krisha has worked for the USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine unit, USGS Water Science Center, and has worked on GIS projects at a non-profit and at WCU.  She has been very active in the community by volunteering with The Nature Conservancy, Georgia DNR, North Carolina WRC, and Habitat for Humanity over the years.  Krisha has integrated her work, volunteer, and leadership experiences to provide a unique perspective in the natural resources field.  Krisha focuses on GIS and other precision forestry systems for her thesis as a candidate for a Master of Science.  Her goals are to use this experiential learning opportunity to acquire valuable technical and organizational experience, and learn from and network with geospatial experts at the U.S. Forest Service.

MFR Fellowships are designed to develop competent and capable managers and researchers who can pipeline into successful careers in the field of forest-based bioenergy. Fellows will enhance their core competencies in forest management decision sciences, oral and written communication skills, and their ability to become effective in a global and technology-driven world economy. Through this program Fellows will be immersed in interdisciplinary teaching and outreach efforts and acquire experiential training through participating in summer internships with private (e.g., Weyerhaeuser) and state (e.g., Georgia Forestry Commission) forest organizations. The relationship with our research cooperatives and the Southern Regional Extension Forestry office will allow Fellows to acquire exceptional graduate training opportunities. Furthermore, Fellows will have the opportunity to attend and participate in international timberland investment meetings sponsored by the Center for Forest Business and other conferences.

We are seeking highly qualified and motivated applicants at the Masters level. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or native residents of U.S. territories.  Prior degrees and job experience in natural resources field are desirable.
 
Underrepresented minorities and first generation college students are strongly encouraged to apply.

The University of Georgia is an affirmative action / equal opportunity employer.

MFR fellowships will provide:

1. Student stipend of $18,500 per year for two years


2. Full tuition waiver


3. Potential summer internships with private and state forest organizations


4. Participation in international and national conferences

• Dr. Jacek Siry (Project Director) is an Associate Professor of Forest Economics in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
  706.542.3060 | jsiry@warnell.uga.edu

• Dr. Pete Bettinger (Project Co-director) is a Professor of Landscape Planning and Harvest Scheduling in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources 706.542.1187 | pbettinger@warnell.uga.edu


• Dr. Ronald Walcott (Project Co-director) is an Associate Professor of Plant Pathology and Assistant Dean, Office of Diversity Relations in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
  706.542.6963 | rwalcott@uga.edu