Faculty
Interim Department Chair: Dr. Christopher Chappell
Department of Urban Forestry, Environment, and Natural Resources
College of Agricultural Human and Environmental Sciences
Southern University and A&M College
christopher.chappe@sus.edu
Program Leader: Dr. Qi, Yadong
Department of Urban Forestry, Environment, and Natural Resources
College of Agricultural Human and Environmental Sciences
Southern University and A&M College
Baton Rouge, LA 70813
Phone: (225) 771-3535 or 3427
Fax: (225) 771-4464
Contact Person: Dr. Qi, Yadong
Email:yadong.qi@sus.edu
Professor:
Ning, Zhu H.
Ph.D., Forestry/Tree Physiology & Anatomy
S.F. Austin State University
Qi, Yadong
Ph.D., Forestry/Ecology & Silviculture
S.F. Austin State University
Twumasi, Yaw
Ph.D., Plant & Soil Science/GlS & Remote Sensing
Alabama A&M University
Associate Professor:
Chappell, Christopher
Ph.D., Urban Forestry/Management
Southern University and A&M College
Manrique, Veronica
Ph.D., Entomology/Invasive Species & Biological Control
Introduction
The Urban Forestry Master of Science Graduate Program was established in the fall of 1998. The mission of the graduate program is to provide graduate students with a curriculum that offers sound academic training and experiential learning activities for professional career positions in governmental agencies, research organizations, and private firms. The program utilizes an interdisciplinary, total quality management approach to train students so that they can ultimately address critical issues and concerns in the science and management of urban forestry and natural resources. Each student will follow a prescribed program of course work and conduct a thesis research or capstone project tailored toward emerging issues or problems in urban forestry.
The overall objectives of the program in urban forestry are:
- To develop student's ability to synthesize relevant knowledge and skills in urban forestry and related disciplines for sound urban forestry practices.
- To extend advanced training in urban forestry to high school teachers for the advancement of the art and science of urban forestry and natural resources.
- To provide the latest technology and training to tree care professionals to preserve and protect the urban environment.
- To academically prepare students for study at the doctoral level at various universities in the nation.
- To initiate and sustain collaborative efforts with various governmental, public and private and organizations to address issues and concerns in urban forestry and to promote urban forest health and natural resource conservation.
- To conduct research aimed at addressing natural resource issues in urban environments.
Mission of the Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources
The mission of the Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources is to advance our 1890 land-grant university's mission by providing high quality education and learning experiences to diverse undergraduate and graduate students, professional urban foresters, and the general public, and generating and applying new knowledge concerning the management of urban and community forestry and natural resources through Education, Research, and Service.
The Department is recognized at the state and national levels as a leader in the education of highly qualified professional urban foresters. The central theme of our instruction is that urban forests are essential to society, and their scientific management is necessary to ensure a sustainable flow of commodity and non-commodity benefits from urban forest ecosystems.
The faculty is composed of a body of nationally and internationally recognized professional educators and scientists in forestry supported by other multidisciplinary professional scientists uniquely qualified to integrate knowledge from the natural, physical, and social sciences. All the basic sciences are holistically applied to the diagnosis of urban forest ecosystem problems and the prescription of management to assure the continued flow of products and other benefits from forest ecosystems for citizens of the State of Louisiana and the nation.
The Department achieves its mission through the provision of classroom instruction, outreach activities, and the production and dissemination of research results. Most aspects of the profession are covered in the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Department's vigorous research program ensures that our students are on the cutting edge of forest science, keeps our faculty current within their various specialties, and assures that Louisiana Urban Forest residents and stakeholders and beyond receive the most current scientific information on urban forest management, urban-rural interface ecosystems, urban forestry and arboricultural industries, and attendant social, environmental, and economic issues.
Our responsibilities extend beyond the campus to the delivery of information to the various publics within the state and nation and parts of the world through outreach activities such as adult education, group advisory programs, applied research and demonstration projects, scientific forums, and other modes of continuing education. Furthermore, our faculty plays various major roles in professional and scientific societies and associations at the state, national, and international levels.
We envision a future in which growing population leads to fragmented forests and increased problems associated with the agricultural and urban-forest interface, in which the quality and quantity of water resources become increasingly important, and in which rising incomes place pressure on the forests to provide an increasingly broad array of non-traditional forest benefits, in addition to considerable increases in the demand for ecosystem services.
Accordingly, our graduates must possess a professional ethic that recognizes urban forestry objectives ranging from single use to multiple use and the host of demands placed on urban forests.
Progress towards these goals is constantly measured using indicators such as enrollment, employment of graduates, internal and external program evaluations, research and scientific stature, and the quality and performance of our graduates in their professional careers.
Strategic Goals
Goal 1. Strengthen our commitment to producing high-quality urban forestry graduates responsive to the needs of employers and broad societal needs.
Goal 2. Enhance the Program as the center for urban forestry-related ecosystem science education in the university.
Goal 3. Strengthen our commitment to graduate education by producing high-quality Masters of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Forestry who will make significant contributions to forest science and the urban forestry and arboriculture profession.
Goal 4. Strengthen our commitment to a strong, needs-based research program for urban forest science and sustainable urban forest ecosystem.
Goal 5. Strengthen our commitment to a dynamic and comprehensive outreach/extension program that successfully meets the needs of the citizenry and enhances the department's reputation and credibility throughout the State of Louisiana, the region, the nation, and beyond.
Goal 6. Strengthen the staffing, support, facilities, and administrative systems that will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our department's operations.
GRADUATE DEGREE OFFERED
M. S. Master of Science in Urban Forestry
(Thesis and Non-Thesis options)
Admissions Requirements
- A minimum grade point average of 2.7 on all undergraduate work, or 3.0 on all graduate work completed, based on a 4.0 scale.
- Transcripts showing all undergraduate work (and graduate work pursued, if any). APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE PROCESSED WITHOUT TRANSCRIPTS.
- Must submit of the Graduate Record Examination test scores. Individuals who have already earned a graduate degree and return for a second degree must present new GRE Scores if previous scores are more than seven years old.
- A Statement of Purpose.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- For INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, a minimum score of 525 (123 on computer based examination) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), as evidence of proficiency in English and an Affidavit of Support (U.S. Department of Justice form I-134).
Plan of Study
Thesis Option
Non-Thesis Option
Two technical electives must be taken to stratify degree requirements for the non-thesis option.
Electives
UFOR Prerequisites
Background Requirement
Students who need to gain an urban forestry background are required to take 9 to 12 hours of remedial courses from the following courses plus any other urban forestry core courses as deemed necessary by the major professor and graduate committee.