College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Forestry

Dear MSU Forestry Alumni and Friends,

Having served as Department Chairperson for 15 years, one thing that I really appreciate about MSU Forestry is the people connections – both within and across generations. Perhaps it is not surprising that the culture of a leading forestry program takes a long-term view, because every day many of you are managing forests for goals that will be realized in a future generation.

The story on Dick Cooper’s donation to establish the Dr. Bob Marty Endowed Scholarship beautifully illustrates these cross-generation connections (p. 9). When Dick was a student, he took a course from Dr. Bob Marty –  also an MSU Forestry alum  –  who was an important influence throughout Dick’s successful career. Meanwhile, current student Rachel Adams wrote a piece for the summer 2025 issue of the MSU Forester about her experience at MSU that inspired Dick to establish the Dr. Bob Marty Scholarship. Three generations of MSU Foresters connected across time and with future generations – a continuity worth celebrating and taking pride in.

Perhaps because MSU Forestry has been here for 124 years, and we plan to be here for at least another 124, there is a timelessness to these connections. While every year new students enter our programs and other students graduate and new faculty and staff are hired and others retire, we maintain a culture of people connections – we always support and look out for each other.

This support is apparent in our alumni updates (p. 4) and the frequent recognition of a strong foundation from MSU Forestry; and it is wonderful to read about the accomplishments of alumni from across the U.S. (CA, WA, MT, NC, CO, TX, IA, and MI) and spanning 60 years of graduating classes! I am sure that the alums sending updates would enjoy connecting with classmates.

I also am delighted at the achievements of our current students, as demonstrated by Christin Toney (p. 6), who is enthusiastically pursuing a research project on the history of a ~300 year stand of white oak at Russ Forest’s Newton Woods and connections of the people who managed these forests across centuries.

Receiving four Fulbright awards within a span of two years illustrates the caliber of our world-class faculty and their international connections and reputations (p. 5). Mojgan Nejad and Andy Finley have fellowships in the current academic year and Dave MacFarlane and Sandra Lupien just recently returned from Fulbright experiences. I also am thrilled that since Fall 2024, we added 8 new faculty members (some of whom are featured on p. 8).

Alumni are an important part of the MSU Forestry Community, and we want to stay connected with you and our alums to stay connected with each other. Our annual tailgate on 10th October is a perfect opportunity for both and we hope to see you there (see FAA President update on p. 10 and tailgate notice on p. 11). If you feel that MSU Forestry provided you with a strong foundation and connections, and you are interested in paying it forward to support our mission and future generations, please contact me. We really appreciate your support!

My best,

Rich