www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 1

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Michigan Technological University • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

In 1936, we began with two teachers and a handful of students. Seventy-five years and

thousands of graduates later, the School has become an international research powerhouse that always puts students first. We hope you enjoy this commemorative

issue and join us in looking forward to our next seventy-five years at Michigan Tech.

www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 3www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 32 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

The Early Years

1936 Forestry Club is established.

1937 First venison feed

First Lumberjack Ball

1939 Ripley hill gets its first ski tow.

Vern Johnson hired. Total faculty: 3.

The War Years

For the Forestry Department and the entire University, World War II had a dramatic effect on enrollment. Between 1944 and 1946, only four students earned forestry degrees, and only 125 degrees were awarded University-wide. Enrollment rebounded following the war, as many returning servicemen enrolled under the GI Bill.

In the fall of 1941, I was dancing to the hit song ‘“Chattanooga, Choo, Choo,” listening to H. V. Kaltenbom [an American radio commentator] reporting on the battle raging in the skies over England, and anxiously looking forward to leaving home to begin a new life in Houghton. Many of my older friends—I was only 17—were being drafted into the military and singing the song “I’ll Be Back in a Year, Little Darling.” I had the happiness and satisfaction of living the American dream. I cannot help but wonder what it would have been like without my bride, the GI Bill, and Michigan Tech.

—Ed Faber (Forestry 1948)

I hit the campus in the fall of 1947. It seemed like a madhouse to those of us coming right out of high school—mostly due to the huge number of older

“freshmen”: newly discharged GIs getting a college education by the GI Bill. It turned the college system upside down. True freshmen were radically different from the 20- to 25-year-olds who might have been in a machine gun battle as I was celebrating my high school graduation. On the one hand, there were fuzzy-cheeked, fresh-from-high-school graduates, and on the other, recent war-experienced veterans. Some were hard drinkers, some heavy smokers, some newly married. The influx of vets strained every bit of campus life. I think the faculty and administrators struggled to handle the changing mores.

—Les Reid (Forestry 1951)

Whether a student served or not, the social and political climate of the School and University was influenced by the wars in Korea and Vietnam. The University’s Veterans Club was established as a support and social group for all veterans.

I enlisted right out of high school at the age of 17. I joined the Navy and became a medical corpsman in the Korean War. The GI Bill got me accepted to Tech and paid my tuition. My military training taught me the discipline I needed to get through Tech. Without either, I probably won’t have gotten a degree.

—Ron Scott (Forestry 1961)

It was the hippie era, radical movements, Kent State, a crazy, crazy time. There was a faction that protested the war. I remember it as a small group at Tech. I supported the war. I was ready to enter the Reserve Officer Candidate program after graduation to become a Navy pilot. My dad talked me out of it; three good friends didn’t make it home alive from Vietnam. It was a tough time.

—John DePuydt (Forestry 1971)

1940 Isle Royale National Park founded.

1941December 7—US enters WWII.

1942 Forestry Department moves from Hubbell Hall to Hubbell School.

1945 August 15—Japan surrenders, WWII ends

1946 Camp Pori acquired. Practical Woods Industry School established there.

1947 Institute of Wood Research starts.

Tech’s Sault Campus establishes two-year forestry program.

1949 U. J. “Bert” Noblet is named department head.

In 1938 the Forestry Club’s snow statue took first place, starting a long-standing tradition of working hard to place high in Winter Carnival events.

The first class of forestry students is pictured in this 1936 photograph.

Charles Rollman is celebrating the seventieth anniversary of his graduation from Michigan Tech. He still actively manages his tree farm in Oconto County, Wisconsin.

Back in 1936, Grover C. Dillman, president of the Michigan College of Mining and Technology, was responsible for initiating the Forestry Department in the old Hubbell Hall. The program began humbly, offer-ing a two-year degree with two instructors, U. J. “Bert” Noblet and R. B. “Bob” Miller, and an initial enrollment of fifteen students.

Helmuth “Hammer” Steinhilb, who later became a faculty member, was a student in the very first class of foresters, graduating in 1940 with a BS degree.

Charles Rollman is our oldest living alumnus; he graduated in 1941. This year marks the seventieth anniversary of his graduation. He has many fond memories of his years at Tech, such as meeting his future wife and, after one very bad storm, snowshoeing to class on a snowdrift that covered entire cars. He considers himself “lucky” to have finished his degree before being drafted in January 1942; unlike many others, his education was not put on hold due to World War II.

U. J. Noblet’s wife and niece arranged a sleigh-riding party for area school teachers, who were living in a dormitory in Painesdale. They needed a few fellows to go, so I joined in. I am glad I did; this is where I met my wife, Jean. We were married in December 1942 while I was on leave. I didn’t meet my oldest son, Charles Jr., until after the war, when he was twenty-three months old.

—Charles Rollman (Forestry 1941)Left to right, circa 1955 faculty members Vern Johnson, Gene Hesterberg, Bob Brown, Bert Noblet, Eric Bourdo, and Helmuth “Hammer” Steinhilb. President Grover Dillman is seated.

Forestry students, instructors, and kitchen staff at Camp Pori in 1949

Married student housing, circa 1950. One name was “Vetville.”

Camp Pori housed German POWs during World War II. Forestry students attended Summer Camp here from 1946 until 1954.

www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 3www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 32 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

The Early Years

1936 Forestry Club is established.

1937 First venison feed

First Lumberjack Ball

1939 Ripley hill gets its first ski tow.

Vern Johnson hired. Total faculty: 3.

The War Years

For the Forestry Department and the entire University, World War II had a dramatic effect on enrollment. Between 1944 and 1946, only four students earned forestry degrees, and only 125 degrees were awarded University-wide. Enrollment rebounded following the war, as many returning servicemen enrolled under the GI Bill.

In the fall of 1941, I was dancing to the hit song ‘“Chattanooga, Choo, Choo,” listening to H. V. Kaltenbom [an American radio commentator] reporting on the battle raging in the skies over England, and anxiously looking forward to leaving home to begin a new life in Houghton. Many of my older friends—I was only 17—were being drafted into the military and singing the song “I’ll Be Back in a Year, Little Darling.” I had the happiness and satisfaction of living the American dream. I cannot help but wonder what it would have been like without my bride, the GI Bill, and Michigan Tech.

—Ed Faber (Forestry 1948)

I hit the campus in the fall of 1947. It seemed like a madhouse to those of us coming right out of high school—mostly due to the huge number of older

“freshmen”: newly discharged GIs getting a college education by the GI Bill. It turned the college system upside down. True freshmen were radically different from the 20- to 25-year-olds who might have been in a machine gun battle as I was celebrating my high school graduation. On the one hand, there were fuzzy-cheeked, fresh-from-high-school graduates, and on the other, recent war-experienced veterans. Some were hard drinkers, some heavy smokers, some newly married. The influx of vets strained every bit of campus life. I think the faculty and administrators struggled to handle the changing mores.

—Les Reid (Forestry 1951)

Whether a student served or not, the social and political climate of the School and University was influenced by the wars in Korea and Vietnam. The University’s Veterans Club was established as a support and social group for all veterans.

I enlisted right out of high school at the age of 17. I joined the Navy and became a medical corpsman in the Korean War. The GI Bill got me accepted to Tech and paid my tuition. My military training taught me the discipline I needed to get through Tech. Without either, I probably won’t have gotten a degree.

—Ron Scott (Forestry 1961)

It was the hippie era, radical movements, Kent State, a crazy, crazy time. There was a faction that protested the war. I remember it as a small group at Tech. I supported the war. I was ready to enter the Reserve Officer Candidate program after graduation to become a Navy pilot. My dad talked me out of it; three good friends didn’t make it home alive from Vietnam. It was a tough time.

—John DePuydt (Forestry 1971)

1940 Isle Royale National Park founded.

1941December 7—US enters WWII.

1942 Forestry Department moves from Hubbell Hall to Hubbell School.

1945 August 15—Japan surrenders, WWII ends

1946 Camp Pori acquired. Practical Woods Industry School established there.

1947 Institute of Wood Research starts.

Tech’s Sault Campus establishes two-year forestry program.

1949 U. J. “Bert” Noblet is named department head.

In 1938 the Forestry Club’s snow statue took first place, starting a long-standing tradition of working hard to place high in Winter Carnival events.

The first class of forestry students is pictured in this 1936 photograph.

Charles Rollman is celebrating the seventieth anniversary of his graduation from Michigan Tech. He still actively manages his tree farm in Oconto County, Wisconsin.

Back in 1936, Grover C. Dillman, president of the Michigan College of Mining and Technology, was responsible for initiating the Forestry Department in the old Hubbell Hall. The program began humbly, offer-ing a two-year degree with two instructors, U. J. “Bert” Noblet and R. B. “Bob” Miller, and an initial enrollment of fifteen students.

Helmuth “Hammer” Steinhilb, who later became a faculty member, was a student in the very first class of foresters, graduating in 1940 with a BS degree.

Charles Rollman is our oldest living alumnus; he graduated in 1941. This year marks the seventieth anniversary of his graduation. He has many fond memories of his years at Tech, such as meeting his future wife and, after one very bad storm, snowshoeing to class on a snowdrift that covered entire cars. He considers himself “lucky” to have finished his degree before being drafted in January 1942; unlike many others, his education was not put on hold due to World War II.

U. J. Noblet’s wife and niece arranged a sleigh-riding party for area school teachers, who were living in a dormitory in Painesdale. They needed a few fellows to go, so I joined in. I am glad I did; this is where I met my wife, Jean. We were married in December 1942 while I was on leave. I didn’t meet my oldest son, Charles Jr., until after the war, when he was twenty-three months old.

—Charles Rollman (Forestry 1941)Left to right, circa 1955 faculty members Vern Johnson, Gene Hesterberg, Bob Brown, Bert Noblet, Eric Bourdo, and Helmuth “Hammer” Steinhilb. President Grover Dillman is seated.

Forestry students, instructors, and kitchen staff at Camp Pori in 1949

Married student housing, circa 1950. One name was “Vetville.”

Camp Pori housed German POWs during World War II. Forestry students attended Summer Camp here from 1946 until 1954.

4 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • Summer 2010 www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 5www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 5

Shared Traditions

New Faces on Campus

Our students have a history of being a close-knit, proud group. Strong bonds developed which set us apart from peers in other programs. During the 1950s, enrollment continued to rise and with it the need for more faculty. In 1950, there were six full-time faculty and 157 students.

Shared experiences at camp or in the School clubs, the camaraderie of intramural sports, and competition in Winter Carnival events were just a few ways that our students widened their friendships. Generations of students have also found friendship in shared adventures.

Summer camp was at the old CCC Camp Pori. Weekends were usually spent trout fishing, with brothers Bill and Ed Aho (Forestry 1949 and 1950) competing to show if worms or flies were superior bait. It wasn’t much of a competition as they both got their limits every time.

—William Balmer (Forestry 1949)

In 1959, the Forestry Club built a snow statue depicting a Sioux Indian village, with several tepees and dancers. One of our members, Loren Woerpel (Forestry 1961), was knowledgeable about Sioux life and he designed an excellent replica. We were very proud of the fine work we produced. We won second place in the Class A division.

—Walt Cook (Forestry 1959)

We were a small group, working together. Moving to Class A from the B divi-sion and doing well in Winter Carnival events gave us pride at being able to compete with the fraternities and big engineering groups. The 1960 snow statue, “The Sante Fe Trail,” took first place.

—Loren Woerpel (Forestry 1961)

You could tell the “Twigs” because nearly all of us wore red and black plaid wool coats, and we sat in a loose block in class—sort of a backwoods fraternity.

—Lou Best (Forestry 1970)

Although the course work was challenging, the atmosphere was laid back and social. I have fond memories of sledding off the roof at the Otter River Cabin, golfing with Bart [Dean Lindo Bartelli], skiing at the Porkies, cliff jumping at Canyon Falls, the B&B on Friday nights, IM sports, and more. I made some wonderful friends and met my husband at Tech. What more could I ask for?

—Kathy Tehan Becker (Forestry 1983, MS 1985)

1950 First Forester Yearbook published.

100% membership in the Forestry Club

1954 The Ford Center, at Alberta, donated to Michigan Tech.

Otter River Cabin is donated by DNR to Forestry Department.

1955 First Summer Camp at Ford Center in Alberta

1956 First plant ecology trip to Isle Royale National Park with Doc Brown

1957 Forestry Department first accredited by Society of American Foresters.

In the 1960s, Michigan Tech’s female enrollment began to increase, but women on campus were still a rarity. The Forestry Department saw its first female students in the 1950s, and by the late 1960s, there were several women forestry students.

Claudette (Simons) Spiroff was our first female graduate in 1958. She chose forestry because, she said, “Everything fit; it was perfect.” She completed her degree but had to do an independent study project in lieu of Summer Camp because there were no facilities to house female students. Elaine Mosher was our second graduate in 1961 and the first female student to attend Summer Camp.

By fall 1976, female freshman enrollment in the School reached 25 percent. Female students in the 1970s enjoyed many career opportuni-ties. Males had fewer job offers at graduation; female foresters were in demand. Being a woman forester at that time was fun and challenging.

It wasn’t until 1981, when Margaret Herman was hired, that the School gained its first female faculty member. In 2002, Margaret Gale (Forestry 1977, MS 81) was named associate dean. Two years later, she was named dean, the University’s first female academic dean.

Today enrollment stands at 275 students; almost 40 percent are women. The largest percentages of undergraduate women are enrolled in wildlife ecology and management (57 percent) and applied ecology and environ-mental science (54 percent); 19 percent of forestry majors are women. Percentages for students pursuing master’s and PhD degrees are similar, with combined enrollments of 46 percent female and 54 percent male.

Gene Hesterberg was a mentor to me. He never made me feel awkward for being female in the male-dominated courses, and he was the one who encour-aged me to continue on to graduate school.

—Laura DeWald, PhD (Forestry 1980)

Gene Hesterberg’s support was extremely important to me. In an era when female forestry students were still unusual, and some faculty were dismis-sive of us, Gene encouraged me to apply for a forester position with Potlatch Corporation, which launched my forestry career.

—Karen Potter-Witter (Forestry 1975)

One weekend each month, the women in the Forestry Club had the Otter River Cabin for their use. It was fun to snowshoe to the cabin and then enjoy the sauna and Otter River.

—Nancy Wizner (Forestry 1977)

DHH had one of the first coed dorms. For safety reasons, the hall door could not be locked. Instead there was an alarm and red lights if male students walked into the female side after curfew. There were lots of alarms and lights, but most ran through too quickly to be caught or identified.

—Ann Goodman Thrasher (Forestry 1976)

1961U. J. “Bert” Noblet retires.

1962 Gene Hesterberg is named department head.

1963 Michigan College of Mining and Technology becomes Michigan Technological University.

1964 Wilderness Act signed by President Lyndon Johnson.

1967 Graduate program in forestry begins.

New forestry building opens.

Eric Bourdo Jr. is named the School’s first dean.

Summer Camp moves to the Tech campus.

1968 Forestry Department, IWR, and Ford Forestry Center report to the new School of Forestry and Wood Products.

4 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

Left to right, Donald Bur, Lorin W. Leitner, Thomas Corcoran, John Kressbach, and Keith Montambo in 1955, perhaps at the first Spring Field Day

The Otter River Cabin sauna was well used over the years.

John Kressbach and Keith Montambo, friends then and today

Claudette (Simons) Spiroff graduated in 1958.

Dean Peg Gale as a new professor, 1987

Participating in Conclave

Cookies with the dean is one of our newest traditions. The Dinks, the School’s 1984 women’s

intramural volleyball team

Students studying sample plots in 2006.

4 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • Summer 2010 www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 5www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 5

Shared Traditions

New Faces on Campus

Our students have a history of being a close-knit, proud group. Strong bonds developed which set us apart from peers in other programs. During the 1950s, enrollment continued to rise and with it the need for more faculty. In 1950, there were six full-time faculty and 157 students.

Shared experiences at camp or in the School clubs, the camaraderie of intramural sports, and competition in Winter Carnival events were just a few ways that our students widened their friendships. Generations of students have also found friendship in shared adventures.

Summer camp was at the old CCC Camp Pori. Weekends were usually spent trout fishing, with brothers Bill and Ed Aho (Forestry 1949 and 1950) competing to show if worms or flies were superior bait. It wasn’t much of a competition as they both got their limits every time.

—William Balmer (Forestry 1949)

In 1959, the Forestry Club built a snow statue depicting a Sioux Indian village, with several tepees and dancers. One of our members, Loren Woerpel (Forestry 1961), was knowledgeable about Sioux life and he designed an excellent replica. We were very proud of the fine work we produced. We won second place in the Class A division.

—Walt Cook (Forestry 1959)

We were a small group, working together. Moving to Class A from the B divi-sion and doing well in Winter Carnival events gave us pride at being able to compete with the fraternities and big engineering groups. The 1960 snow statue, “The Sante Fe Trail,” took first place.

—Loren Woerpel (Forestry 1961)

You could tell the “Twigs” because nearly all of us wore red and black plaid wool coats, and we sat in a loose block in class—sort of a backwoods fraternity.

—Lou Best (Forestry 1970)

Although the course work was challenging, the atmosphere was laid back and social. I have fond memories of sledding off the roof at the Otter River Cabin, golfing with Bart [Dean Lindo Bartelli], skiing at the Porkies, cliff jumping at Canyon Falls, the B&B on Friday nights, IM sports, and more. I made some wonderful friends and met my husband at Tech. What more could I ask for?

—Kathy Tehan Becker (Forestry 1983, MS 1985)

1950 First Forester Yearbook published.

100% membership in the Forestry Club

1954 The Ford Center, at Alberta, donated to Michigan Tech.

Otter River Cabin is donated by DNR to Forestry Department.

1955 First Summer Camp at Ford Center in Alberta

1956 First plant ecology trip to Isle Royale National Park with Doc Brown

1957 Forestry Department first accredited by Society of American Foresters.

In the 1960s, Michigan Tech’s female enrollment began to increase, but women on campus were still a rarity. The Forestry Department saw its first female students in the 1950s, and by the late 1960s, there were several women forestry students.

Claudette (Simons) Spiroff was our first female graduate in 1958. She chose forestry because, she said, “Everything fit; it was perfect.” She completed her degree but had to do an independent study project in lieu of Summer Camp because there were no facilities to house female students. Elaine Mosher was our second graduate in 1961 and the first female student to attend Summer Camp.

By fall 1976, female freshman enrollment in the School reached 25 percent. Female students in the 1970s enjoyed many career opportuni-ties. Males had fewer job offers at graduation; female foresters were in demand. Being a woman forester at that time was fun and challenging.

It wasn’t until 1981, when Margaret Herman was hired, that the School gained its first female faculty member. In 2002, Margaret Gale (Forestry 1977, MS 81) was named associate dean. Two years later, she was named dean, the University’s first female academic dean.

Today enrollment stands at 275 students; almost 40 percent are women. The largest percentages of undergraduate women are enrolled in wildlife ecology and management (57 percent) and applied ecology and environ-mental science (54 percent); 19 percent of forestry majors are women. Percentages for students pursuing master’s and PhD degrees are similar, with combined enrollments of 46 percent female and 54 percent male.

Gene Hesterberg was a mentor to me. He never made me feel awkward for being female in the male-dominated courses, and he was the one who encour-aged me to continue on to graduate school.

—Laura DeWald, PhD (Forestry 1980)

Gene Hesterberg’s support was extremely important to me. In an era when female forestry students were still unusual, and some faculty were dismis-sive of us, Gene encouraged me to apply for a forester position with Potlatch Corporation, which launched my forestry career.

—Karen Potter-Witter (Forestry 1975)

One weekend each month, the women in the Forestry Club had the Otter River Cabin for their use. It was fun to snowshoe to the cabin and then enjoy the sauna and Otter River.

—Nancy Wizner (Forestry 1977)

DHH had one of the first coed dorms. For safety reasons, the hall door could not be locked. Instead there was an alarm and red lights if male students walked into the female side after curfew. There were lots of alarms and lights, but most ran through too quickly to be caught or identified.

—Ann Goodman Thrasher (Forestry 1976)

1961U. J. “Bert” Noblet retires.

1962 Gene Hesterberg is named department head.

1963 Michigan College of Mining and Technology becomes Michigan Technological University.

1964 Wilderness Act signed by President Lyndon Johnson.

1967 Graduate program in forestry begins.

New forestry building opens.

Eric Bourdo Jr. is named the School’s first dean.

Summer Camp moves to the Tech campus.

1968 Forestry Department, IWR, and Ford Forestry Center report to the new School of Forestry and Wood Products.

4 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

Left to right, Donald Bur, Lorin W. Leitner, Thomas Corcoran, John Kressbach, and Keith Montambo in 1955, perhaps at the first Spring Field Day

The Otter River Cabin sauna was well used over the years.

John Kressbach and Keith Montambo, friends then and today

Claudette (Simons) Spiroff graduated in 1958.

Dean Peg Gale as a new professor, 1987

Participating in Conclave

Cookies with the dean is one of our newest traditions. The Dinks, the School’s 1984 women’s

intramural volleyball team

Students studying sample plots in 2006.

Environmental Awareness

Expanding Technologies

The Environmental Protection Agency, formed in 1970, was charged with protecting human health and the environment by conducting envi-ronmental assessment, research, and education. Related legislation had a strong impact on how students viewed the environment. Right after this and during the 1970s, the School’s enrollment was at its highest. Total enrollment grew to 722 (710 undergraduates and 12 graduate students) in 1976, and forestry was the largest undergraduate program on campus. The largest graduating classes to date were 1977 and 1978, with 125 students in each. The largest graduate student class was 25 students in 2006.

New federal laws such as the Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, the National Forest Management Act, and the Clean Water Act not only helped bring more visibility to our programs but also helped direct us to provide two new degree programs: in applied ecology and environmental sciences, and in wildlife ecology and management. These acts and other environmental legislation and agencies also influenced the way our many stakeholders, nationally and internationally, managed their natural resources and provided more funding opportunities that spurred on our research work.

The terms “environmental” and “ecology” were not commonly used or heard during my years at Tech. I remember a junior-year class called “plant ecology,” and I had no idea what it was about until taking it.

—Larry Watson (Forestry 1951)

I took a job with the US Forest Service in Oregon, and the requirement for Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessment Reports (EAR) was hot. Every timber sale or road needed at least an EAR; I think it forced people to consider more than just timber yield. That was at a time when logging was becoming “evil” in the eyes of some environmental groups. I was on a USFS district with an annual harvest of 110 MMBf; it now cuts a fraction of that.

—Lou Best (Forestry 1970)

One of my classes introduced me to the National Parks and Conservation Association. I have been a member since college and continue to support their conservation efforts.

—Nancy Wizner (Forestry 1977)

Federal laws increased environmental awareness, which in turn increased research funding in our School. This had a positive effect on our graduate program and provided work opportunities for undergraduate students.

—Professor Marty Jurgensen

From slide rules to high-speed computing, from surveying transits to global positioning systems, technology has always impacted how students are educated at the School. Investing in new technology throughout the decades has kept our students ahead of the curve. In 1965 a new lab equipped with “modern electronic calculators” provided new opportunities for instruction and lab work.

The Forestry Department entered the computer age in 1974 when it acquired remote terminal access to Tech’s new Univac 1110 computer. It would be another decade before the department invested in upgrading the Calculator Lab to a Computation Lab, giving students access to personal computers. In 1984, forty thousand dollars was spent to buy ten IBM PCs and three printers.

The 1980s were just the beginning of our technological advances. In 1996 we made our first appearance on the web. And today students use wildlife cameras to study habitat management, geographic information system technology to create maps, and instant messaging to communi-cate with their professors. Their work and life is synchronized with the use of technology. What will the future hold?

WordPerfect, a daisy-wheel printer, and the HP plotter were the newest gizmos in the early ’80s. We couldn’t believe students used to pay typists to prepare their theses.

—Carrie Richards (MS 1984)

Every day I use technology. I keep in touch with classmates and stay organized. Scheduling meetings with online calendars syncs with to-do lists to my phone. Facebook and email help share information, coordinate group work, and keep everyone current. In the classroom, we use Trimbles with GPS data from the field. Remote sensing class includes the use of thermal infrared cameras. Learning to utilize technology effectively is an extremely important part of what I’m learning here.

—Auriel Van Der Laar, wildlife ecology and management senior

Once on a field trip we had a demonstration on sharpening of the two-man crosscut saw. In my day, the chain saw was the hot new technology, even though they were heavy and temperamental.

—Larry Watson (Forestry 1951)

I have spent most of my career as information technology manager in Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. The seeds of my career in IT were planted in the early 1980s by Mr. Jim Meteer. His foresight was instrumental in establishing the first microcomputer lab on Michigan Tech’s campus. I was very fortunate to work as a lab assistant under his tutelage.

—Tim Bottenfield (Forestry 1983, MS 1986)

1981 Summer Camp returns to Ford Center.

Charles “Chuck” Hein is named interim department head.

1982 Lindo Bartelli is named department head.

1984Microcomputers replace calculator lab.

Warren “Ed” Frayer is named dean.

1985 Summer Camp becomes Fall Camp.

1986PhD program starts.

www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 76 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

1970 Enrollment climbs. The largest freshman class in School history has 151 new students; total enrollment is over 400 students.

1970 Michigan Tech hosts its first conclave.

1974 New Horizons in Forestry WGGL radio program

1975 Female enrollment reaches 25 percent.

1978–79 Highest Keweenaw snowfall recorded, 356 inches.

1979 IWR signs largest research contract to date in Tech history, $2 million over five years to study wood preservation systems.

Doug Stone in the old calculator computation lab, 1965

Dick Kayser takes a transit reading in 1972.

Ruth Bennett sets up a motion-activated wildlife camera in the field, 2009.

In April 1970, the University Senate approved a student body request that faculty support the activities of the Environmental Teach-in. Nationally, this marks the first Earth Day.

Earth Day continues to be a tradition on the Michigan Tech campus.

Students learn to use GPS technology in the woods.

Nancy Wizner in 2009, as chief ranger at Redwoods National and State Parks

Environmental Awareness

Expanding Technologies

The Environmental Protection Agency, formed in 1970, was charged with protecting human health and the environment by conducting envi-ronmental assessment, research, and education. Related legislation had a strong impact on how students viewed the environment. Right after this and during the 1970s, the School’s enrollment was at its highest. Total enrollment grew to 722 (710 undergraduates and 12 graduate students) in 1976, and forestry was the largest undergraduate program on campus. The largest graduating classes to date were 1977 and 1978, with 125 students in each. The largest graduate student class was 25 students in 2006.

New federal laws such as the Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, the National Forest Management Act, and the Clean Water Act not only helped bring more visibility to our programs but also helped direct us to provide two new degree programs: in applied ecology and environmental sciences, and in wildlife ecology and management. These acts and other environmental legislation and agencies also influenced the way our many stakeholders, nationally and internationally, managed their natural resources and provided more funding opportunities that spurred on our research work.

The terms “environmental” and “ecology” were not commonly used or heard during my years at Tech. I remember a junior-year class called “plant ecology,” and I had no idea what it was about until taking it.

—Larry Watson (Forestry 1951)

I took a job with the US Forest Service in Oregon, and the requirement for Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessment Reports (EAR) was hot. Every timber sale or road needed at least an EAR; I think it forced people to consider more than just timber yield. That was at a time when logging was becoming “evil” in the eyes of some environmental groups. I was on a USFS district with an annual harvest of 110 MMBf; it now cuts a fraction of that.

—Lou Best (Forestry 1970)

One of my classes introduced me to the National Parks and Conservation Association. I have been a member since college and continue to support their conservation efforts.

—Nancy Wizner (Forestry 1977)

Federal laws increased environmental awareness, which in turn increased research funding in our School. This had a positive effect on our graduate program and provided work opportunities for undergraduate students.

—Professor Marty Jurgensen

From slide rules to high-speed computing, from surveying transits to global positioning systems, technology has always impacted how students are educated at the School. Investing in new technology throughout the decades has kept our students ahead of the curve. In 1965 a new lab equipped with “modern electronic calculators” provided new opportunities for instruction and lab work.

The Forestry Department entered the computer age in 1974 when it acquired remote terminal access to Tech’s new Univac 1110 computer. It would be another decade before the department invested in upgrading the Calculator Lab to a Computation Lab, giving students access to personal computers. In 1984, forty thousand dollars was spent to buy ten IBM PCs and three printers.

The 1980s were just the beginning of our technological advances. In 1996 we made our first appearance on the web. And today students use wildlife cameras to study habitat management, geographic information system technology to create maps, and instant messaging to communi-cate with their professors. Their work and life is synchronized with the use of technology. What will the future hold?

WordPerfect, a daisy-wheel printer, and the HP plotter were the newest gizmos in the early ’80s. We couldn’t believe students used to pay typists to prepare their theses.

—Carrie Richards (MS 1984)

Every day I use technology. I keep in touch with classmates and stay organized. Scheduling meetings with online calendars syncs with to-do lists to my phone. Facebook and email help share information, coordinate group work, and keep everyone current. In the classroom, we use Trimbles with GPS data from the field. Remote sensing class includes the use of thermal infrared cameras. Learning to utilize technology effectively is an extremely important part of what I’m learning here.

—Auriel Van Der Laar, wildlife ecology and management senior

Once on a field trip we had a demonstration on sharpening of the two-man crosscut saw. In my day, the chain saw was the hot new technology, even though they were heavy and temperamental.

—Larry Watson (Forestry 1951)

I have spent most of my career as information technology manager in Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. The seeds of my career in IT were planted in the early 1980s by Mr. Jim Meteer. His foresight was instrumental in establishing the first microcomputer lab on Michigan Tech’s campus. I was very fortunate to work as a lab assistant under his tutelage.

—Tim Bottenfield (Forestry 1983, MS 1986)

1981 Summer Camp returns to Ford Center.

Charles “Chuck” Hein is named interim department head.

1982 Lindo Bartelli is named department head.

1984Microcomputers replace calculator lab.

Warren “Ed” Frayer is named dean.

1985 Summer Camp becomes Fall Camp.

1986PhD program starts.

www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 76 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

1970 Enrollment climbs. The largest freshman class in School history has 151 new students; total enrollment is over 400 students.

1970 Michigan Tech hosts its first conclave.

1974 New Horizons in Forestry WGGL radio program

1975 Female enrollment reaches 25 percent.

1978–79 Highest Keweenaw snowfall recorded, 356 inches.

1979 IWR signs largest research contract to date in Tech history, $2 million over five years to study wood preservation systems.

Doug Stone in the old calculator computation lab, 1965

Dick Kayser takes a transit reading in 1972.

Ruth Bennett sets up a motion-activated wildlife camera in the field, 2009.

In April 1970, the University Senate approved a student body request that faculty support the activities of the Environmental Teach-in. Nationally, this marks the first Earth Day.

Earth Day continues to be a tradition on the Michigan Tech campus.

Students learn to use GPS technology in the woods.

Nancy Wizner in 2009, as chief ranger at Redwoods National and State Parks

8 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • Summer 2010 www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 9www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 9

Changing Curricula

Going Global

Initially, the Forestry Department offered only one four-year degree: the BS in Forestry. That changed in the mid-1970s with the addition of the wood and fiber utilization and land surveying majors. By 1973, forestry was the largest undergraduate program on campus.

Our curriculum continued to flex with changing majors, certificate programs, and thematic studies. There were seventeen options to choose from in the fall of 1976.

By 1986 the School claimed alumni in all fifty states, indicating the growing interest in our programs.

Our curriculum expanded again when an undergraduate degree in applied ecology and environmental sciences was added in 1997, followed in 2004 with one in wildlife ecology and management. Currently there are six master’s and two PhD programs, and students have the opportu-nity to participate in The FERM Enterprise project. A complete list of our degree offerings can be found on the web at www.forest.mtu.edu.

Today’s enrollment by major is made up of 90 forestry, 46 applied ecol-ogy and environmental science, and 54 wildlife ecology and management students, equaling 190 undergraduates. There are 56 master’s students, 25 PhD candidates, and 4 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 275 students.

Our heritage in forestry has given us an opportunity to train foresters and environmental scientists who can talk to each other and understand each other.

—Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz (Forestry 1974, MS 1977)

The quality of my undergraduate education and the great role models among the faculty and graduate students in the early 1980s prepared me well for pursuit of a PhD, and I currently am an associate professor of forest biology and urban forestry at Iowa State University. I hope that I am able to similarly inspire the students I work with to be lifelong learners, and maybe even college professors in forestry someday.

—Janette Ridley Thompson (Forestry 1981)

The FERM has made it possible for me to work on projects that reflect real life jobs with real consequences caused by my actions. I have done many projects that widened my overall knowledge regarding environmental resources and goal-based assignments. You get a lot of hands-on experience.

—Matt Payment, forestry senior

1991 First PhD in Forest Science awarded.

1994 Capstone projects are added to the curriculum.

Building is named in honor of U. J. Noblet .

1998 Sawmill at Alberta renovated with $100,000 donation from Ford Motor Company.

1999 Groundbreaking for the building expansion

State Capital Christmas tree donated.

International learning experiences have become increasingly valuable as our world shrinks. Many students experience international learn-ing through study abroad programs and newer options such as the ATLANTIS program, a transatlantic master’s degree in forest resources.

Since the founding of the Peace Corps fifty years ago, international service has played a part in many students’ post-college education. Today many Peace Corps volunteers combine service with a master’s degree in our first-of-its-kind Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) program in Forestry.

International research conducted by faculty and students in the School enhances our understanding of ecological science, putting research topics into a global context. Studies range from sustainable wetland manage-ment in Patagonia, to woody bioenergy in China, to forest molecular genetics and biotechnology in Sweden, to pine management in Germany, to forest pests in Ghana.

The ATLANTIS international experience has been life changing. I have grown immensely as a person, student, teacher, traveler, ambassador, and scientist. My patience and problem-solving skills have been constantly chal-lenged; I have taken these opportunities to really reflect and learn.

—Kassidy Yatzo, applied ecology graduate student studying in Finland

During my environmental education service project in the Peace Corps, my networking and communication skills improved greatly because of the experi-ence I had with the administrative leaders in my community.

—Pat Butler (Forestry MS 2008)

I went with the Pavlis Institute to Kumasi, Ghana, in western Africa. Going abroad allowed me to broaden my view. I got to see how other people lived and thought, and it helped me learn that I could adapt to different situations.

—Marcella Campione (Forestry 2009)

Studying abroad was one of the most enriching experiences I had at Tech. I learned a new language, made new friends, lived a different lifestyle, and learned to look at the world in a new way. It was an opportunity to grow in ways that are not possible without moving outside of your cultural comfort zone. For example, while living in Norway, I was with my two Norwegian room-mates on a back-country skiing trip in the mountains. We set out on a pleasant afternoon ski. Ten hours later it was pitch black, freezing cold, and we were navigating up and down ridges and ravines, in and out of forests. Exhausted and relieved, we finally found our way back to our vehicle—and a parking lot full of rescue personnel. Not everyone can claim they made the news after a two-week stay in a foreign country.

—Marcy Erickson (Applied Ecology 2007)

2000 First returning PCMI students

Michigan Tech moves from quarters to semesters.

Building expansion completed.

2001 Glenn Mroz is named dean.

2002 New name: School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Blair Orr receives Tech’s Distinguished Service Award.

2004 Margaret “Peg” Gale becomes dean.

Glenn Mroz becomes president of Michigan Tech.

2008 Transatlantic ATLANTIS MS founded.

8 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

Wildlife students bear the elements during an outdoor lab—in May!

Students in the 1990s endured the “trailer classroom.”

Some things never change. Josh Mann measures dbh at Fall Camp, 2009.

Dan Malueg was a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal in the 1980s.

Today’s dendrology lecture

Flags in Hesterberg Hall represent all the home countries of our international students and all the countries in which our students have served with Peace Corps.

Gabrielle Trudeau at the edge of the Arctic Ocean, 2009

8 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • Summer 2010 www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 9www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 9

Changing Curricula

Going Global

Initially, the Forestry Department offered only one four-year degree: the BS in Forestry. That changed in the mid-1970s with the addition of the wood and fiber utilization and land surveying majors. By 1973, forestry was the largest undergraduate program on campus.

Our curriculum continued to flex with changing majors, certificate programs, and thematic studies. There were seventeen options to choose from in the fall of 1976.

By 1986 the School claimed alumni in all fifty states, indicating the growing interest in our programs.

Our curriculum expanded again when an undergraduate degree in applied ecology and environmental sciences was added in 1997, followed in 2004 with one in wildlife ecology and management. Currently there are six master’s and two PhD programs, and students have the opportu-nity to participate in The FERM Enterprise project. A complete list of our degree offerings can be found on the web at www.forest.mtu.edu.

Today’s enrollment by major is made up of 90 forestry, 46 applied ecol-ogy and environmental science, and 54 wildlife ecology and management students, equaling 190 undergraduates. There are 56 master’s students, 25 PhD candidates, and 4 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 275 students.

Our heritage in forestry has given us an opportunity to train foresters and environmental scientists who can talk to each other and understand each other.

—Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz (Forestry 1974, MS 1977)

The quality of my undergraduate education and the great role models among the faculty and graduate students in the early 1980s prepared me well for pursuit of a PhD, and I currently am an associate professor of forest biology and urban forestry at Iowa State University. I hope that I am able to similarly inspire the students I work with to be lifelong learners, and maybe even college professors in forestry someday.

—Janette Ridley Thompson (Forestry 1981)

The FERM has made it possible for me to work on projects that reflect real life jobs with real consequences caused by my actions. I have done many projects that widened my overall knowledge regarding environmental resources and goal-based assignments. You get a lot of hands-on experience.

—Matt Payment, forestry senior

1991 First PhD in Forest Science awarded.

1994 Capstone projects are added to the curriculum.

Building is named in honor of U. J. Noblet .

1998 Sawmill at Alberta renovated with $100,000 donation from Ford Motor Company.

1999 Groundbreaking for the building expansion

State Capital Christmas tree donated.

International learning experiences have become increasingly valuable as our world shrinks. Many students experience international learn-ing through study abroad programs and newer options such as the ATLANTIS program, a transatlantic master’s degree in forest resources.

Since the founding of the Peace Corps fifty years ago, international service has played a part in many students’ post-college education. Today many Peace Corps volunteers combine service with a master’s degree in our first-of-its-kind Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) program in Forestry.

International research conducted by faculty and students in the School enhances our understanding of ecological science, putting research topics into a global context. Studies range from sustainable wetland manage-ment in Patagonia, to woody bioenergy in China, to forest molecular genetics and biotechnology in Sweden, to pine management in Germany, to forest pests in Ghana.

The ATLANTIS international experience has been life changing. I have grown immensely as a person, student, teacher, traveler, ambassador, and scientist. My patience and problem-solving skills have been constantly chal-lenged; I have taken these opportunities to really reflect and learn.

—Kassidy Yatzo, applied ecology graduate student studying in Finland

During my environmental education service project in the Peace Corps, my networking and communication skills improved greatly because of the experi-ence I had with the administrative leaders in my community.

—Pat Butler (Forestry MS 2008)

I went with the Pavlis Institute to Kumasi, Ghana, in western Africa. Going abroad allowed me to broaden my view. I got to see how other people lived and thought, and it helped me learn that I could adapt to different situations.

—Marcella Campione (Forestry 2009)

Studying abroad was one of the most enriching experiences I had at Tech. I learned a new language, made new friends, lived a different lifestyle, and learned to look at the world in a new way. It was an opportunity to grow in ways that are not possible without moving outside of your cultural comfort zone. For example, while living in Norway, I was with my two Norwegian room-mates on a back-country skiing trip in the mountains. We set out on a pleasant afternoon ski. Ten hours later it was pitch black, freezing cold, and we were navigating up and down ridges and ravines, in and out of forests. Exhausted and relieved, we finally found our way back to our vehicle—and a parking lot full of rescue personnel. Not everyone can claim they made the news after a two-week stay in a foreign country.

—Marcy Erickson (Applied Ecology 2007)

2000 First returning PCMI students

Michigan Tech moves from quarters to semesters.

Building expansion completed.

2001 Glenn Mroz is named dean.

2002 New name: School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Blair Orr receives Tech’s Distinguished Service Award.

2004 Margaret “Peg” Gale becomes dean.

Glenn Mroz becomes president of Michigan Tech.

2008 Transatlantic ATLANTIS MS founded.

8 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

Wildlife students bear the elements during an outdoor lab—in May!

Students in the 1990s endured the “trailer classroom.”

Some things never change. Josh Mann measures dbh at Fall Camp, 2009.

Dan Malueg was a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal in the 1980s.

Today’s dendrology lecture

Flags in Hesterberg Hall represent all the home countries of our international students and all the countries in which our students have served with Peace Corps.

Gabrielle Trudeau at the edge of the Arctic Ocean, 2009

10 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • Summer 2010 www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 1110 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

Staying ConnectedStaying connected is an important part of the Michigan Tech tradition for many alumni. The School established its first social networking group on Yahoo Groups in 2001. The internet, through such social media sites as Facebook, Flick’r, Michigan Tech’s Huskylink (sign up at www.mtu.edu/alumni), and our own blog, has provided a vehicle for the School to stay in touch with a very large alumni base.

There are almost 3,000 alumni of the School. How do you stay connected? Write your update at www.mtu.edu/forest/alumni/share and read others at www.blogs.mtu.edu/forest.

See old photos and yearbooks, read past issues of our newsletter, and catch up on alumni happenings by visiting www.mtu.edu/forest/alumni/highlights. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sfres.

2010 The third version of the School’s web page is launched.

Former department head Gene Hesterberg passes away.

2011 SFRES celebrates its seventy-fifth anniversary.

F A C U LT Y S A L U T E

Former Forestry Head Gene Hesterberg Dies“Gentleman” Gene Hesterberg, 92, who booted more than one errant forestry student back onto the road to graduation and found jobs for countless others, died September 26, 2010, in Hancock.

Gene came to the Forestry Department in 1948 and rose through the ranks of the faculty. He was named department head in 1962, retiring in 1981.

Hesterberg went hunting and fishing with students, as well as teaching and advising them. “He had a familiarity with students that was almost unheard of,” Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz said.

Hesterberg played a key role in building the foundation of the School’s research program. He knew that graduate studies would play a big role and hired people like Marty Jurgensen and Norm Sloan to position the School for the future.

He also established the Hesterberg Scholarship in 1979 and provided a generous donation to the School to support the expansion of the U. J. Noblet Forestry Building. Hesterberg Hall is named in his honor.

He was known as a brilliant man, a leader, and a friend. He met with students on their level, and when he talked with them, they knew he had their best interests at heart and was committed to their success. He encouraged students to call profs by their first names, creating a family atmosphere. Gene was a rare leader who combined a true love for people and for the woods—and then passed that love on to his students.

Karin Van Dyke summed it up. “He was an awesome guy,” she said. “The world has lost a great forester and a great friend.”

Read more about Gene at www.blogs.mtu.edu/forest. Search for “Hesterberg.”

Remembering GeneHe hired me in 1975, and I’ve been here ever since. Gene was like a father to all of us. He treated us all like family, and he was so great with students, a one-man career center. He found jobs for everybody. —Mary Jurgensen, scheduling counselorHe really was inspirational to a lot of students. When I talk with alumni, they tell me about Gene and the influence he had on them, not only while they were at Tech, but also in their careers. —Dean Peg Gale (Forestry 1977, MS 1981)Gene Hesterberg was an excellent instructor and mentor. He was unflappable and measured. Gene was always quick to compliment and offer support. He was ready to provide constructive criticism and able to do it diplomatically. He was almost like a second father. Who couldn’t admire him? And who wouldn’t want to emulate him? —Norm Remington (Forestry 1961)Gene Hesterberg was one of my favorite professors. He was instrumental in me graduating from Michigan Tech. Gene was my faculty advisor and helped me over a lot of hurdles, especially early on when I was not the best of students. He also helped when I returned to school after being called up to active duty in the Marines and being out of school for a couple of years. —Bernie Hubbard (Forestry 1967)

Finding Answers: ResearchIn our very early years, our sole priority was teaching. Then in 1947 the Institute of Wood Research (IWR)—formerly known as the Forest Products Research Division—was formed by the Michigan legislature. IWR’s mandate was to develop the state’s wood products industries through innovative product development and marketing. Early projects included using aspen to manufacture rayon and making bowling pins from sugar maple. In the 1970s and ’80s, IWR developed a strong reputation in the fields of wood preservation and non-planar wood flake composites. Later, wood biotechnology became an emphasis. IWR was incorporated into the School in 1987. The wood protection and biotechnology work, started decades ago, continues to this day as the School’s Wood Protection Group and Biotech Research Center.

Our first master of science degree was offered in 1967. We awarded our first master’s degrees in 1969. We currently have six master’s degree programs (including a professional Master of Forestry degree) and two PhD degree programs.

In the mid-1980s, most of our research support came from the State of Michigan, indus-tries, and the Forest Service. The state wanted us to develop growth and yield models and help set up their compartment exam system, while industry and the Forest Service were interested in forest economics, silviculture, soils, and ecology.

However, in the middle 1980s, the research climate changed dramatically when the School became involved in the long-term environmental impact study of the extremely low fre-quency (ELF) radio waves emitted by US Navy Submarine Communication Antenna in the Upper Peninsula. This also coincided with the beginning of our PhD program; the School received approval to offer a doctorate in forest science in 1986. This was followed quickly by major long-term studies on acid rain and, at the Aspen FACE (Free Air Carbon-dioxide Experiment), on the effects of increasing atmospheric CO2 on forest ecosystems; both research efforts continue today under the School’s Ecosystem Science Center.

Our available research funds now total more than $31 million and support more than eighty graduate students.

The School has the largest amount of research funding per faculty member, larger than the Colleges of Engineering or Science and Arts. This funding supports graduate students, undergraduate employment through research experiences, and equipment for instructional programs; it also increases the School ’s visibility and recognition nationally and internationally. We have grown from six MS students in 1982, when I started, to more than seventy-five MS and PhD students today. We should all be proud of our accomplishments and enthralled with the opportunities going into the future.

—Vice President for Research Dave Reed

I can summarize my experience in two words: interdisciplinary and collaborative. Michigan Tech may seem geographically isolated, but there is a strong spirit of collaboration within and outside the University. My research brings together issues of biofuels, forest management, and international bird conservation by working with collaborators across the Western Hemisphere—a perspective-building experience.

—Amber Roth, PhD candidate, Forest Science

The knowledge and research experiences I have gained at the School have inspired me to pursue the mystery of plant life and build a more versatile tree. Molecular genetic modification and the sequencing of poplar, the first tree species to have its whole genome sequenced, enables us to understand the fundamental mechanisms of tree growth.

—Yiru Chen, PhD candidate, Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology

Y E A R S

Sc

ho

o

l of Forest Resou

rc

es

• a

nd

E

nviron m ental S

cie

nc

e •

1936–2011

The School currently has 291 active research projects.

Left to right, Charlie Becker, Tim Bottenfield, and Les Fuller, all MS candidates in the mid-1980s, were supported by the ELF research project.

Research projects, such as the long-running Aspen FACE project, provide undergraduate research experience and employment opportunities.

Chris Johnson, an MS candidate in applied ecology, samples methane from a coastal peatland near Pequaming, Michigan.

www.forest.mtu.edu

Wolf research at Isle Royale

Michigan Tech Research Award Winners from the School

1999 Kurt Pregitzer

1993 David F. Karnosky

1990 Rolf Peterson

1978 Martin Jurgensen

1956 Walter Koepp

10 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • Summer 2010 www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 1110 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

Staying ConnectedStaying connected is an important part of the Michigan Tech tradition for many alumni. The School established its first social networking group on Yahoo Groups in 2001. The internet, through such social media sites as Facebook, Flick’r, Michigan Tech’s Huskylink (sign up at www.mtu.edu/alumni), and our own blog, has provided a vehicle for the School to stay in touch with a very large alumni base.

There are almost 3,000 alumni of the School. How do you stay connected? Write your update at www.mtu.edu/forest/alumni/share and read others at www.blogs.mtu.edu/forest.

See old photos and yearbooks, read past issues of our newsletter, and catch up on alumni happenings by visiting www.mtu.edu/forest/alumni/highlights. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sfres.

2010 The third version of the School’s web page is launched.

Former department head Gene Hesterberg passes away.

2011 SFRES celebrates its seventy-fifth anniversary.

F A C U LT Y S A L U T E

Former Forestry Head Gene Hesterberg Dies“Gentleman” Gene Hesterberg, 92, who booted more than one errant forestry student back onto the road to graduation and found jobs for countless others, died September 26, 2010, in Hancock.

Gene came to the Forestry Department in 1948 and rose through the ranks of the faculty. He was named department head in 1962, retiring in 1981.

Hesterberg went hunting and fishing with students, as well as teaching and advising them. “He had a familiarity with students that was almost unheard of,” Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz said.

Hesterberg played a key role in building the foundation of the School’s research program. He knew that graduate studies would play a big role and hired people like Marty Jurgensen and Norm Sloan to position the School for the future.

He also established the Hesterberg Scholarship in 1979 and provided a generous donation to the School to support the expansion of the U. J. Noblet Forestry Building. Hesterberg Hall is named in his honor.

He was known as a brilliant man, a leader, and a friend. He met with students on their level, and when he talked with them, they knew he had their best interests at heart and was committed to their success. He encouraged students to call profs by their first names, creating a family atmosphere. Gene was a rare leader who combined a true love for people and for the woods—and then passed that love on to his students.

Karin Van Dyke summed it up. “He was an awesome guy,” she said. “The world has lost a great forester and a great friend.”

Read more about Gene at www.blogs.mtu.edu/forest. Search for “Hesterberg.”

Remembering GeneHe hired me in 1975, and I’ve been here ever since. Gene was like a father to all of us. He treated us all like family, and he was so great with students, a one-man career center. He found jobs for everybody. —Mary Jurgensen, scheduling counselorHe really was inspirational to a lot of students. When I talk with alumni, they tell me about Gene and the influence he had on them, not only while they were at Tech, but also in their careers. —Dean Peg Gale (Forestry 1977, MS 1981)Gene Hesterberg was an excellent instructor and mentor. He was unflappable and measured. Gene was always quick to compliment and offer support. He was ready to provide constructive criticism and able to do it diplomatically. He was almost like a second father. Who couldn’t admire him? And who wouldn’t want to emulate him? —Norm Remington (Forestry 1961)Gene Hesterberg was one of my favorite professors. He was instrumental in me graduating from Michigan Tech. Gene was my faculty advisor and helped me over a lot of hurdles, especially early on when I was not the best of students. He also helped when I returned to school after being called up to active duty in the Marines and being out of school for a couple of years. —Bernie Hubbard (Forestry 1967)

Finding Answers: ResearchIn our very early years, our sole priority was teaching. Then in 1947 the Institute of Wood Research (IWR)—formerly known as the Forest Products Research Division—was formed by the Michigan legislature. IWR’s mandate was to develop the state’s wood products industries through innovative product development and marketing. Early projects included using aspen to manufacture rayon and making bowling pins from sugar maple. In the 1970s and ’80s, IWR developed a strong reputation in the fields of wood preservation and non-planar wood flake composites. Later, wood biotechnology became an emphasis. IWR was incorporated into the School in 1987. The wood protection and biotechnology work, started decades ago, continues to this day as the School’s Wood Protection Group and Biotech Research Center.

Our first master of science degree was offered in 1967. We awarded our first master’s degrees in 1969. We currently have six master’s degree programs (including a professional Master of Forestry degree) and two PhD degree programs.

In the mid-1980s, most of our research support came from the State of Michigan, indus-tries, and the Forest Service. The state wanted us to develop growth and yield models and help set up their compartment exam system, while industry and the Forest Service were interested in forest economics, silviculture, soils, and ecology.

However, in the middle 1980s, the research climate changed dramatically when the School became involved in the long-term environmental impact study of the extremely low fre-quency (ELF) radio waves emitted by US Navy Submarine Communication Antenna in the Upper Peninsula. This also coincided with the beginning of our PhD program; the School received approval to offer a doctorate in forest science in 1986. This was followed quickly by major long-term studies on acid rain and, at the Aspen FACE (Free Air Carbon-dioxide Experiment), on the effects of increasing atmospheric CO2 on forest ecosystems; both research efforts continue today under the School’s Ecosystem Science Center.

Our available research funds now total more than $31 million and support more than eighty graduate students.

The School has the largest amount of research funding per faculty member, larger than the Colleges of Engineering or Science and Arts. This funding supports graduate students, undergraduate employment through research experiences, and equipment for instructional programs; it also increases the School ’s visibility and recognition nationally and internationally. We have grown from six MS students in 1982, when I started, to more than seventy-five MS and PhD students today. We should all be proud of our accomplishments and enthralled with the opportunities going into the future.

—Vice President for Research Dave Reed

I can summarize my experience in two words: interdisciplinary and collaborative. Michigan Tech may seem geographically isolated, but there is a strong spirit of collaboration within and outside the University. My research brings together issues of biofuels, forest management, and international bird conservation by working with collaborators across the Western Hemisphere—a perspective-building experience.

—Amber Roth, PhD candidate, Forest Science

The knowledge and research experiences I have gained at the School have inspired me to pursue the mystery of plant life and build a more versatile tree. Molecular genetic modification and the sequencing of poplar, the first tree species to have its whole genome sequenced, enables us to understand the fundamental mechanisms of tree growth.

—Yiru Chen, PhD candidate, Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology

Y E A R S

Sc

ho

o

l of Forest Resou

rc

es

• a

nd

E

nviron m ental S

cie

nc

e •

1936–2011

The School currently has 291 active research projects.

Left to right, Charlie Becker, Tim Bottenfield, and Les Fuller, all MS candidates in the mid-1980s, were supported by the ELF research project.

Research projects, such as the long-running Aspen FACE project, provide undergraduate research experience and employment opportunities.

Chris Johnson, an MS candidate in applied ecology, samples methane from a coastal peatland near Pequaming, Michigan.

www.forest.mtu.edu

Wolf research at Isle Royale

Michigan Tech Research Award Winners from the School

1999 Kurt Pregitzer

1993 David F. Karnosky

1990 Rolf Peterson

1978 Martin Jurgensen

1956 Walter Koepp

www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 1312 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

Building a CommunityThe Ford Center, located in Alberta, Michigan, has been a vital part of our School’s history since it was donated to Michigan Tech in 1954 by the Ford Motor Company.

The story of Alberta actually begins in 1935, when Henry Ford commenced construction. The village was home to one of Ford’s sawmills, which produced lumber for some autos. The “Woodie Wagon” was the last Model A that required lumber. When it went out of production in 1951, the Ford Motor Company closed all its sawmills—at Kingsford, L’Anse, Pequaming, Alberta, and Big Bay.

The School’s activities at the center began promptly in 1955, when the village, sawmill, and forest land were acquired. Courses including forest techniques, field instruction, forest product research, and sawmilling were taught. Fall and Summer Camps for both the four-year and two-year programs were begun in 1955.

Research into sustainable forestry practices continues to this day. Over the past years, the activities at the Ford Center, once known as the Ford Forestry Center, have changed and grown. Today the houses and dorm structures are used as part of a conference center, which caters to groups of all kinds, and the sawmill has become a popular museum for visitors traveling through the UP.

The Ford Forestry Center is a cornerstone for research and education in the Great Lakes region. Its proud legacy provides the needed foundation to address contemporary environmental issues.

—Carl Trettin (Forestry 1976, MS 1980)

Fall Camp, Alberta, the Ford Center. Those names elicit many thoughts: friends smiling and laugh-ing, professors cracking jokes, improbable assignments. As a freshman I heard countless stories about that place. It was almost as if it were a part of the rite of passage to becoming a forester. It is a place of milestones for me. I attended Fall Camp and was a TA there. I lived there when I worked for the DNR, and my two children were born while we lived there. It will always be a place that has a special meaning in my life.

—Tom Seablom (Forestry 2000, MS 2002)

The Ford Center represents a period in my career that taught me and my family the value of living in a small community. The friendships the kids had, helpful neighbors, fun adventures, and the quietness and beauty of the forest itself were all unique. It was an ideal location for research due to the variety of forest types and soils. We have fond memories of living there. It will always be a special place to us.

—Stephen Shetron, professor emeritus

Breaking Ground

The Forestry Department found its first home in the old Hubbell Hall in 1936. A campus landmark, it was located where the ME-EM building now stands. Built in 1888, it fell to the wrecking ball in 1968.

By 1942 the forestry program had outgrown its space and moved to the Hubbell School, where it occupied the entire second floor and part of the basement for over twenty-five years. The Hubbell School was located on College Avenue, just west of campus, and was torn down when US 41 was relocated.

Plans were drawn for the new Department of Forestry and the Institute of Wood Research building with a cost in 1965 of $1.3 million. The groundbreaking ceremony in 1966 was followed by a Lumberjacks Luncheon at the Union. One speaker noted that forest industries had now surpassed tourism in Michigan’s economy.

The new building was ready for use in the fall of 1967 and dedicated in 1968. It was officially named the U. J. Noblet Forestry and Wood Products Building, to honor the depart-ment’s founder, in 1994.

A $10 million expansion project to accommodate our growing educational and research programs began with the 1999 groundbreaking. Work on the building progressed quickly, and the new, improved building was ready and open for business in the fall of 2000. This doubled our space with the addition of Hesterberg Hall and Horner Hall.

In 2002, the School was renamed the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, to reflect the increasing role we play in educating not only foresters, but also applied ecologists, biotechnologists, and now, wildlife ecologists.

The Village of Alberta was Henry Ford’s model community. This bust of Ford is on display at Alberta. Behind it is a picture of the sawmill, signed by Ford’s grandson, William Clay Ford, when he visited Alberta in 1999.

The Ford Woodie Wagon.

Studying and living at the Ford Center, whether it was Summer or Fall Camp, was not only educational, but it was also a bonding experience for participants.

The Ford Center has hosted several Forestry Conclaves and other student events over the years.

Professor Steve Shetron (center) taught, researched, and lived at the Ford Center.

Hubbell Hall was a landmark on campus in the early 1900s.

Hubbell School was once part of the Houghton Public Schools.

A new home for our programs, completed in 1967 and located just off main campus

Hesterberg Hall provides a gathering space unlike any other on campus for students and faculty. It also holds a multimedia auditorium.

The addition of Horner Hall significantly increased the number of teaching and research laboratories.

www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 1312 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011

Building a CommunityThe Ford Center, located in Alberta, Michigan, has been a vital part of our School’s history since it was donated to Michigan Tech in 1954 by the Ford Motor Company.

The story of Alberta actually begins in 1935, when Henry Ford commenced construction. The village was home to one of Ford’s sawmills, which produced lumber for some autos. The “Woodie Wagon” was the last Model A that required lumber. When it went out of production in 1951, the Ford Motor Company closed all its sawmills—at Kingsford, L’Anse, Pequaming, Alberta, and Big Bay.

The School’s activities at the center began promptly in 1955, when the village, sawmill, and forest land were acquired. Courses including forest techniques, field instruction, forest product research, and sawmilling were taught. Fall and Summer Camps for both the four-year and two-year programs were begun in 1955.

Research into sustainable forestry practices continues to this day. Over the past years, the activities at the Ford Center, once known as the Ford Forestry Center, have changed and grown. Today the houses and dorm structures are used as part of a conference center, which caters to groups of all kinds, and the sawmill has become a popular museum for visitors traveling through the UP.

The Ford Forestry Center is a cornerstone for research and education in the Great Lakes region. Its proud legacy provides the needed foundation to address contemporary environmental issues.

—Carl Trettin (Forestry 1976, MS 1980)

Fall Camp, Alberta, the Ford Center. Those names elicit many thoughts: friends smiling and laugh-ing, professors cracking jokes, improbable assignments. As a freshman I heard countless stories about that place. It was almost as if it were a part of the rite of passage to becoming a forester. It is a place of milestones for me. I attended Fall Camp and was a TA there. I lived there when I worked for the DNR, and my two children were born while we lived there. It will always be a place that has a special meaning in my life.

—Tom Seablom (Forestry 2000, MS 2002)

The Ford Center represents a period in my career that taught me and my family the value of living in a small community. The friendships the kids had, helpful neighbors, fun adventures, and the quietness and beauty of the forest itself were all unique. It was an ideal location for research due to the variety of forest types and soils. We have fond memories of living there. It will always be a special place to us.

—Stephen Shetron, professor emeritus

Breaking Ground

The Forestry Department found its first home in the old Hubbell Hall in 1936. A campus landmark, it was located where the ME-EM building now stands. Built in 1888, it fell to the wrecking ball in 1968.

By 1942 the forestry program had outgrown its space and moved to the Hubbell School, where it occupied the entire second floor and part of the basement for over twenty-five years. The Hubbell School was located on College Avenue, just west of campus, and was torn down when US 41 was relocated.

Plans were drawn for the new Department of Forestry and the Institute of Wood Research building with a cost in 1965 of $1.3 million. The groundbreaking ceremony in 1966 was followed by a Lumberjacks Luncheon at the Union. One speaker noted that forest industries had now surpassed tourism in Michigan’s economy.

The new building was ready for use in the fall of 1967 and dedicated in 1968. It was officially named the U. J. Noblet Forestry and Wood Products Building, to honor the depart-ment’s founder, in 1994.

A $10 million expansion project to accommodate our growing educational and research programs began with the 1999 groundbreaking. Work on the building progressed quickly, and the new, improved building was ready and open for business in the fall of 2000. This doubled our space with the addition of Hesterberg Hall and Horner Hall.

In 2002, the School was renamed the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, to reflect the increasing role we play in educating not only foresters, but also applied ecologists, biotechnologists, and now, wildlife ecologists.

The Village of Alberta was Henry Ford’s model community. This bust of Ford is on display at Alberta. Behind it is a picture of the sawmill, signed by Ford’s grandson, William Clay Ford, when he visited Alberta in 1999.

The Ford Woodie Wagon.

Studying and living at the Ford Center, whether it was Summer or Fall Camp, was not only educational, but it was also a bonding experience for participants.

The Ford Center has hosted several Forestry Conclaves and other student events over the years.

Professor Steve Shetron (center) taught, researched, and lived at the Ford Center.

Hubbell Hall was a landmark on campus in the early 1900s.

Hubbell School was once part of the Houghton Public Schools.

A new home for our programs, completed in 1967 and located just off main campus

Hesterberg Hall provides a gathering space unlike any other on campus for students and faculty. It also holds a multimedia auditorium.

The addition of Horner Hall significantly increased the number of teaching and research laboratories.

www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 1514 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011 www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 15

Memories of My ProfessorSubmit your favorite professor story at www.mtu.edu/forest/alumni/share.

Hammer Steinhilb let Howard Makela (Forestry 1948) and me use a vacant barracks at Camp Pori over Thanksgiving break for deer hunting. The barracks were not insulated and were heated by a pot-bellied stove in the middle. We pulled our cots around the stove at night and kept our food at one end where it froze solid. Those CCC boys had to be tough.—William Balmer (Forestry 1949)

I think my favorite professor was Chuck Hein. I really enjoyed the surveying classes he taught. The material was very practical and so was he. He had a very kind and gentle way about him that I really appreciated.

—John Bedford (Forestry 1983)

Glenn Mroz was a favorite. He gave great applied exams requiring critical thinking. I have modeled this in my own teaching career.—Laura DeWald (Forestry 1980)

T. Robin McIntyre was only there for a short time in the late 1970s. He came from the Deep South and had quite a heavy southern accent. Some of us still repeat one of his famous quotes: “Life is a strange possum.”

—Barb Bennett (Forestry 1978)

There was an “old guard” team in 1978. Even then, I knew we were blessed to have access to real-world foresters. It was truly a team approach—which was so fitting in training foresters to manage multiple resources. They led by example.—Karin Van Dyke (Forestry 1978)

During field trips, we would stop at Hammer’s home in Painesdale, and his wife would have delicious hot cookies for the students. Yum!

—Nancy Wizner (Forestry 1977)

I greatly appreciated all of the instructors and researchers that played a role in guiding me through my undergraduate and graduate studies at Tech. Especially influen-tial were Drs. Reed, Mroz, and Jurgensen. They had a very positive influence on me through their passion for research, teaching, and international scientific endeavors, respectively.—Tim Bottenfield (Forestry 1983,

MS 1986)

Marty Jurgensen and Jim Pickens were really approachable outside of the classroom. I wasn’t a big fan of

how Marty did his tests, but it helped me to remember the material better.—Steven Horndt (Forestry 2008)

Norm Sloan was one of my favorites. He mentored me and occasionally chewed me out if I strayed from studying and applying myself to the fullest extent. By working in his lab, I developed a good sense of applying forest management over all forest values, which helped me immensely throughout my career.—Bernie Hubbard (Forestry 1967)

My favorite professor was Kathy Halvorsen. She connected broad policy issues with natural resource science and took an individual inter-est in her students.

—Stuart Kramer (AE 2008)

It’s an exciting time to be associated with the School and the University.

Teaching for the FutureOur School has had many great teachers throughout its history. These teachers have been recognized not only by the students within the School, but also by the University with its Distinguished Teaching Award, which was established in 1952. Recipients from the School include the following:

2010 Blair Orr 1978 Helmuth Steinhilb

2002 David Flaspohler 1975 Vern Johnson

2000 Marty Jurgensen 1955 U. J. Noblet

1980 Gene Hesterberg

Our excellence in teaching has always emphasized a direct, hands-on approach, not only in the field but also in our labs.

Two of the highlights of our teaching efforts have been the open-door policy of our faculty and the first-name basis we enjoy with our faculty, students, and staff. This culture continues today and is one of the strongest reasons why students are attracted to our degree programs. The camaraderie that is built among our students both in and out of class creates a strong independent spirit with a love of learning that carries on into our alumni’s lives.

The major distinction of our undergraduate degree programs has been Fall or Summer Camp (or, as we now call it, Integrated Field Practicum). The camp experience, whether at Camp Pori, the Ford Center, or on campus, instilled professional confidence, formed personal bonds, fostered education, and created life-long memories for each of our students.

In 1985, Professor John Kotar was awarded the University’s Big Screw. Ros Miller was the favorite and won in 1987. This tongue-in-cheek award symbolized the popularity of a faculty member with his or her students. A unique aspect of the School is the familiarity the students enjoy with their professors.

Marty Jurgensen, a near-legend to many, has been teaching in the School since 1970.

A 1986 field trip. Getting out in the field has always been part of our programs.

Assistant Professor Joe Bump assists students during a wildlife population exercise in the computer lab at Fall Camp.

Hammer Steinhilb helped many students along the way.

Our hands-on approach to teaching sets our programs apart.

In addition to the University’s 125th anniversary in 2010 and our 75th in 2011, we are rapidly approaching the 10th anniversary of Hesterberg and Horner Halls. You—our alumni and friends—made those buildings happen. They are among the crown jewels on campus. If you haven’t visited to see the buildings, please do. These buildings were meant to inspire our students, and they certainly don’t disappoint.

The era of escaping from college debt-free is rapidly coming to a close. Our most critical need is our scholarship endowment. Luckily, the School is run by foresters and natural resources professionals with an eye to future generations. As such, we began building our scholarship endowments fifteen years ago. We hope you’ll join us—please consider a gift to mark our 75th anniversary. In recognition of our great leader and mentor, Gene Hesterberg, we invite you to give toward a fund that will directly benefit our students.

• $75—Gene Hesterberg Scholarship Fund• $750—Marty Jurgensen Teaching Excellence Fund• $7,500—Hammer Steinhilb Equipment Fund• $75, 000—Endowed Scholarship Fund

An envelope has been enclosed for your convenience. Please plan to join us for our 75th celebration in August—we’d enjoy getting you reacquainted with your old stomping grounds.

—Chris Hohnholt, director of development and outreach

www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 1514 School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science • 75th Anniversary 1936–2011 www.forest.mtu.edu • School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science 15

Memories of My ProfessorSubmit your favorite professor story at www.mtu.edu/forest/alumni/share.

Hammer Steinhilb let Howard Makela (Forestry 1948) and me use a vacant barracks at Camp Pori over Thanksgiving break for deer hunting. The barracks were not insulated and were heated by a pot-bellied stove in the middle. We pulled our cots around the stove at night and kept our food at one end where it froze solid. Those CCC boys had to be tough.—William Balmer (Forestry 1949)

I think my favorite professor was Chuck Hein. I really enjoyed the surveying classes he taught. The material was very practical and so was he. He had a very kind and gentle way about him that I really appreciated.

—John Bedford (Forestry 1983)

Glenn Mroz was a favorite. He gave great applied exams requiring critical thinking. I have modeled this in my own teaching career.—Laura DeWald (Forestry 1980)

T. Robin McIntyre was only there for a short time in the late 1970s. He came from the Deep South and had quite a heavy southern accent. Some of us still repeat one of his famous quotes: “Life is a strange possum.”

—Barb Bennett (Forestry 1978)

There was an “old guard” team in 1978. Even then, I knew we were blessed to have access to real-world foresters. It was truly a team approach—which was so fitting in training foresters to manage multiple resources. They led by example.—Karin Van Dyke (Forestry 1978)

During field trips, we would stop at Hammer’s home in Painesdale, and his wife would have delicious hot cookies for the students. Yum!

—Nancy Wizner (Forestry 1977)

I greatly appreciated all of the instructors and researchers that played a role in guiding me through my undergraduate and graduate studies at Tech. Especially influen-tial were Drs. Reed, Mroz, and Jurgensen. They had a very positive influence on me through their passion for research, teaching, and international scientific endeavors, respectively.—Tim Bottenfield (Forestry 1983,

MS 1986)

Marty Jurgensen and Jim Pickens were really approachable outside of the classroom. I wasn’t a big fan of

how Marty did his tests, but it helped me to remember the material better.—Steven Horndt (Forestry 2008)

Norm Sloan was one of my favorites. He mentored me and occasionally chewed me out if I strayed from studying and applying myself to the fullest extent. By working in his lab, I developed a good sense of applying forest management over all forest values, which helped me immensely throughout my career.—Bernie Hubbard (Forestry 1967)

My favorite professor was Kathy Halvorsen. She connected broad policy issues with natural resource science and took an individual inter-est in her students.

—Stuart Kramer (AE 2008)

It’s an exciting time to be associated with the School and the University.

Teaching for the FutureOur School has had many great teachers throughout its history. These teachers have been recognized not only by the students within the School, but also by the University with its Distinguished Teaching Award, which was established in 1952. Recipients from the School include the following:

2010 Blair Orr 1978 Helmuth Steinhilb

2002 David Flaspohler 1975 Vern Johnson

2000 Marty Jurgensen 1955 U. J. Noblet

1980 Gene Hesterberg

Our excellence in teaching has always emphasized a direct, hands-on approach, not only in the field but also in our labs.

Two of the highlights of our teaching efforts have been the open-door policy of our faculty and the first-name basis we enjoy with our faculty, students, and staff. This culture continues today and is one of the strongest reasons why students are attracted to our degree programs. The camaraderie that is built among our students both in and out of class creates a strong independent spirit with a love of learning that carries on into our alumni’s lives.

The major distinction of our undergraduate degree programs has been Fall or Summer Camp (or, as we now call it, Integrated Field Practicum). The camp experience, whether at Camp Pori, the Ford Center, or on campus, instilled professional confidence, formed personal bonds, fostered education, and created life-long memories for each of our students.

In 1985, Professor John Kotar was awarded the University’s Big Screw. Ros Miller was the favorite and won in 1987. This tongue-in-cheek award symbolized the popularity of a faculty member with his or her students. A unique aspect of the School is the familiarity the students enjoy with their professors.

Marty Jurgensen, a near-legend to many, has been teaching in the School since 1970.

A 1986 field trip. Getting out in the field has always been part of our programs.

Assistant Professor Joe Bump assists students during a wildlife population exercise in the computer lab at Fall Camp.

Hammer Steinhilb helped many students along the way.

Our hands-on approach to teaching sets our programs apart.

In addition to the University’s 125th anniversary in 2010 and our 75th in 2011, we are rapidly approaching the 10th anniversary of Hesterberg and Horner Halls. You—our alumni and friends—made those buildings happen. They are among the crown jewels on campus. If you haven’t visited to see the buildings, please do. These buildings were meant to inspire our students, and they certainly don’t disappoint.

The era of escaping from college debt-free is rapidly coming to a close. Our most critical need is our scholarship endowment. Luckily, the School is run by foresters and natural resources professionals with an eye to future generations. As such, we began building our scholarship endowments fifteen years ago. We hope you’ll join us—please consider a gift to mark our 75th anniversary. In recognition of our great leader and mentor, Gene Hesterberg, we invite you to give toward a fund that will directly benefit our students.

• $75—Gene Hesterberg Scholarship Fund• $750—Marty Jurgensen Teaching Excellence Fund• $7,500—Hammer Steinhilb Equipment Fund• $75, 000—Endowed Scholarship Fund

An envelope has been enclosed for your convenience. Please plan to join us for our 75th celebration in August—we’d enjoy getting you reacquainted with your old stomping grounds.

—Chris Hohnholt, director of development and outreach

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Michigan Technological University1400 Townsend DriveHoughton, MI 49931-1295

Message from the Dean

2011. It’s our seventy-fifth year as leaders in forestry, wood products, and natural

resource management. I am so proud of the work we have done and are doing. This commemorative issue of our newsletter is just a glimpse of our history. Thanks to all who contributed. Space did not allow us to include everything, but we continue to gather comments and stories to post on the seventy-fifth anniversary section of our blog, at www.blogs.mtu.edu/forest.

On page 10 you will read of the passing of our dear friend, leader, and mentor Gene Hesterberg. It seems fitting that we are able to acknowledge his life and contributions to the School in this special issue.

I look forward to hearing from many of you as you share your stories about your years with us, and I hope you join us during Alumni Reunion.

We are planning a celebration for graduates, friends, and their families from all years. The dates are August 4–6, 2011. Here are some special events we are planning:

Outdoor movie night

Bonfire and pig roast

Hikes and tours of our facilities and forests

Honor Academy inductions

Class of 1961—celebrating fifty years

And more!

For more information, visit www.mtu.edu/forest/alumni/reunion.

Set your GPS to Houghton and join us!

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1936–2011