Our people at CNR
Meet our people
Faculty and staff at the College of Natural Resources are dedicated to mentoring and supporting students throughout their education and research journeys. Pursue exciting research opportunities in fields such as conservation biology, forest biometrics, pyroaerobiology, aquaculture, biomass utilization and more.
Student success
Looking for an advisor or recruiter? Visit CNR's student success website.
Departments
Leadership
Dennis Becker
Dean of the College of Natural ResourcesKerri Vierling
Associate Dean; Professor of Wildlife Resources
Fish and Wildlife Sciences
David Ausband
Assistant Unit Leader, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitJocelyn Aycrigg
Associate Research ProfessorChristopher Caudill
Professor of FisheriesCourtney Conway
Professor of Wildlife Sciences and Unit Leader of the Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitMatt Falcy
Assistant Professor of Biometrics and Assistant Unit Leader, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitTracey N. Johnson
Director of Research, Rinker Rock Creek Ranch Associate ProfessorBrian Kennedy
Professor of Fishery Biology and EcologyRyan Long
Professor of Wildlife SciencesSimona Picardi
Assistant Professor of Wildlife Ecology and ManagementMichael Quist
Professor of Fisheries Management and Assistant Unit Leader, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitJanet Rachlow
Professor of Wildlife EcologyDennis Scarnecchia
Professor of Fisheries Science and ManagementBrian Small
Professor of Fish Physiology, Director of the Aquaculture Research InstitutePedro Viadanna
Assistant Professor of Aquaculture and Fish HealthKerri Vierling
Associate Dean; Professor of Wildlife ResourcesLisette Waits
Distinguished Professor of Wildlife ResourcesFrank Wilhelm
Professor of Limnology, Department Head, Associate Director, Center for Research on Invasive Species
Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences
Kristina Bartowitz
Research Assistant Professor of Ecosystem EcologyRyer Becker
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Forest Operations and Forest Products ManufacturingLuigi Boschetti
Professor of Earth Observation Data ScienceRandall Brooks
Professor and Extension Specialist in ForestryMark Coleman
Professor of ForestryMeghan Foard
Senior Ecology InstructorPaul Gessler
Professor of Remote Sensing and Geospatial EcologyCharles Goebel
Professor of Forest Ecosystem Restoration and Ecology and Department Head of Forest, Rangeland and Fire SciencesHeather Heward
Senior Fire Ecology and Management InstructorTara Hudiburg
Professor of Ecosystem EcologyK. Scott Jensen
Area Extension EducatorJason W. Karl
Director of the U of I Rangeland Center, Professor of Rangeland Ecology, and Harold F. and Ruth M. Heady Endowed Chair of Rangeland EcologyRobert Keefe
Associate Professor of Forest Operations and Director of the University of Idaho Experimental ForestMark Kimsey
Associate Professor of Forest Resources and Director of the Intermountain Forestry CooperativeLeda Kobziar
Professor of Wildland Fire Science, Director of Master of Natural Resources ProgramKaren Launchbaugh
Professor of Rangeland EcologyTimothy E. Link
Professor of Hydrology; Director, Water Resources Graduate ProgramArmando McDonald
Distinguished Professor of Forest and Sustainable ProductsJessica Miesel
Associate Professor of Fire EcologyAndrew Nelson
Associate Professor of Forest Regeneration, Tom A. Alberg and Judith Beck Endowed Chair of Native Plant Regeneration, Director of Center for Forest Nursery and Seedling ResearchVladyslav Oles
Research Assistant Professor of Spatial and Data AnalysisSteven R. Shook
Professor of Forest and Sustainable ProductsKelsey Tobin
Assistant Professor of Forest HealthEric Winford
Research Assistant Professor of Rangeland Ecology and Management, Associate Director of the Rangeland Center
Natural Resources and Society
Ming-Hsun Cheng
Assistant Professor of Energy and EnvironmentJan U.H. Eitel
Associate ProfessorKarla Eitel
Director, McCall Field Campus; Professor of Place-Based Environmental EducationMary Engels
Assistant ProfessorElise Kokenge
Director of CNR Graduate Studies, Assistant Research ProfessorGreg Latta
Associate Research Professor of Forest Economics; Director, Policy Analysis GroupNathan Moody
Instructor, Natural Resources ManagementTravis Paveglio
Professor of Natural Resource SociologyChelsea Pennick (McIver)
Associate Director of Policy Analysis Group and Research Assistant Professor of Natural Resources Policy and AdministrationDavid Roon
Environmental Science Program Associate Director, Clinical Assistant Professor of Conservation BiologyDavid Smith
Assistant ProfessorShanny Spang Gion
Assistant Professor of Tribal WaterJaap Vos
Professor of Planning and Natural Resources; Director of the Environmental Science Program; Department HeadKenneth E. Wallen
Associate Professor of Human Dimensions of Fish and WildlifePatrick Wilson
Associate Professor of Natural Resource PolicyChris Zajchowski
Assistant Professor of Parks, Tourism and Recreation Ecology
Emeritus
Kenneth Cain
Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Fish and Wildlife SciencesAlan Kolok
Professor Emeritus of Fish and Wildlife SciencesEva Strand
Professor Emeritus of Forest, Rangeland and Fire SciencesLee Vierling
Professor Emeritus of Natural Resources and Society
Meet the dean
Welcome to the College of Natural Resources at University of Idaho.
This is an outstanding place to study, work and conduct research. The College of Natural Resources was ranked number one in value for education in 2018 and continues to be ranked among the top ten natural resources colleges in America by College Factual. Many of our individual programs are recognized as among the best.
Our faculty are innovative scientists whose widely-recognized work influences state and federal policy. They are also dedicated teachers and mentors who care about education and foster an environment that helps students grow by actively participating in research and field experiences throughout the state, region and around the globe.
As Idaho’s land-grant institution, we have a mission to provide practical education in the sciences. Students in the College of Natural Resources have many opportunities to gain hands-on field experiences in some of the best outdoor classrooms in the world—the forests, rangelands, rivers and mountains of Idaho. They have access to more than 10,000 acres in the University of Idaho Experimental Forests; the Pitkin Forest Nursery, the only operational research nursery at a university in the country; Taylor Wilderness Research Station in the middle of the largest wilderness area in the lower 48 states; and the McCall Field Campus, home to Idaho’s only resident K-12 education program and to our new summer field camp for undergraduates.
You will launch a great career with a degree from the University of Idaho and the College of Natural Resources. Our graduates are in high demand, and our alumni are leaders around the world. I invite you to explore our departments, majors and graduate programs to discover the richness of what we have to offer.
The College of Natural Resources is an exciting place to be. I hope you will join us!
Go Vandals!
Dennis Becker, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Natural Resources