I hope this e-newsletter finds you having a great summer. The College of Forest Resources and Forest and Wildlife Research Center are having a great year thus far. Thanks to many of our alumni and sponsors, we received level funding in the 2009 Legislative session. In this struggling economy, this is great news for our college and center. I know that many of our supporters helped get this passed through and on behalf of the faculty, staff, and students, I thank you for your efforts.

We have numerous upcoming events that I would like to make you aware of as you plan for the fall. There are three alumni receptions held at professional society meetings throughout the country. I am also pleased to announce that the College of Forest Resources will be hosting an Alumni Reunion on October 24. The event will coincide with the Mississippi State vs. Florida football game. The planning committee has been busy getting ready for this event. We plan on offering discounted tickets to the football game, food, and tours of the facilities. We also plan on inviting retired professors to join us for the festivities. A letter will be arriving shortly to explain all of the details. We will also set up a web site for individuals to register and be able to see who is coming. Please reserve this date and try to join us for the new era of football coach Dan Mullen. It is gonna be exciting.

Finally, thank you for the record year we have had in giving to the College. We have received numerous land gifts and scholarships. Thanks for your support as we grow our college. During economic hardships, it is amazing that so many of our supporters are willing to give so generously. We have recently updated the alumni web page to spotlight our numerous donors. We also recently dedicated Lake Arner in honor of the founding head of wildlife and fisheries, Dale Arner. So many of our alumni have pledged to increase the Dale Arner Endowed Scholarship in Wildlife and Fisheries. The scholarship fund has grown to over $75,000. We are striving to increase this scholarship fund to $100,000. Perhaps you would like to help. If you would like to contribute to the Arner Scholarship or other scholarships, in the college, please contact Jeff Little at 662-325-8151 or by email.

Finally, please let us hear from you. We are always excited to hear from alumni about promotions, marriages, births, and news. I hope you enjoy the newsletter and look forward to hearing from you soon.

The 2009 Mississippi Water Resources Conference will be held on August 5-7, 2009 and promises to be exciting with a combined meeting of the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute and the Mississippi Water Resources Association. This will be the water conference you will not want to miss, featuring technical sessions, keynote speakers, and myriad of activities. Register today at www.wrri.msstate.edu

Managing White-Tailed Deer in Mississippi will be offered on August 15, 2009 at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson. The $50 cost includes lunch and educational materials. Seating is limited and registration is required. Register by July 31 by sending your check or money order to Scott Messina at at Box 9690, Mississippi State, MS 39762. Please make checks payable to Mississippi State University. For more information, contact Messina at 662-325-3174.

The department of wildlife and fisheries is hosting an alumni social on September 22, 2009 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. during The Wildlife Society annual meeting. The social will be held in the Monterey Suite of the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort and Spay, One Old Golf Course Road, Monterey, California.

The Wood Magic Science Fair is scheduled for October 19-23, 2009. The fair is an exciting and innovative program aimed specifically at fourth-graders. It seeks to educate students about the tremendous importance of wood and wood products to each of us individually and to the economy of the nation. Registration for the Wood Magic Science Fair is limited to 150 classes. If you know of a teacher that would like to attend, please visit the web site at www.cfr.msstate.edu/forestp/wmsf/

The Mississippi State University College of Forest Resources Alumni Group will be holding an all-class reunion on October 24, 2009 at Thompson Hall. The reunion is scheduled for the Florida vs. Mississippi football game. Coach Dan Mullen is expecting an exciting season this year and we would like for you to be a part. We will hold a CFR Tailgating Reunion under tents in the Johnson Courtyard. Come visit with faculty (both current and retired), staff, students, and fellow alumni before, during and after the game. The college is offering tickets at a discounted price. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please contact your alumni representative in each department.

• Forestry
  Randy Rousseau at rrousseau@cfr.msstate.edu or 662-325-2777


• Forest Products
  George Miller at gmiller@cfr.msstate.edu or 662-325-8036


• Wildlife and Fisheries
  Bronson Strickland at bstrickland@cfr.msstate.edu or 662-325-8141

A web site and more information will be coming soon but keep your calendar open for October 24.

The department of wildlife and fisheries is hosting an alumni social at the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting on November 2, 2009. The social will be from 5:00 p.m. - 10 p.m. in the NOrth Tower Hospitality Suite of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, 100 CNN Center, Atlanta, GA.

The department of forest products is offering a workshop on wood basics. The workshop will be held on November 4, 2009 at the Franklin Furniture Center. The cost is only $35 and will teach participants about wood anatomy, wood and water, wood products, and the strength and mechanics of wood. For information, visit the web site at www.cfr.msstate.edu/workshops/woodbasics.

The College of Forest Resources dedicated Lake Arner on June 10. The lake is located on the Starr Memorial Forest. Dale Arner served as the first head of wildlife and fisheries from 1968-1987. The lake is 15.4 acres and was constructed in 2005. It was constructed by Hill Brothers Construction as a component of the 1986 Highway Expansion program. The lake sits on the Old Shop Site which was constructed in 1927. Dr. Arner served as a tireless leader in the College. In 1996, the Dale Arner Endowed Scholarship in Wildlife and Fisheries was established. Four of the highly competitive scholarships have been awarded. The scholarship fund has grown to over $75,000. With the dedication of the lake, the Arner Scholarship Committee is seeking to increase the scholarship fund to $100,000. If you are interested in contributing to this scholarship, contact Jeff Little at 662-325-8151 or by email at jlittle@foundation.msstate.edu

John passed away on December 20, 2008.

Les received the Mississippi Society of American Foresters Service Award. Les serves the state chapter as policy chair. Shelby is a consulting forester at May and Associates in Brandon.

Jeanne was recognized as the Outstanding Faculty Woman by Mississippi State University's President's Commission on the Status of Women. Jeanne also recently completed a book with Dale Arner entitled "Wildlife Habitat Management for Special Use Areas". The 163-page book deals with wildlife habitat enhancement techniques on such areas as utility lines and other rights-of-way, surface mines and disposal areas, abandoned orchards, farmland, beaver-impounded water, and impoverished forest lands.

Eddie was recognized by the College of Forest Resources as the 2009 Alumni of the Year. The College Alumni of the Year program recognizes alumni who have made a significant contribution to human or institutional progress in which a situation, institution or movement has been materially changed for the better because of their participation. This award recognizes the achievements of outstanding alumni whose personal lives, professional accomplishments and community service best exemplify the mission of Mississippi State University.

The Mississippi Technology Alliance awarded Shane Kitchens first place for his technology that delivers products and services for termite control. TermiSys, a company founded by Kitchens, fellow student Kevin Ragon, and professor Terry Amburgey, received the first Thad Cochran Endowment for Entrepreneurship.

Matthew was promoted to associate professor in the department of forestry, wildlife, and fisheries at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He also received the 2009 W.F. and Golda Moss Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Tennessee's College of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources.

Amy and Garrett Walsh are the proud parents of son Brody, born Friday, February 27. He weighed 7 pounds 1-1/2 ounce. He's welcomed by big brother Bryan.

Will married Sallye Clayton on May 2, 2009.

Matthew received the Young Forester Award from the Mississippi Society of American Foresters. He is an assistant vice president for Land Bank of North Mississippi.

Amy is living in Florida and working towards her Florida State Mental Health Counselor license. She has already received her National Certified Counselor Credential. She was married in June 2008 to Andrew Choisser, an attorney for the State of Florida. Amy and Andrew are the proud parents of Noah Casale Choisser, born March 13, 2009.

Liney and professor Don Jackson received the Universiti Sains Malaysia's Award of Excellence in the publication category for their paper entitled, Lignite mining and stream channelization influences on aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages along the Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi, USA. Liney is on the faculty at the Universiti Sains Malaysia and was recently promoted.

Edith received Teacher of the Year from West Point High School, north campus.

Mr. Robertson passed away on February 4, 2009. While he was not an alumnus of MSU, he was a valued and revered member of MSU Extension Forestry.

The College of Forest Resources is now on Facebook. Join our page as a fan and receive updates and information about your alma mater.

Looking for a certified logger. The College of Forest Resources now has a new web site with a list of certified loggers by county. The site also offers logging news, continuing education opportunities, plus much more. Check it out at www.loggered.msstate.edu/

As links in a chain provide support and stability, so can "business clusters" for the forest products industry, according to a new report by Mississippi State's Forest and Wildlife Research Center. Check out the web site and register your cluster at www.fwrc.msstate.edu/cluster/

The College of Forest Resources hosted five summer camps this year for elementary and high school students. Wildlife and Fisheries hosted four of these camps including Wetland Ecology and Outdoor Sports, Insect Camp, Upland Ecology and Outdoors Sports, and Advanced Camp. The dean's office hosted the Natural Resources Summer Camp. Check out the photo gallery for pictures from these exciting and informative opportunities afforded to young people at www.cfr.msstate.edu/photo_gallery

Richard M. Kaminski, associate dean and holder of the Kennedy Chair, is being honored by Ducks Unlimited as a Mississippi Hero of Conservation. Kaminski, a 25-year faculty veteran at the university, is also a professor of wildlife and a nationally recognized North American waterfowl and wetlands scientist. Read the full story at www.cfr.msstate.edu/news

Scientists in the FWRC have developed a new software program which estimates volume (cubic foot and board foot), weights, and biomass/carbon of individual trees and generates tree volume/weight tables by dbh, height, and/or form class. Check out the T-volume Software at fwrc.msstate.edu/software.asp.