STARKVILLE, Miss.—As wildlife researchers continue studying the spread of chronic wasting disease, a fatal infectious disease threatening North America's deer populations, scientists in Mississippi State University's Deer Lab are sharing how certain management practices, including supplemental feeding of deer, can impact disease transmission rates.
Steve Demarais, MSU Deer Lab co-director, said minimizing direct contact by elimin...
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University researchers are pioneering a new way to detect the local presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal disease threatening the nation's deer populations.
Steve Demarais, Taylor Chair in Applied Big Game Research and Instruction in MSU's Forest and Wildlife Research Center, leads a team studying how scrapes left by deer could be a game changer in detecting CWD before noticeable p...
While the gridiron brought Emily White's family across the South to Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri and Texas, she found her passion in another kind of field—the wide-open spaces of the great outdoors. White is the daughter of an NCAA college football coach—an occupation which can lead to relocation—and remembers a childhood spent fascinated by the natural world around her.
"I've loved the outdoors forever. I have picture...
Approximately 10,000 years ago, the last glaciers retreated, helping form the northern prairies in North America. Among dozens of waterfowl species, mallards and black ducks settled in what are now Canada and the United States. These species share many common traits, but they remained geographically partitioned until recent history.
"When the glaciers melted, mallards settled in the prairie wetland systems of southern Canada and midcon...
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Students in all levels of higher education—at Mississippi State and other universities across the country—are advancing as researchers in various disciplines after benefitting from two separate MSU research experience programs, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
MSU/USDA Graduate Summer Research Experience
The MSU/USDA Graduate Summer Research Experience ...
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Three Mississippi State University undergraduate students have received the national Phi Kappa Phi Pioneer Award, a $1,000 prize recognizing exceptional research, engagement and leadership skills.
Grant Peterson, a senior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major from Starkville; Annamarie Thompson, a senior biomedical engineering major from Trussville, Alabama; and Maria Timberlake, a senior natural resource an...
The Forest Products Society (FPS), an internationally recognized organization, has elected an MSU sustainable bioproducts faculty member to an executive position.
Frank Owens, associate professor in the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, is now the society's vice president. Owens has been a member of FPS since 2016 when he was a Ph.D. student in MSU's Forest Resources program.
The Forest Products Society's ...
Rivers weave throughout Mississippi, making it the perfect state for river and aquatic ecologist Sandra Correa. As an assistant professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Mississippi State, the Colombia native uses her knowledge of aquatic biodiversity to promote responsible care of river ecosystems and protect them from overfishing, so they continue to produce a variety of fish. From the Mississippi River to the flo...
STARKVILLE, Miss.—The longest-running, live, in-woods equipment demonstration in the South—the Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show—will be held Sept. 22 and 23 at Mississippi State's John W. Starr Memorial Forest.
The event is hosted by Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Inc., and is a partnership between the Mississippi Forestry Association, MSU's College of Forest Resources and the Mississippi Loggers Association. Wit...
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University's Department of Sustainable Bioproducts hosted the Wood Magic Science Fair last Monday [Sept. 18] through Friday [Sept. 22].
Approximately 4,000 third- and fourth- graders from across the state came to campus for WMSF to learn about forestry and the importance of forest products.
Students were taught that wood is renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and durable in an excitin...
In the U.S., deer/vehicle collisions cause 1.5 million motor vehicle accidents each year, resulting in 200 fatalities and over a billion dollars in property damage. With 1.75 million deer in Mississippi, deer/vehicle collisions are cause for concern. That's why an FWRC scientist, with lead collaborators from participating agencies, sought to better understand how deer respond to approaching vehicles before a collision occurs.
Dr. Ray Igl...
Lacy Dolan has traversed the country studying mammals. Her latest stop is Mississippi State University, where she studies the state's black bears.
Growing up, the Dwight, Illinois, native said cats were the first animals to pique her curiosity.
"My parents both grew up on farms, so we had outdoor cats, which I loved. I remember learning about different animals and being fascinated by how they adapted to various environments," s...
Invasive, like the emerald ash borer and the redbay ambrosia beetle, wreak havoc on native ecosystems, kill hundreds of millions of trees, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars per year in lost revenue, management costs, and loss of ecosystem services in North America. A FWRC scientist sees these insects as a cautionary tale as she seeks to rewrite the story. Dr. Ashley Schulz, assistant forestry professor, is part of a team working to pred...
FRANKLIN QUIN, JR. has been at home in the forest for much of his life. A Tylertown native, he grew up spending much of his time outdoors, from working in his family’s garden to participating in 4-H activities. Quin graduated from Alcorn State University in 1992 with a bachelor’s in industrial technology and enrolled in MSU’s wood science master’s program that fall. After graduating with his master’s in 1994, he w...
STARKVILLE, Miss. - A Mississippi State University-developed tool is helping land conservation leaders make informed and effective investments in the Gulf Coast region. Now, the team behind the software is being recognized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The web-based software uses 26 data sets to help stakeholders determine the best areas along the Gulf Coast for land conservation, based on the environmental and socioeconomic b...
The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University, under the College of Forest Resources (CFR), recently recognized its exceptional students at the annual spring Student Awards Ceremony. This department is unique in the state, focusing on educating and cultivating future leaders in wildlife and fisheries management.
Graduates from the department go on to vital roles in private companies, nonprofit or...
The Department of Forestry at Mississippi State, part of the College of Forest Resources (CFR), recently held its annual Student Awards Ceremony, recognizing exceptional undergraduate and graduate students for their academic excellence. The department is part of the only nationally accredited program in the state for educating future leaders in natural resources, a field providing nearly 70,000 jobs and contributing $13.12 billion to Mississip...
The Department of Sustainable Bioproducts at Mississippi State University, as a part of the College of Forest Resources (CFR), recently honored its remarkable students during the annual spring Student Awards Ceremony. The department is the sole nationally accredited educational program in the state aimed at cultivating future leaders in the field of natural resources.
CFR graduates enjoy a high employment rate across the U.S. and Mis...
Mississippi State University’s College of Forest Resources (CFR) is launching a new diversity initiative aimed at breaking down barriers for women and minorities to pursue careers in natural resources. Despite the significant economic impact of the forestry industry and related fields in Mississippi, these groups are significantly underrepresented in the sector.
“There are tremendous career opportunities in natural resour...
NATIVE OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA, MADELINE (MADDIE) GNANN has always felt at home in the outdoors. Throughout her childhood, Gnann spent her summers near Little Rock, Arkansas at Ferncliff, an overnight camp that incorporates conservation and sustainable living into everyday activities. These summers helped shape her worldview and eventually drew her to major in sustainable bioproducts at Mississippi State University. “I haven’t alw...
MISSISSIPPI HAS 19.2 MILLION ACRES of forestland, which accounts for 62% of the state's total land area. Nonindustrial private forest landowners own nearly three-quarters of all the forestland in Mississippi, about 70%. Like government and industry owned land, private forestland provides fresh water, habitats for fish and wildlife, recreational opportunities, and wood products. However, frequent resale activity for immediate profit can potenti...
The leader of Mississippi State’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture is being honored with the national Seven Seals Award by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
Department Head Andrew Kouba, a Dale Arner Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology and director for MSU’s Center for Human-Wildlife Conflicts, has been selected for his “meritorious leadership and initiative in support of the me...
A renowned freshwater ecologist and Mississippi State scientist is lending her expertise to a historic international report, respected as the world’s most comprehensive account of environmental crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Sandra Correa, assistant professor and researcher in MSU’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, has been invited by the U.N. Environment Programme for members...
The federal agency in charge of the nation’s space program is receiving assistance from a Mississippi State assistant forestry professor in addressing water security by monitoring, understanding and managing natural resources through satellite data.
Yun Yang, also an MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center scientist, is part of a national consortium of more than 30 members and partners contributing to the NASA Acres project. Th...
OVER 62% OF MISSISSIPPI'S LAND BASE is forested giving the Magnolia State a $13.8 billion dollar forestry and forest products enterprise. While green covers the map, the residents that enjoy the forested landscape are why Forest and Wildlife Research Center scientists are part of the Tombigbee Forest Bird Partnership (TFBP), an effort aimed at celebrating and enhancing avian conservation in the Southeast's working forests. Emily Jo "EJ" Willia...
Many wood items we import from abroad are incorrectly declared on customs forms. Sometimes it's an honest mistake, but other times, items made from illegally cut timber—commonly from tropical regions like the Congo and the Amazon—are deliberately mislabeled and enter the U.S. and other countries in violation of law. Accurate wood identification plays a critical role in maintaining sustainable wood product value chains and adhering ...
From Kerrville, Texas, Lucas Evanko, lived in many places before the College of Forest Resources at Mississippi State University became his home-away-from-home.
As a nontraditional undergraduate student, Evanko returned to school to earn his associate and bachelor's degrees, while considering pursuing a master's, after working close to ten years since enrolled as a student.
"I had no intention of attending a four-year program,...
Polar bears. Giant pandas. Mountain gorillas. In the last several decades, these endangered animals have attracted attention-deservedly so-but what about the smaller, less conspicuous amphibians that are on the brink of extinction? Mississippi State researchers are focused on saving them, too.
Scientists in the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station are leading a conso...
Positions such as forestry financial analyst, geographical information specialist, environmental manager, wood products mill manager and forest economist may be unfamiliar to female, minority or first-generation college students when considering a college major.
Mississippi State University's College of Forest Resources aims to change that with help from Dick Molpus, former secretary of state and longtime advocate for an educated wor...
For hunters in Mississippi, the call of a wild turkey heralds the official start of spring as much as the emerging daffodils and unmistakable coating of pollen.
With a three-decade trend of declining turkey populations in some regions of the state, an accurate assessment of turkey population is critical to proper management of the birds’ habitats, seasonal hunting regulations and hunt success. State agencies rely h...
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