A 24-year-veteran faculty member is the new head of the Mississippi State University’s forestry department.
Andrew Ezell will assume his new duties Dec. 1, leading the only 4-year forestry degree program in the state.
"Dr. Ezell has a wealth of experience in research, Extension and teaching," said George Hopper, dean of the College of Forest Resources and research center director. "His experience working with private landowners is extensive, and he will be an asset to the university and the state in his new role."
Established in 1954, the forestry department is part of MSU’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center and serves more than 125,000 forest landowners. Forests cover 19.6 million acres, or 65 percent of the state’s total land area.
A native of Linden, Tenn., Ezell holds a bachelor’s degree in forest management from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree in forest ecology from Yale University, and a doctorate degree in forest management and wood quality from Louisiana State University.
Ezell, whose research interests include hardwood growth and regeneration, previously worked at the University System of Georgia and Texas A&M University.