Department of Forest Ecosystem Science Website
http://www.umaine.edu/fes/Department/Programs/fesgrad.htm
Department of Forest Management Website
http://www.forest-resources.umaine.edu/grad.htm
The Departments of Forest Ecosystem Science and Forest Management, College of
Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture, offer graduate study leading to a
non-thesis Master of Forestry, a Master of Science in Forestry and a Ph.D. in
Forest Resources. An interdisciplinary Master of Science degree in Resource Utilization
is offered jointly by the Department of Forest Management and the Departments
of Resource Economics and Policy, and Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences.
The Department of Forest Ecosystem Science is a participant in an interdepartmental
degree in Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
Students may choose from a wide range of specialties, including wood science
and technology (emphasis on wood properties, wood composites, wood preservation,
and wood utilization), forest biological sciences (forest ecology and silviculture,
forest genetics, soils, entomology, physiology, and pathology), forest biometrics
(inventory, remote sensing, GIS), forest economics and policy, management sciences
(forest management, systems analysis, operations research), forest operations
science, forest business administration, and forest-based park science, recreation,
and tourism.
The forestry program at The University of Maine is one of the oldest in the United
States and has had accredited undergraduate degrees since the early years of professional
forestry accreditation. All graduate forestry degrees are offered under full University
accreditation and, in addition, the Master of Forestry degree is Society of American
Foresters accredited as a first degree in forestry. “SAF is recognized by the
Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation as the specialized accrediting
body for forestry in the United States”. The Forestry Departments are housed in
Nutting Hall. Both basic and applied graduate research are accomplished through
the use of well-equipped laboratories in Nutting Hall, greenhouse facilities on
campus, and several field research stations throughout the state. Maine, the most
heavily-forested state in the country, sets the context for this research, though
projects reach beyond state and national boundaries. Much of the research is field
oriented, and there are a variety of ecosystems and socioeconomic conditions available
for investigation. The College is responsible for the management of the Dwight
B. Demeritt Forest, a 1,700-acre tract adjoining the campus, the 4,000-acre Penobscot
Experimental Forest, and nearly 4,000 acres of other forest properties in Maine.
Maine contains more acreage of industrial forest land than any other state, but
half of its forests are in small ownership parcels. Opportunities exist for research
on biophysical and socioeconomic problems of both industrial and nonindustrial
private forests. Through the cooperation of forest industry, opportunities exist
for on-site wood processing studies. Maine’s systems of land use regulation and
forest taxation and the state’s long-standing reputation as a “vacationland” for
forest recreation indicate other categories of research interest.
NASA’s designation of the Maine Image Analysis Laboratory as a Center of Excellence
in Remote Sensing Applications and experience in tropical forest monitoring and
landscape-level forest management have attracted international students from Central
and South American among other countries.
Forestry graduate study opportunities are strengthened by association with strong
research programs within the College, elsewhere on the Orono campus, and in the
Orono area. Within the College, the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit is funded
by Maine landowners to conduct research on the intensive management of Maine’s
forest types. A federally funded Forest Ecosystem Research Program is administered
through the Forest Ecosystem Science Department and carries on long-term research
on the nearby Penobscot Experimental Forest. The United States Forest Service
research program in Orono (a branch of the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station)
employs scientists who hold appointments among the College’s graduate faculty.
Cooperative relationships also are common between the Forestry Departments and
The University of Maine’s Departments of Biological Sciences, Plant, Soil, and
Environmental Sciences, Resource Economics and Policy, Computer Sciences, Geological
Sciences, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and,
particularly, the Wildlife Ecology Department of the College of Natural Sciences,
Forestry, and Agriculture.
Admissions
Students are admitted to the graduate programs in forestry on the basis of academic
records, Graduate Record Exam scores, experience, and recommendations. All applications
requesting financial aid will be considered for the several teaching and research
assistantships available each year, without additional forms required. Several
private or government funded fellowships also are available on a competitive basis.
Applications for admission in the fall semester should be submitted by February
15, especially if the applicant is seeking financial aid.
Degree Requirements
In addition to meeting all of the requirements of the Graduate School, graduate
students in the Forestry Departments must select an advisory committee, prepare
a program of study, and prepare a thesis or project proposal as early in their
programs as possible. All graduate students must enroll in at least one graduate
seminar. Other course requirements are established by the student and his or her
advisory committee. Master of Science students must pass a thesis defense upon
completing their thesis without a dissenting vote of the advisory committee. Ph.D.
candidates must demonstrate reading proficiency in a language other than their
native tongue. A mandatory comprehensive examination, consisting of both written
and oral sections, usually is administered after most of the student’s course
work has been completed. Both this examination, a prerequisite to further study,
and the final examination at the end of a Ph.D. program may be passed with no
more than one dissenting vote of the examining committee.
Further Information
For details about specific aspects of the forestry graduate programs, visit our
web sites or write to the Graduate Coordinator, Department of Forest Ecosystem
Science, or the Graduate Coordinator, Department of Forest Management, College
of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture, Nutting Hall.
Graduate Faculty
Department of Forest Ecosystem Science
G. Bruce Wiersma, Ph.D. (SUNY, 1968), Professor of Forest Resources and Dean of the College of
Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture. Pollutant transport and monitoring,
environmental science.
William H. Livingston, Ph.D. (Minnesota, 1985), Associate Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science and
Chair. Cold tolerance of conifers, forest pathology, forest diebacks and declines.
A. Randal Alford, Ph.D. (Louisiana State, 1980), Cooperating Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science.
Insect chemical ecology and physiology.
Christopher S. Campbell, Ph.D. (Harvard, 1980), Cooperating Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science. Reproductive
and evolutionary biology of trees.
Barbara J. W. Cole, Ph.D. (Washington, 1986), Cooperating Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science.
Wood and paper chemistry.
Christopher S. Cronan, Ph.D. (Dartmouth, 1978), Cooperating Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science.
Botany, forest ecology, acidic deposition on forests, nutrient cycling in forest
ecosystems.
Ivan J. Fernandez, Ph.D. (Maine, 1981), Cooperating Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science. Forest
soils, biogeochemistry of forested ecosystems.
Michael S. Greenwood, Ph.D. (Yale, 1969), Ruth Hutchins Professor of Forest Tree Physiology and Professor
of Forest Resources. Cooperating Professor, Department of Biological Sciences.
Forest tree improvement, tree regeneration, tree physiology.
Daniel J. Harrison, Ph.D. (Maine, 1986), Cooperating Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science. Mammalian/furbearer
ecology, predator-prey systems, interspecific relationships, forest-wildlife relationships.
Keith W. Hutchison, Ph.D. (Wisconsin-Madison, 1974), Cooperating Professor of Forest Ecosystem
Science. Molecular analysis of endogenous retroviruses of the mouse; regulation
of gene expression during growth and maturation of conifers.
Richard Jagels, Ph.D. (Illinois, 1968), Professor, Department of Forest Ecosystem Science.
Cooperating Professor, Department of Biological Sciences. Plant reactions to environmental
stress.
Jody Jellison, Ph.D. (Oregon State, 1983), Cooperating Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science.
Biological degradation, forest pathology.
Laura S. Kenefic, Ph.D. (Maine, 2000), Assistant Research Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science.
Silviculture, leaf area relationships, effects of exploitative cutting.
William D. Ostrofsky, Ph.D. (New Hampshire, 1982), Cooperating Assistant Professor of Forest Ecosystem
Science. Hardwood silviculture, forest pathology.
Robert S. Seymour, Ph.D. (Yale, 1980), Curtis Hutchins Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science.
Cooperating Professor in Forest Management. Silviculture; growth and yield; ecosystem
management.
Robert G. Wagner, Ph.D. (Oregon State, 1989), Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science and Director
of Cooperative Forestry Research Unit. Silviculture; forest ecology and regeneration;
vegetation ecology and management.
Alan S. White, Ph.D. (Minnesota, 1981), Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science and Graduate Coordinator.
Forest ecology, silviculture, plant competition, regeneration, old-growth stand
development.
Stephen A. Woods, Ph.D. (Massachusetts, 1989), Cooperating Associate Professor of Forest Ecosystem
Science. Insect diversity, insect ecology and integrated pest management.
Associate Graduate Faculty
John C. Brissette, Ph.D. (Louisiana, 1990), Faculty Associate in Forest Ecosystem Science. U.S.
Forest Service. Silviculture of northern conifer ecosystems, ecophysiology of
conifer regeneration.
Charles V. Cogbill, Ph.D. (Toronto, 1982), Faculty Associate in Forest Ecosystem Science. Historical
ecology, old-growth forests, reserve design, and land management.
Katherine J. Elliott, Ph.D. (Maine, 1991), Faculty Associate in Forest Ecosystem Science. Forest
ecology, fire ecology, stand dynamics, biodiversity.
David R. Foster, Ph.D. (Minnesota, 1983), Faculty Associate in Forest Ecosystem Science. Land-use
history, paleoecology, and forest dynamics.
Ralph D. Nyland, Ph.D. (Michigan State Univ., 1966), Faculty Associate in Forest Ecosystem Science.
Silviculture of northern hardwoods, uneven-aged silvicultural systems.
Walter C. Shortle, Ph.D. (North Carolina State University, 1974), Faculty Associate in Forest
Ecosystem Science. Forest pathology, wood biochemistry, dendrochemistry, biogeochemistry.
Melvin T. Tyree, Ph.D. (Cambridge, 1972), Faculty Associate in Forest Ecosystem Science. Hydraulic
architecture of trees.
Department of Forest Management
David B. Field, Ph.D. (Purdue, 1974), Edwin L. Giddings Professor of Forest Policy. Professor
of Forest Resources and Chair, Department of Forest Management. Forest Economics
and policy, forest resource valuation, forest taxation, forest planning.
Thomas B. Brann, Ph.D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1979), Professor
of Forest Resources. Inventory methods and computer sciences.
Katherine K. Carter, Ph.D. (West Virginia, 1980), Associate Professor of Forest Resources. Forest
genetics, tree improvement of Maine forest species.
John J. Daigle, Ph.D. (Massachusetts, 1997), Associate Professor of Forest Recreation Management.
Recreation planning and management, social research methods for natural resource
professionals, human dimensions of natural resources management.
Douglas J. Gardner, Ph.D. (Mississippi State, 1985), Professor of Wood Science and Technology.
Program Leader, Wood Science and Technology. Wood surface chemistry, phenolic-adhesive
chemistry, wood anatomy, wood composites, wood adhesion.
Joseph M. Genco, Ph.D. (Ohio State, 1963). Cooperating Professor of Forest Resources. Chemical
engineering, pulp and paper sciences.
Barry S. Goodell, Ph.D. (Oregon State, 1983). Professor of Wood Science and Technology, Forest
Products Lab. Cooperating Professor, Chemical Engineering and the Advanced Engineered
Wood Composites Center. Control of decay in wood, wood microbiology, wood preservation,
wood biotechnology.
Warren E. Hedstrom, Ph.D. (Colorado State, 1970), Associate Professor of Forest Management. Soil
and water engineering, forest roads and structures, housing.
Jessica Leahy, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota, 2005), Assistant Professor of Forest Resources.
Forest recreation, parks and tourism, community perceptions of forest recreation,
quantitative survey methods.
Alan J. Kimball, M.S. (Maine, 1978), Associate Professor of Forest Resources. Integrated management
of nonindustrial forest properties, ecology and management of oak-pine forests.
William L. Mitchell, MLA. (University of Massachusetts, 1975), Cooperating Associate Professor
of Forest Resources, Landscape architecture, park planning and design.
J. Louis Morin, M.S. (Maine, 1978), Instructor of Forest Resources. Global Positioning Systems
and Geographic Information Systems as they relate to natural resource management.
William D. Ostrofsky, Ph.D. (New Hampshire, 1982), Director, Office of Professional Development.
Assistant Professor of Forest Resources. Hardwood silviculture, forest pathology.
Robert W. Rice, Ph.D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1988), Professor
of Wood Science and Technology. Wood physics, wood drying, non-destructive evaluation,
forest products marketing, pulp and paper marketing and management.
Steven A. Sader, Ph.D. (Idaho, 1981), Professor of Forest Resources. Cooperating Professor of
Wildlife Ecology. Director, Maine Image Analysis Laboratory. Graduate Coordinator.
Remote sensing of forest environments, tropical forest and conservation easement
monitoring, landscape ecology.
Stephen M. Shaler, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University, 1986). Professor of Wood Science and
Technology. Cooperating Professor of Chemical Engineering and Assistant Director,
Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center. Wood composites and mechanical properties.
Robert K. Shepard, Jr., Ph.D. (Michigan, 1970), Professor of Forest Resources. Wood properties,
sludge and wood ash application to forest lands.
Jeremy S. Wilson, Ph.D. (University of Washington, 1988). Irving Chair for Forest Ecosystem Management,
Assistant Professor of Forest Resources. Silviculture; integration of GIS technology,
growth and yield models, stand and landscape visualization, and analysis tools
to evaluate future landscape conditions under a variety of management scenarios,
forest development patterns.
Associate Graduate Faculty
Andrew F. Egan, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University, 1993), Faculty Associate in Forest Resources.
Forest operations, timber harvesting, effects of exurbanization and parcelization
on stumpage availability, development of timber harvesting operability factors
using remote sensing.
Lloyd C. Irland, Ph.D. (Yale, 1973), Faculty Associate in Forest Resources, Principal, The Irland
Group (Forestry Consultants). Forest economics.
Wilbur F. LaPage, Ph.D. (Syracuse, 1975), Faculty Associate in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism.
Public park policy, environmental interpretation, tourism, and non-economic benefits
of public lands.
Jack Lutz, Ph.D. (University of New Hampshire, 1998), Faculty Associate in Forest Resources.
Timberland investment and economic development.
Donald McKay, PhD. (University of Minnesota), Faculty Associate in Forest Resources. Economics,
policy and administration, marketing.
Laurence Mott, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 1995), Faculty Associate in Forest Resources. Wood
composites.
Lech Muszynski, Ph.D. (University of Poznan, 1997). Faculty Associate in Wood Science and Technology.
Hygro-mechanical behavior of wood; advanced hybrid wood-FRP composites, coatings,
and multifunctional barriers; durability of wooden and composite structural elements;
application of digital image analysis to measurement of deformation; modeling
drying stresses in wood.
Timothy Rials, Ph.D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1986), Faculty
Associate in Forest Resources. Interfacial structure and properties of wood-polymer
composites; surface characteristics of mechanical pulp fibers; applications of
near infrared spectroscopy to wood quality and process monitoring.
Bret P. Vicary, Ph.D. (Maine, 1986), Faculty Associate in Forest Resources, James Sewall Co.,
Consultants. Forest economics, financial analysis, forest appraisal.