Letter from the Department Head - Summer 2024

NRES student panel presenting at the NRES admitted students welcome session during Open House, spring 2024. 

Dear Friends,

It is an honor and joy to update you on the incredible accomplishments of our students, staff and faculty in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences (NRES) Department.

The department saw an all-time high in the number of applicants for NRES majors with 1,880 students applying for 235 available seats. We are honored and excited to support this incoming cohort as they join their peers making our department over 800 students strong. These students are our future environmental scientists, natural resource managers, foresters, wildland and municipal firefighters and the many other experts we need to tackle our most serious societal challenges. 

Out of class opportunities: Soil Judging Team member
analyzing soils at the regional competition where
the Cal Poly Team took first place, qualifying for
the 2024 nationals. Read the more about NRES Clubs here.

Research Partnerships: NRES master’s student, Ellis Price,
collecting postfire data for stream restoration work at
Swanton Pacific Ranch in collaboration with the Resource
Conservation District of Santa Cruz County. Read the
complete story here.

The students joining the department have worked hard for years to get here. They will now get the opportunity to work with some of the best faculty and staff in the world in a range of Learn by Doing experiences. Our students also are supported by alumni and industry partners who give back and help support these experiences. For example, in this newsletter you will read about the LEAD Scholars Program which provides students the opportunity to advance their leadership skills with the support of faculty, a scholar stipend and professional development funding. This program is entirely donor funded and provides an authentic leadership experience critical for developing our next generation of leaders.  

Out-of-class opportunities are foundational to our polytechnic mission and our faculty continue to work hard to provide these experiences to our students. The department supports more than 250 field trips a year for its three majors. Student clubs travel across the state and nation, developing their professional skills and broadening their education. While some of this travel is for competitions through the Soil Judging or Logging Teams, other student clubs travel to attend professional society meetings such as the Association of Environmental Professionals, Society of American Foresters or Environmental Sciences Club. Our clubs and faculty also bring important networking opportunities to campus by hosting professional speakers and supporting career connection events.

Research opportunities, both at the graduate and undergraduate level, such as the project with resource conservation districts and federal agencies highlighted here, is another way that industry partners assist students. Without the steadfast support of our alumni and partners it would not be possible to offer these applied, real-world educational experiences that speak to Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing mission.

We are committed to providing outstanding educational programs to prepare the next generation of leaders. While we know the work ahead for these students is substantial, the combined efforts of the department’s faculty, staff, alumni and industry partners ensures a bright future. Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Jeremy James

Department Head
Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

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Read more stories in the Summer 2024 Newsletter