The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science’s Natural Resource Career Fair continues a legacy of genuine investment in student success passed down from CFRES faculty and alumni to the next generation of professionals. R.J. Laverne, a Davey Tree company representative, Tech alum, and adjunct professor opened Career Fair by likening the event to one of his prized possessions: a compass he bought in 1979, not long after he became a Husky.
“I think that for the students who will participate today, you may just find the right person at one of these tables to point you in the right direction. This could be the career compass that puts you on the first step toward a successful career,” said Laverne, who earned his forestry degree in 1980.
He emphasized the impact Michigan Tech’s faculty had on his career, particularly former forestry head Gene Hesterberg. “I was, on a good day, a mediocre student. Despite my poor academic performance at other institutions, Dr. Hesterberg took a chance on me,” said Laverne.
“To come back to Tech and teach urban forestry, a course my professional hero (Gene Hesterberg) taught me, is an honor.”
Davey Tree, a long-time partner with CFRES, was chief sponsor of this year’s fair. After a long career including 28 years with the company, Laverne eagerly reinvests his success in Tech students as both an adjunct professor with CFRES and Davey Tree’s manager of education and training. In addition to supporting the Natural Resource Career Fair, Davey Tree offers three $1,000 scholarships to CFRES students each year.
The reward for these investments, according to Laverne, is experienced new employees with “a desire to do quality work that ultimately benefits humans that has as much to do with the spirit of the college as academic quality.”
More than 20 employers attended the fair, some of them traveling long distances to seek Tech students’ skill sets, spirit, and experience.
“I know what levels of training I received back when I got my degree. I know the engineering quality; my father and my brother both went here as engineers. I knew the high level standards that were there. So yeah, I’d love to have a Michigan Tech grad working for us.” said Tree Care Enterprises arborist John Richards, a 1977 forestry graduate.
Many Tech students find their career paths through the Natural Resource Career Fair and similar CFRES recruiting events. Forestry major Shawna Carr, ’24, is one of Laverne’s former students who found her path with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Carr is currently what she calls a “classic forester” specializing in timber management, invasive species, fire prevention, and outreach. She was at the fair to represent the Minnesota DNR, along with recruitment coordinator Austin Dane. The organization is currently offering a wide variety of natural resource career opportunities.
“We had around 24 entry-level forester positions last year and have 19 this year. That is a trend we expect to continue for another cycle,” said Dane.
Entry level positions aren’t the only roles Michigan Tech students have available to them, said Dane. Specialist positions in the DNR have specific requirements that CFRES students meet, including a bachelor’s degree from a Society of American Foresters-accredited institution. In addition to fulfilling these requirements, Dane said Michigan Tech students are “historically a great fit” and there are currently Huskies at every position level in the Minnesota DNR’s forestry division.
Carr recalled her experience with the Natural Resource Career Fair as a student last year, “It was overwhelming at first but people were very enthusiastic and there was a good variety (of employers).”
That feeling of being overwhelmed and somewhat daunted was echoed by several students as they left the fair, including wildlife ecology and conservation major Meghan Boelens, ’26. “It was intimidating. It got a tiny bit less intimidating, but I am glad I walked around with a group of people. We were all the same major so we all were there to make each other not as scared,” Boelens said.
Though they may have felt trepidation, those nerves didn’t seem to show to employers.
“The students were all excellent. They asked a lot of great questions. They were very inquisitive. I was impressed with how well versed they were with job searching,” said Chad Andresen, biological science technician with the US Fish and Wildlife Service Marquette Biological Station.
“I think it was intimidating but then I got here and realized they are just people. They’re not that scary.”
Students’ discerning questions made it clear the fair isn’t just about recruiters finding future employees. Huskies weren’t just looking for any job, they were seeking the right career fit for their goals, and employers with strong answers to those questions stood out to students.
“Talking to Neon (Battelle – National Ecological Observatory Network) stuck out to me. They were really passionate. Everything they were saying was super applicable to me if I were to apply; the housing options and the differences between the positions. So that helped me visualize what it could be like if I were to apply to some of the positions. There were lots of opportunities I could apply to,” said wildlife ecology and conservation Sadie Bartels, ’26.
Though some students have a strong idea of what field they want to pursue, the wide variety of employers and job opportunities at the fair exposed them to options they may have never considered.
“I’ve found that a lot of kids don’t know what arborcultures are about. It’s not really a strong career field here. It’s an option, but when I tell them about what I do they become really interested and want to know more about it,” said Richards.
A Career Fair for the College Community
Tech students weren’t the only ones invited to this year’s fair. Both Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC) and Gogebic Community College students were invited and in attendance, and were just as nerdy about natural resources opportunities as Huskies are.
“I was just talking to Tree Care and he was talking about a more holistic approach to tree health, minimizing the carbon impact and focusing more on the health of the tree as well as the long-term viability. He was discussing how they set up a planting schedule for different flowers to counteract different species of insects that might be an issue for certain trees,” said Ryland Edwards from the KBOCC environmental science class of ‘26, shared enthusiastically near the end of the fair.
To any Huskies considering the Natural Resource Career Fair for next year, CFRES students had a few words of wisdom.
“It is super intimidating, but once you talk to the first person it’s super easy,” said Bartels, “They all want you to apply to their positions so they are all super friendly and really informative.”
About the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Michigan Tech’s College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science brings students, faculty, and researchers together to measure, map, model, analyze, and deploy solutions. The College offers seven bachelor’s degrees in forestry, wildlife ecology and conservation, applied ecology and environmental science, natural resources management, sustainable bioproducts, and environmental science and sustainability, and environmental data science. We offer graduate degrees in applied ecology, forest ecology and management, forest molecular genetics and biotechnology, and forest science.
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