The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) welcomes alumna Sierra Williams as outreach coordinator. She steps into her new position at Michigan Tech eager to pass on her love for the natural world, dedication to education, and Husky spirit to current and prospective students.
Michigan Tech’s Society of American Foresters Forestry Club’s annual tree sale is a long-standing tradition at Michigan Tech. Forestry Club secretary and forestry major Tristan Walk ’26 said the written record of the sale dates to the early 1980s, while the anecdotal record places the start of the tradition somewhere in the 1960s or 1970s. Club paperwork shows trees were bought wholesale from tree farms south of Chassell and in Iron River in the 1990s through the 2000s, although neither company offers bulk wholesale these days.
In recent years, the club has supplied their sale with wild-cut trees from Michigan Tech’s Wilkinson Tract. Students drive out into the woods and fan out on foot, assessing the types of trees they are looking for based on what is available in the area and what is best for the forest. Club members usually cut six- to eight-foot conifers as well as small “Charlie Brown” sapling trees, taking care to thin the area but not decimate the conifer population. They also seek out one larger 15- to 20-foot tree for the U. J. Noblet Forest Resources Building Atrium.
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.
Tara Bal, assistant professor of forest health in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, was elected vice president of the Society of American Foresters (SAF). The organization represents foresters and natural resources professionals, helping them promote thriving forests by bringing the best science, the best practices, and the best people together. Bal said the organization represents a community that ultimately supports sustainable forests and sustainable forest management, and one she has been a part of since she was a student.
The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science welcomed two new faculty members and celebrated our faculty moving into new positions in the college this year.