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Howdy,
I wanted to share a quick note to show my appreciation to the staff, faculty and partners who worked throughout the summer to improve the department and then welcome our new and returning students back to Aggieland. Students, we are happy to see you again, we hope your semester kicked off well and your grades and experiences have been in the “A” column.
You may have noticed new faces around the department, representing many weeks of work to recruit and hire new and fantastic faculty members. Introduce yourselves and build relationships with Drs. Shehane, Hedge, Lucero, Werdel and Dykes. They bring exciting research and knowledge to share with you.
You may have seen them at our first departmental convocation, but for those who missed this event, you can learn more about it in an article below. We had a wonderful turnout and are especially encouraged by the thoughtfulness of our External Advisory Committee and Texas A&M AgriLife leadership. They shared ideas that shape our path and invest in our success.
I’ll sign off for now, but here are some words that come to mind given our restructuring and the year of work behind us: listen, opportunities, planning, action, investment, involvement, connection, drive and thankfulness. Thanks for all you do.
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Thanks and Gig 'em!Roel Lopez, Ph.D.
Professor and Department Head
Director, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
roel.lopez@ag.tamu.edu
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| Trending News and Topics in RWFM
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The Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management looks ahead
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Ocelot work earns Lindsay Martinez a Labisky Fellowship
As Lindsay Martinez researches ocelot recovery in South Texas, she’s looking at more than the landscape of thornscrub that the endangered cat often inhabits. Working with the East Foundation, she’s also focused on the policy landscape and mechanisms that could be put in place to expand the ocelots’ range.
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First Annual RWFM Convocation
Recently, the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, RWFM, held its first convocation and reflected on successes catalyzed by our department head, Dr. Roel Lopez.
During his interview, he relayed a question posed to him. When asked, “How will you accomplish all that you envision?” he answered, “Not by myself!”
Our successes have truly been a team effort. Since that time, we have taken on the banner to invest in student teaching and mentoring, listen and focus on stakeholder needs, investigate research questions that have practical application and look beyond the horizon to answer questions that will affect future conservation policy.
Everyone in RWFM played a role in stacking one success on top of another for outstanding outcomes this past year. We appreciate the investments made by Texas A&M AgriLife administration that created forward momentum.
Speaking of investors, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Texas A&M AgriLife leaders Drs. Jeffrey Savell, Patricia Klein, Rick Avery and Cliff Lamb all spoke to a full house of students, faculty and staff to welcome new and returning Aggies.
In addition, these groups met members of the RWFM External Advisory Committee, who discussed meaningful departmental actions to include a career-driven internship program for students as well as departmental expansion and its required funding. During our general assembly, Dr. Lopez and other representatives shared key growth areas:
- Curricula needs and facilitated internships.
- Professional certificates in three discipline areas
- Recruitment and hiring of outstanding faculty.
- Success of our 10-day summer field course that gave students hands-on learning opportunities.
- Launch of the Center for Natural Resources Information Technology, CNRIT, and its Grazingland Animal Nutrition Lab, GAN Lab
- Steps for invigorating the Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management.
Knowing that our students will become the next generation of natural resource experts, industry leaders and developers, Dr. Lopez shared the stage with student officers representing chapters of professional societies. These student leaders encouraged fellow students to become involved and connected to their peers. Their first steps as professionals fall within the footprints of giants.
We honored Drs. Ron Kaiser and John Walker for careers well done, as these gentlemen begin new chapters in retirement. We know they, along with others mentioned here, are invested in the success of RWFM, and as Dr. Lopez has said, RWFM is poised to achieve amazing outcomes.
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NEW Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management Website
The Department launched a new website with great features to better help current, prospective, and former students view about our exciting undergraduate and graduate degrees, learn more about our groundbreaking research and meet our outstanding faculty.
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New Department Video to Celebrate New Advances
The department partnered with AgriLife extension to create a short video highlighting the exciting opportunities the department has to offer.
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Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management Webinar Series
Tune in on October 13th, for the latest installment of the RWFM Webinar series featuring Shane Mahoney, President of Conservation Visions and Founder of the Wild Harvest Initiative®, as he discusses The Wild Harvest Initiative®. Those who want to attend to email Theresa (theresa.nemec@ag.tamu.edu) directly for an invite.
Follow the department on social media for details on other upcoming seminars.
Stewardship and Stockmanship Webinar
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists will host the 2022 Rangeland, Wildlife, Fisheries and Management Stewardship Webinar series featuring a variety of experts and topics. Our monthly RWFM Stewardship Webinar will feature Perry Cervantes, TDA, speaking on “Pesticide Record Keeping and Complaints” Thursday on October 6th at Noon CST. 1 TDA LAWS AND REGS CEU will be provided.
Registration for CEAs is complimentary as CEA Training and Professional Development. Contact Morgan Treadwell (Morgan.Treadwell@ag.tamu.edu) or Brittany Chesser (Brittany.chesser@ag.tamu.edu) for more details on using this as a county program.
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| Follow usMake sure to follow the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management on social
media for more stories on awards, events and more!
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Preparing the Next Generation of Natural Resource Stewards We are dedicated to generating sound scientific research, translating and hosting science-based conversations and engaging the next generation of stewardship professionals. RWFM aims to teach the latest ecological and management principles to provide the most diverse and application-based education available in natural resource conservation. The applied professional expertise of our faculty combined with our extensive agency and industry network facilitates career paths for students. Our unique undergraduate degree focus areas and graduate programs prepare individuals for advanced careers with state and federal agencies, private industry, nonprofit organizations and academia.
aglifesciences.tamu.edu | rwfm.tamu.edu
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