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Caring, dedicated faculty members

As a student in the Division of Environmental Science, you’ll work with faculty members who are passionate about both teaching and research – and passionate about helping you succeed. Our experienced, dedicated professors have an open-door policy, which means that they’re always available to offer advice, answer your questions and provide you with academic guidance. And because our faculty members believe in getting students out of the classroom, you’ll have plenty of time to work alongside them as you participate in a variety of transformative experiences and research projects.

Kenneth W. Farrish

Dr. Kenneth W. Farrish holds a PhD from University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He earned his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in forestry from Michigan Technological University. He has authored dozens of publications and is a member of several professional organizations including the Society of American Foresters, Texas Forestry Association and Texas Association of Environmental Professionals. His research interests include forest soils and forest ecology. He is a certified professional soil scientist. He received the teaching excellence awards from both SFA and Louisiana Tech.  He was named Regents Professor at SFA in 2016.

I-Kuai Hung

Dr. I-Kuai Hung received his PhD in forestry from SFA and his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in forestry from National Taiwan University. He is the author of numerous journal articles, and he is the co-managing editor of the Journal of Geospatial Applications in Natural Resources. He is a member of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the Society of American Foresters, and the Chinese Forestry Association. He is a recipient of the Kenneth G. Waterston Teaching Excellence Award from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. Dr. Hung is also a recipient of the SFA Foundation’s Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching, SFA’s top award in teaching.

David Kulhavy

Dr. David Kulhavy’s research interests include forest entomology and pest management. He holds a PhD and a Master of Science in forestry from the University of Idaho and he completed his Bachelor of Arts in zoology at San Diego State University. In addition to teaching forestry and environmental science courses at SFA, he also gives insect education presentations to elementary and junior high school students as “Dr. Bug.” He received an Eisenhower Grant for developing a program for using insects in elementary school programs. Dr. Kulhavy is a Fellow with the Society of American Foresters and he received the national teaching award from that organization, the Carl Schenck Award. He is a recipient of the SFA Foundation’s Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching, the national teaching award from the Entomological Society of America, and was named as distinguished alumni from the University of Idaho. He is also a recipient of the prestigious William T. Hornady Gold Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

Matthew Kwiatkowski

Dr. Kwiatkowski’s research focuses on the ecology, evolution, and conservation of reptiles and amphibians, with particular emphasis on spatial ecology and sexual selection. He holds a B.S. in biology from New Mexico State University, an M.A. in biology from the University of South Dakota and a Ph.D. in biology from Arizona State University. Dr. Kwiatkowski is the coordinator for the Department of Biology's graduate program.

Michael Maurer

Dr. Michael Maurer’s research interests include horticulture, turfgrass management, water quality, irrigation, fertility and management. He holds a doctorate in horticulture from the University of Florida, a Master of Science in agriculture and a Bachelor of Science in plant science from California State University, Fresno.

Matthew McBroom

Dr. Matthew McBroom earned his PhD, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science in forestry from SFA. In addition to teaching courses in forest and environmental hydrology, his research interests include forest hydrology, watershed management and water quality. He is a member of several professional organizations including the Society of American Foresters, from whom he received the Young Forester Leadership Award in 2010.  He is actively engaged with the Texas Forestry Association and received the Research, Development, and Innovation Award from that organization in 2013. Dr. McBroom is a Certified Forester with the Society of American Foresters and a Texas Accredited Forester. He is a recipient of the Kenneth G. Waterston Teaching Excellence Award from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. He is also a recipient of the SFA Foundation’s Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching, SFA’s top award in teaching.

Dr. Stephen Mullin
Department of Biology Chair

Dr. Mullin’s research is primarily focused on behavior and community ecology involving species of reptiles and amphibians. Dr. Mullin holds a B.A. from the University of California at Berkley, an M.S. from the University of South Florida and a Ph.D. from the University of Memphis. He is the coeditor of Snakes: Ecology & Conservation and the current editor of Herpetologica

Brian Oswald

Dr. Brian Oswald earned a doctorate in forestry, wildlife and range sciences from the University of Idaho, a Master of Science in fire ecology from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelor of Science in forestry from Michigan State University. His research interests include fire ecology and management, silviculture, community ecology and classification, and silvopasture and agroforestry.

Oswald was named Northern Arizona University School of Forestry’s Distinguished Alumnus in 2009, and is a recipient of the SFA Foundation’s Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Research. Oswald also was named to the University of Idaho’s Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2016, and the Northern Arizona University Alumni Association Dwight Patterson Alumnus of the Year in 2021. In 2012, He was named SFA’s Regents Scholar, the highest honor that the university may bestow upon a member of the faculty.

Furthermore, Oswald has received the Carl Schenck Award from the Society of American Foresters, the most prestigious teaching award from the organization. Oswald is also a certified forester with the Society of American Foresters.

Laura Rectenwald

Laura Rectenwald is a licensed professional geoscientist in Texas and Louisiana. Her particular areas of expertise include Texas Risk Reduction Program Assessments, industrial regulatory compliance audits, soil and groundwater remediation projects and litigation support. She obtained a Master of Science environmental science from Baylor University and a Ph.D. in forestry from SFA.

Kevin Stafford

Dr. Stafford’s research interests include cave and karst studies, particularly void formation, geohazards, mineral resources and remote sensing. He teaches historical geology, hydrology, and mineralogy, as well as graduate courses in hydrogeology and sedimentology. Dr. Stafford holds a BS in geology from The University of Texas at Austin, an MS in geoscience from Mississippi State University and a PhD in geology from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

Daniel Unger

Dr. Daniel R. Unger’s teaching and research interests include the quantification, qualification, mapping, monitoring and management of natural resources via the spatial analysis fields of aerial photo interpretation, digital image processing, geographic information system and global positioning system technology. He holds a PhD in remote sensing and geographic information systems from the University of Idaho and a Master of Science in forest biometrics from The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Unger is a recipient of the Kenneth G. Waterston Teaching Excellence Award from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. Furthermore, he received the Carl Schenck Award from the Society of American Foresters, the most prestigious teaching award from that organization.

James Van Kley

Dr. Van Kley holds a B.S. from Calvin College, an M.S from Central Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Purdue University, where he studied forest ecology. His research interests in biogeography focus on patterns of vegetation across the East Texas landscape. He is the curator of the Pineywoods Plants Digital Gallery, and the ASTC Herbarium at SFA,
 

Stephen Wagner

Dr. Wagner holds a B.S. in environmental biology from Heidelberg College, an M.S. in microbiology from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. in soil microbiology from Clemson University. His research focuses on microbial ecology, with emphasis on bioremediation, plant-parasite interactions and management practices for soil microbes.

Hans Williams

Dr. Hans Williams’ teaching and research interests include forest ecophysiology, forest ecology, urban forestry, tree physiology, aboriculture, and environmental assessment and management. He holds a PhD in forestry from Auburn University, a Master of Science in forestry from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Science in forestry from Purdue University. He has authored or co-authored 43 publications and 70 presentations. Dr. Williams is a member of the Society of American Foresters and the International Society of Arboriculture. He is a recipient of the Kenneth G. Waterston Teaching Excellence Award from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. Dr. Williams was named Regents Professor in 2010.

Yanli Zhang

Dr. Yanlli Zhang holds a PhD in forestry and spatial science from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He completed his undergraduate degree at Beijing Forestry University. His research interests include geographic information systems, remote sensing, environmental modeling, and advanced geospatial analysis and application.

Sheryll Jerez

Dr. Sheryll Jerez is a professor and director of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture’s Division of Environmental Science. Since joining ATCOFA in November 2007, Jerez has served many roles including interim dean of SFA’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies and interim associate dean of ATCOFA.

Jerez earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the University of the Philippines, a Master of Science in agricultural engineering from Kansas State University, and a doctorate in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jerez actively mentors undergraduate students who are conducting research and was the recipient of the Faculty Mentor of the Year award in 2014. Jerez also received the Teaching Excellence Award in 2016 and the SFASU Foundation Faculty Achievement Award in Teaching in 2018. In addition to mentoring undergraduate students, she serves as research advisor to graduate environmental science students who are conducting research on air quality assessment, modeling and control.

Jason Paul

Jason Paul will graduate with a doctoral degree in soil science from Texas A&M. He received both his Bachelor and Master of Science in environmental science from SFA and brings more than a decade of professional experience ranging from solid waste management to wetland delineation and remediation. His research interests focus on contaminant transport and spatial distribution through the evaluation of soil and water chemistry, mineralogy and hydrology.

 


Contact

Environmental Science
936.468.3301
environmentalscience@sfasu.edu

Forestry Building
Room 103

Mailing Address:
PO Box 13073, SFA Station
Nacogdoches, Texas 75962