About Us

Vision

The School of Renewable Natural Resources is committed to excellence in research, teaching, and outreach. We strive to provide leadership in natural resource conservation and management, and to define and address emerging natural resource issues through basic and applied science.

Mission

The mission of the School of Renewable Natural Resources is to advance and disseminate knowledge in conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of forest, wetland, and aquatic resources. We pursue our mission through programs of research, teaching, and outreach, accentuating the unique forest, wetland, wildlife and fisheries resources of the Gulf Coast region, including the Coastal Plain and Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley.

Goals

• Achieve national and international recognition for leadership and science within RNR Programs of Excellence.
• Actively engage RNR students, faculty, staff, the RNR Advisory Council, the LSU AgCenter, and the LSU College of Agriculture in the refinement, planning, and execution of Programs of Excellence within the School.
• Encourage multidisciplinary and inter-institutional research through the pursuit of competitive grants to enhance Programs of Excellence.
• Increase undergraduate enrollment, diversity, graduation rate and placement though cooperative programs with Louisiana community colleges and natural resource employers.
• Improve the Ph.D. program through increased student enrollment, improved student diversity, and integrated academic training.
• Enhance the effectiveness of RNR extension efforts through evaluation of stakeholder needs, resource allocation, communication technology, and impact assessment.
• Quantify and prioritize fundraising needs for graduate student and faculty positions, technology, and infrastructure to support Programs of Excellence.

Programs of Excellence

The School is uniquely positioned to lead efforts in natural resource conservation and management through programs of research, teaching and outreach in --

• Wetland landscapes and communities, with emphasis on the ecology, hydrology, and restoration of floodplain and coastal wetland ecosystems;
• Wildlife populations, habitats and landscapes, with emphasis on wetlands, waterfowl, rare and declining species, and important game species;
• Coastal and freshwater fisheries, with emphasis on water quality, biodiversity, and fisheries production; and
• Forest resources and ecology, with emphasis on coastal forests, hydrology of forested watersheds, and the sustainable economic development of forest and wood products.

The School emphasizes basic and applied research relevant to the citizens of Louisiana and to the broader scientific and global communities. We seek to recruit and retain outstanding scientists who enhance the leadership positions of our programs of excellence. We strive to encourage and recognize participation in multidisciplinary and inter-institutional research.

The School offers a comprehensive undergraduate education to students interested in renewable resource ecology and management, with areas of concentration in Conservation Biology, Ecological Restoration, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Forest Resources Management, Natural Resource Conservation, Pre-veterinary Medicine, Wetland Science, Wildlife Ecology, and Wildlife Law Enforcement

The School offers graduate education for both Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Renewable Natural Resources, with areas of concentration in Fisheries and Aquaculture, Forestry, Forest Products, Watershed Science, and Wildlife.

The School is actively engaged in the dissemination of the results of service-oriented research and the transfer of innovative technologies for the benefit of our natural resource stakeholders in Louisiana.

Strategic Initiatives