About the Department
The Department of Ecosystem Science and Management is Penn State’s home for the conservation and sustainable management of our natural resources.
We are united by our mission to solve conservation problems by conducting innovative research and training tomorrow’s natural resource leaders.
We believe an environment of diversity and respect is critical to achieve and sustain excellence in learning, teaching, and research.
We closely follow our industry and take the lead with new ideas. We boast state-of-the-art facilities and world-class faculty with years of working experience in their fields.
Student success drives the department. Our undergraduate majors offer hands-on science with real-world applications, excellent internship experiences, and robust scholarship opportunities. Our graduate programs offer master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees rooted in research through our core science and management disciplines.
Research is conducted in the science, technology, and management needed to sustain our natural resources. This critical work is facilitated through the core disciplines of forest health, ecosystem function and service, ecosystem management, and watershed resilience. Research includes the ecology of natural and agricultural ecosystems, wildlife and fisheries sciences, forest sciences, hydrological sciences and soil sciences. Our wide range of disciplines provides opportunities to tackle complex environmental problems in a wide array of ecosystems. It also allows for diverse training for students, citizens, and youth in advanced ecosystem management.
Meet our faculty, staff, and students, and learn more about our academic home. Welcome!
Latest News
November 3, 2021
Forestry extension educator wins Presidential Field Forester Award
The Society of American Foresters recently named David Jackson, a forest resources educator with Penn State Extension, as a 2021 Presidential Field Forester Award recipient. He will be recognized at the virtual SAF National Convention, Nov. 3-6.
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November 1, 2021
New faculty fellowship to help advance diversity, equity, inclusion
Laura Leites, associate research professor of quantitative forest ecology, has been named Penn State's inaugural Equity Leadership Fellow. The new fellowship in Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity aims to help faculty members develop as leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion while creating opportunities to make a positive impact at Penn State.
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October 19, 2021
Jim Finley: Forest protector, private forest center founder, professor emeritus
Jim Finley long will be remembered for his simple but powerful message: take care of the woods. And in conveying that idea to thousands of people across Pennsylvania and the nation over a five-decade Penn State career, the professor emeritus of forest resources persuaded many.
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October 5, 2021
Warm, wet autumn could mute and delay foliage display in Pennsylvania
Because of the warm, wet summer, trees in Pennsylvania are mostly in great shape. But for the state’s forests to exhibit their most vibrant colors, conditions need to be cooler and drier in the next few weeks, according to a Penn State expert.
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Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
- Office 814-865-7541
- Fax 814-865-3725
