Department of Natural Resource Management

Michele Dudash, Department Head and Professor
Department of Natural Resource Management
Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Laboratory 138
605-688-6174

Faculty

Professors

Michele Dudash, Lora Perkins, Alexander (Sandy) Smart, Lan Xu

Associate Professors

A. Joshua Leffler

Assistant Professors

Christopher Cheek, Amanda Cheeseman, Alison Coulter, Sean Di Stéfano, Krista Ehlert, Jeff Martin, William Severud, Rachel Short, Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek

Instructor

Riley Mounsdon

Emeritus

Charles Berry, Jr., Michael Brown, Charles Dieter, Lester D. Flake, Kenneth Higgins, Jonathan Jenks, Carter Johnson, Patricia S. Johnson, Carol Johnston, Nels H. Troelstrup, Jr.

Overview

The Department of Natural Resource Management provides undergraduate and graduate programs focused on improving the understanding and management of natural resources. The quality of life for many people is intimately tied to the use and conservation of natural resources. Thus, educational opportunities in natural resource management can lead to a diverse array of career opportunities. Departmental faculty and staff conduct research and provide outreach services that contribute to the understanding and management of natural resources on local to global scales.

Programs

Majors

• Conservation Planning and Park Management (B.S.)  
• Conservation Planning and Park Management (B.S.) - Park Administration and Management Specialization  
• Ecology and Environmental Science (B.S.)  
• Ecology and Environmental Science (B.S.) - Rangeland Ecology and Management Specialization  
• Natural Resource Law Enforcement (B.S.)  
• Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (B.S.)  

Minors

• Botany Minor  
• Ranch Management Minor  (offered jointly with Department of Animal Science  and Ness School of Management and Economics )
• Rangeland Ecology and Management Minor   

Graduate Programs*

• Biological Sciences (M.S.) - Natural Resource Management Specialization
• Biological Sciences (Ph.D.) - Natural Resource Management Specialization
• Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (M.S.) - Fisheries Sciences Specialization
• Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (M.S.) - Wildlife Sciences Specialization
• Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (Ph.D.)

* Graduate degrees are offered in collaboration with the Graduate School. For details, see the Graduate Catalog.

Facilities and Services

The department is housed within the Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Laboratory at SDSU. The Cottonwood Station, Oak Lake Field Station, and Wildlife Research Unit provide off-campus teaching and research facilities. The South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is located within the department.

Student Support and Engagement Opportunities

Student organizations conduct professional and social functions, serving as an excellent vehicle for students to get to know one another and the faculty, and to learn more about their future profession.

The Department of Natural Resource Management student clubs include:

• SDSU American Fisheries Society Student Subunit
• SDSU Botany Club is a student chapter of the Botanical Society of America.
• The SDSU Ecology Club is a student chapter of the Ecological Society of America.
• SDSU Natural Resource Law Enforcement Student Club
• SDSU’s Pheasants Forever, one of five collegiate PF chapters
• SDSU Range Club - the South Dakota Student Chapter of the Society for Range Management includes Rangeland Ecology and Management majors and other students that have an interest in the field of range management. 
• SDSU Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Club, a student chapter of The Wildlife Society
• Judging Teams - many Range Science majors choose to compete on the Plant Identification and the undergraduate Range Management Exam teams. These teams compete at international contests against teams from universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Students also help to conduct range plant identification contests at SDSU.