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The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is a public research university in
The first dean of the college was
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...
focused on the environment and natural resources. It is part of the State University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
(SUNY) system. ESF is immediately adjacent to Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
, within which it was founded, and with which it maintains a special relationship. It is classified
Classified may refer to:
General
*Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive
*Classified advertising or "classifieds"
Music
*Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper
*The Classified, a 1980s American roc ...
among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
ESF operates education and research facilities also in the Adirondack Park (including the Ranger School in Wanakena), the Thousand Islands, elsewhere in central New York, and Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
. The college's curricula focus on the understanding, management, and sustainability
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...
of the environment and natural resources.
History
Founding
The New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University was established on July 28, 1911, through a bill signed byNew York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
Governor John Alden Dix. The previous year, Governor Hughes had vetoed a bill authorizing such a college. Both bills followed the state's defunding in 1903 of the New York State College of Forestry at Cornell. Originally a unit of Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
, in 1913, the college was made a separate, legal entity.
Syracuse native and constitutional lawyer Louis Marshall, with a summer residence at Knollwood Club on Saranac Lake and a prime mover for the establishment of the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve (New York), became a Syracuse University Trustee in 1910. He confided in Chancellor James R. Day his desire to have an agricultural and forestry school at the university, and by 1911 his efforts resulted in a New York State bill to fund the project: the aforementioned appropriation bill signed by Governor Dix. Marshall was elected president of the college's board of trustees at its first meeting, in 1911; at the time of his death, eighteen years later, he was still president of the board.
The first dean of the college was William L. Bray
William L. Bray (September 19, 1865 in Burnside, IllinoisBRAY, William L.
in '', a Ph.D., graduate from the University of Chicago, botanist, plant ecologist, biogeographer and Professor of Botany at Syracuse University. In 1907 he was made head of the botany department at Syracuse, and in 1908 he started teaching a forestry course in the basement of Lyman Hall. Bray was an associate of Gifford Pinchot, who was the first Chief of the United States Forest Service. In 1911, in addition to assuming the deanship of forestry, Bray organized the Agricultural Division at Syracuse University. He remained at Syracuse until 1943 as chair of botany and Dean of the Syracuse Graduate School. In 1915, the same year that Dr. Bray published ''The Development of the Vegetation of New York State'', he became one of the founding members, along with Raphael Zon and Yale School of Forestry's second dean, James W. Toumey, of the Ecological Society of America. In 1950, the 1917 "activist wing" of that Society formed today's The Nature Conservancy. Most of the professors in the early years of the College of Forestry at Syracuse and the Department of Forestry at Cornell's New York State College of Agriculture were educated in forestry at the Yale School of Forestry. The forestry students at Syracuse but not at Cornell were referred to as "stumpies" by their classmates. Fifty-two students were enrolled in the school's first year, the first 11 graduating two years later, in 1913. Research at the college commenced in 1912, with a study of New York state firms using lumber, including from which tree species and in what quantities.
ESF's main campus, in
in '', a Ph.D., graduate from the University of Chicago, botanist, plant ecologist, biogeographer and Professor of Botany at Syracuse University. In 1907 he was made head of the botany department at Syracuse, and in 1908 he started teaching a forestry course in the basement of Lyman Hall. Bray was an associate of Gifford Pinchot, who was the first Chief of the United States Forest Service. In 1911, in addition to assuming the deanship of forestry, Bray organized the Agricultural Division at Syracuse University. He remained at Syracuse until 1943 as chair of botany and Dean of the Syracuse Graduate School. In 1915, the same year that Dr. Bray published ''The Development of the Vegetation of New York State'', he became one of the founding members, along with Raphael Zon and Yale School of Forestry's second dean, James W. Toumey, of the Ecological Society of America. In 1950, the 1917 "activist wing" of that Society formed today's The Nature Conservancy. Most of the professors in the early years of the College of Forestry at Syracuse and the Department of Forestry at Cornell's New York State College of Agriculture were educated in forestry at the Yale School of Forestry. The forestry students at Syracuse but not at Cornell were referred to as "stumpies" by their classmates. Fifty-two students were enrolled in the school's first year, the first 11 graduating two years later, in 1913. Research at the college commenced in 1912, with a study of New York state firms using lumber, including from which tree species and in what quantities.
Expansion
In 1912, the college opened its Ranger School inWanakena, New York
Wanakena is a hamlet located on the shore of Cranberry Lake in the town of Fine in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. Tourism is a major industry in the area; a small year-round population is supplemented by an influx seasonal resi ...
, in the Adirondacks. The college began enrolling women as early as 1915, but the first women to complete their degrees—one majoring in landscape engineering and two in pulp and paper—graduated in the late 1940s.
In January 1930, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, recommending an allocation of $600,000 towards construction of the college's second building, in honor of Louis Marshall, recently deceased, noted that: "under arshall'sleadership and the leadership of its late dean, Franklin Moon, the School of Forestry made giant strides until it became recognized as the premier institution of its kind in the United States". The cornerstone of Louis Marshall Memorial Hall was laid in 1931 by former Governor and presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928.
The son of an Irish-American mother and a Civ ...
who was elected to assume the presidency of the college's board of trustees.
Affiliation with SUNY
With the formation of theState University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
(SUNY) in 1948, the college became recognized as a specialized college within the SUNY system, and its name was changed to State University College of Forestry at Syracuse University. In 1972, the college's name was changed yet again to State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Unlike other state-supported degree-granting institutions which had been created at private institutions in New York State, the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University was an autonomous institution not administratively part of Syracuse University. In 2000, SUNY System Administration established ESF's "primacy" among the 64 SUNY campuses and contract colleges for development of new undergraduate degree programs in Environmental Science and Environmental Studies.
Campuses
Syracuse
ESF's main campus, in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...
, is where most academic, administrative, and student activity takes place. The campus is made up of nine main buildings:
* Baker Laboratory: Named after Hugh P. Baker, dean of the college from 1912 to 1920 and again 1930–33. The building is the location of several computer cluster
A computer cluster is a set of computers that work together so that they can be viewed as a single system. Unlike grid computers, computer clusters have each node set to perform the same task, controlled and scheduled by software.
The comp ...
s and auditorium-style classrooms. It is home to the Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, the Department of Environmental Studies, and the Division of Environmental Science. The building underwent a $37 million overhaul in the early 2000s, providing updated space for the Tropical Timber Information Center and the Nelson C. Brown Center for Ultrastructure Studies. Baker Lab is the site of ESF's NASA-affiliated Research Center. Baker Laboratory houses two multimedia lecture halls, a "smart" classroom outfitted for computer use and distance learning, and two construction management and planning studios. It also has a full-scale laboratory for materials science testing, including a modern dry kiln, a wood identification laboratory, shop facilities (including portable sawmill) and wood preservation laboratory.
* Bray Hall: The building is the oldest on campus, completed in 1917, the largest building devoted to Forestry at the time. It is named after William L. Bray
William L. Bray (September 19, 1865 in Burnside, IllinoisBRAY, William L.
in '', a founder of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University and its first dean, 1911–1912. It is the location of most administrative offices and the Department of Sustainable Resources Management. The State University Police department is in the basement. * Gateway Center: The campus' newest building, opened in March 2013, "sets a new standard for LEED buildings, producing more renewable energy than it consumes," according to Cornelius B. Murphy, Jr. The building is "designed to achieve LEED Platinum Certification". The ESF College Bookstore, Trailhead Cafe, and Office of Admissions are in the Gateway Center. * Illick Hall: The building was completed in 1968, and is home to the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology. It is named after Joseph S. Illick, a dean of the State University College of Forestry at Syracuse University. There is a large lecture hall (Illick 5) on the ground floor. Several greenhouses are on the fifth floor. The Roosevelt Wildlife Museum is also in the building. * Jahn Laboratory: Named after Edwin C. Jahn, former head of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. The building was completed in 1997. Home to the Department of Chemistry. * Marshall Hall: Named after Louis Marshall, one of the founders of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. The Alumni ( Nifkin) Lounge and Marshall Auditorium are within. Twin brass plaques in the entryway commemorate the contributions of Marshall and his son, alumnus Bob Marshall. (Under renovation.) * Moon Library: Dedicated to
Image:ESF-Gateway-Bldg-2014.jpg, Gateway Center
Image:Jahn Laboratory.jpg, Jahn Laboratory
Image:ESF-Illick-Hall-Aug-2014.jpg, Illick Hall
Image:Baker-Lab-PVC-array-2014.jpg, Baker Laboratory
Image:ESF-Marshall-Hall.jpg, Marshall Hall
Image:ESF-Walters-Hall-2017.jpg, Walters Hall
Image:Moon-Library-SUNY-ESF-July-2014.jpg, Moon Library
* ''Cranberry Lake'': The college's environmental and forest biology summer field program is at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station, on
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed: 27 September 2021. ESF is ranked at 48th in the 2022 ''US News & World Report'' rankings of the top public national universities. Furthermore, ESF is tied for 105th in the 2022 ''US News & World Report'' list of the best National Universities (both public and private). ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked ESF as 64th best graduate school in Environmental/ Environmental Health Engineering category in 2016. The ''Washington Monthly College Guide'' ranked ESF No. 49 among the nation's top service-oriented colleges and universities for 2012 (and sixth in "community service participation and hours served")."National University Service Rankings (2012)," ''Washington Monthly''.
Accessed: September 22, 2012.
''Forbes Magazine'' ranked ESF #54 in its listing of "America's Best College Buys" for 2012. Forbes.com has also ranked ESF at No. 3 on its 2010 list of the 20 best colleges for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). ESF is listed at No. 2, ahead of top programs like Duke, Cornell and Yale, among the best college environmental programs in the nation by
Accessed: September 10, 2012. In 2007, ''DesignIntelligence'' magazine ranked ESF's undergraduate and graduate programs in "Landscape Architecture", respectively at No. 12 and No. 9 in the United States. The ''Online College Database'' ranked ESF at No. 6 on its list of "50 Colleges Committed to Saving the Planet" for 2013. The ranking relates in part to one of the school's newest programs, Sustainable Energy Management. Launched in 2013, the program focuses on energy markets, management, and resources. Global issues such as responsible energy use and development of sustainable energy sources are critical focal points in the STEM major.
American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project
which produced the Darling 58 chestnut tree.
Many students identify themselves as a "Stumpy" (or "Stumpie"). The nickname was given to students by their neighbors at Syracuse University, probably in the 1920s, and most-likely refers to forestry "stump jumpers". Although originally used as an insult, today, most students embrace the nickname with pride.
Students at the Syracuse campus enjoy many activities on and off campus. There are a number of student clubs and organizations at ESF, including the Mighty Oaks Student Assembly (formerly United Students Association), Graduate Student Association, the Guy A. Baldassare Birding Club, the Student Environmental Education Coalition, the Woodsmen Team, Bob Marshall Club, Alpha Xi Sigma Honor Society, Soccer Team, Sigma Lambda Alpha, ''The Knothole'' (weekly newspaper), Papyrus Club, ''The Empire Forester'' (yearbook), Landscape Architecture Club (formally the Mollet Club), Forest Engineers Club, Environmental Studies Student Organization,
Increased global awareness of global warming and reduced nonrenewable resources has driven ESF to invest in biomass. Biomass is a renewable resource that draws light energy, carbon dioxide, and water from the environment; in return oxygen is released. It can be harvested without negatively affecting the environment. For this reason, ESF launched a program to grow its own biomass, known as the '' Willow Biomass Project''. Benefits of woody willow include, high yields and fast growth times, quick re-sprouting, and high heat energy is produced when burned. Woody willow also increases habitat diversity significantly contributes to carbon neutrality.
The Gateway Center was one of the final stages in the school's ''Climate Action Plan'', that encompasses the vision of carbon neutrality and reduced
Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks
– Louis Marshall, President, ESF Board of Trustees, trustee; Paul Schaefer, Trustee and V.P. for 50 years * Ecological Society of America – Dean
in '', a founder of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University and its first dean, 1911–1912. It is the location of most administrative offices and the Department of Sustainable Resources Management. The State University Police department is in the basement. * Gateway Center: The campus' newest building, opened in March 2013, "sets a new standard for LEED buildings, producing more renewable energy than it consumes," according to Cornelius B. Murphy, Jr. The building is "designed to achieve LEED Platinum Certification". The ESF College Bookstore, Trailhead Cafe, and Office of Admissions are in the Gateway Center. * Illick Hall: The building was completed in 1968, and is home to the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology. It is named after Joseph S. Illick, a dean of the State University College of Forestry at Syracuse University. There is a large lecture hall (Illick 5) on the ground floor. Several greenhouses are on the fifth floor. The Roosevelt Wildlife Museum is also in the building. * Jahn Laboratory: Named after Edwin C. Jahn, former head of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. The building was completed in 1997. Home to the Department of Chemistry. * Marshall Hall: Named after Louis Marshall, one of the founders of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. The Alumni ( Nifkin) Lounge and Marshall Auditorium are within. Twin brass plaques in the entryway commemorate the contributions of Marshall and his son, alumnus Bob Marshall. (Under renovation.) * Moon Library: Dedicated to
F. Franklin Moon
Frederick Franklin Moon (July 3, 1880 – September 3, 1929) was a forester, and head of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University from 1920-27.
Early life and education
Moon born in Easton, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 188 ...
, an early dean of the college. Completed in 1968, along with Illick Hall. A computer cluster and student lounge are in the basement.
* Walters Hall: Named after J. Henry Walters
John Henry Walters (January 23, 1874 – January 28, 1952) was an American lawyer and politician. He was President pro tempore of the New York State Senate from 1919 to 1920.
He was born on January 23, 1874, in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New Yo ...
, who served on the college's board of trustees. Completed in 1969. Home to the Department of Chemical Engineering. The pilot plant in the building includes two paper machines and wood-to-ethanol processing equipment.
*Centennial Hall: ESF's on-campus student dormitory
A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...
, commemorating the college's 100th anniversary. The facility is capable of accommodating 280-300 freshman (in double or triple studio rooms with private bath), 116 upperclassmen (in single bedroom suits with private bath), and an additional 56 upperclassmen (in 4-bedroom, 2-bath apartments). A $31 million project, Centennial Hall opened in 2011.
Bray Hall, Marshall Hall, Illick Hall, and Moon Library border the quad. Other buildings on the Syracuse campus include one for maintenance and operations, a garage, and a greenhouse converted to office space. Among planned new buildings is a research support facility.
The historic Robin Hood Oak (photo below) is behind Bray Hall. The tree is said to have grown from an acorn brought back by a faculty member from the Sherwood Forest in England. It was the first tree listed on the National Registrar of Historic Trees in the United States.
Wanakena
Students in the forest and natural resources management curriculum may spend an academic year (48 credits) or summer at the Ranger School, inWanakena, New York
Wanakena is a hamlet located on the shore of Cranberry Lake in the town of Fine in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. Tourism is a major industry in the area; a small year-round population is supplemented by an influx seasonal resi ...
, earning an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in forest technology, surveying, or environmental and natural resources conservation. The campus, established in 1912, is on the east branch of the Oswegatchie River that flows into Cranberry Lake
Cranberry Lake is a lake on the East branch of the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondack Park in New York in the United States. It is the third largest lake in the Adirondack Park (after Lake George and the Great Sacandaga Lake). About 75 percent ...
, in the northwestern part of the Adirondack Park. It includes the James F. Dubuar Memorial Forest, named after a former director of the Ranger School.
Field stations and forests
;New York
* ''Cranberry Lake'': The college's environmental and forest biology summer field program is at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station, on Cranberry Lake
Cranberry Lake is a lake on the East branch of the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondack Park in New York in the United States. It is the third largest lake in the Adirondack Park (after Lake George and the Great Sacandaga Lake). About 75 percent ...
in the Adirondack Park.
* ''Newcomb'': The Adirondack Ecological Center and Huntington Wildlife Forest, a field station in the central Adirondack Mountains, are near Newcomb, New York. The site includes the Arbutus Great Camp, bunkhouses, and a dining center, among other facilities.
* ''Syracuse'': The Lafayette Road Experiment Station is in the City of Syracuse.
* ''Thousand Islands'': The Thousand Islands Biological Station and Ellis International Laboratory are in the Thousand Islands, New York.
* ''Tully'': ESF's Tully Field Station and the Svend O. Heiberg Memorial Forest, a research forest, are in Tully, New York
Tully is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population of the town was 951 at the 2019 census. The name of the town is derived from the Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. The town is on the county's southern border, south ...
.
* ''Warrensburg'': The Charles Lathrop Pack
Charles Lathrop Pack (May 7, 1857 – June 14, 1937), a third-generation timberman, was "one of the five wealthiest men in America prior to World War I".Eyle, p. xv He owed his good start in life to the success of his father, George Willis Pack, ...
Demonstration Forest and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's Environmental Education Camp are near Warrensburg, New York.
;Costa Rica
* The Arturo and Maria Sundt Field Station, ESF's first international field station, is used for research and teaching. A former farm, it is near the town of Coyolito, in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, approximately from the Gulf of Nicoya on the country's west coast.
Academics
The ESF mission statement is "to advance knowledge and skills and to promote the leadership necessary for the stewardship of both the natural and designed environments." ESF is a "specialized institution" of theState University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
, meaning that curricula focus primarily on one field, the college's being environmental management and stewardship. Students may supplement their education with courses taken at Syracuse University. ESF has academic departments in the fields of chemistry; environmental and forest biology; environmental resources engineering; environmental studies
Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and social ...
; sustainable resources management; landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...
; and chemical engineering. Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physics, biology, and geography (including ecology, chemistry, plant science, zoology, mineralogy, oceanography, limnology, soil science, geology and physical geograp ...
programs offer students integrative degrees across the natural sciences.
The admission rate for applicants to ESF is 65 percent (Fall 2021).College NavigatorNational Center for Education Statistics. Accessed: 27 September 2021. ESF is ranked at 48th in the 2022 ''US News & World Report'' rankings of the top public national universities. Furthermore, ESF is tied for 105th in the 2022 ''US News & World Report'' list of the best National Universities (both public and private). ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked ESF as 64th best graduate school in Environmental/ Environmental Health Engineering category in 2016. The ''Washington Monthly College Guide'' ranked ESF No. 49 among the nation's top service-oriented colleges and universities for 2012 (and sixth in "community service participation and hours served")."National University Service Rankings (2012)," ''Washington Monthly''.
Accessed: September 22, 2012.
''Forbes Magazine'' ranked ESF #54 in its listing of "America's Best College Buys" for 2012. Forbes.com has also ranked ESF at No. 3 on its 2010 list of the 20 best colleges for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). ESF is listed at No. 2, ahead of top programs like Duke, Cornell and Yale, among the best college environmental programs in the nation by Treehugger.com
''TreeHugger'' is a sustainability website that reports on news, and other subjects like eco-friendly design, homes, and gardens. It was rated the top sustainability blog of 2007 by Nielsen Netratings,
and was included in Time Magazine's 2009 ...
, a website devoted to sustainability and environmental news."Rankings and Ratings," ESF.Accessed: September 10, 2012. In 2007, ''DesignIntelligence'' magazine ranked ESF's undergraduate and graduate programs in "Landscape Architecture", respectively at No. 12 and No. 9 in the United States. The ''Online College Database'' ranked ESF at No. 6 on its list of "50 Colleges Committed to Saving the Planet" for 2013. The ranking relates in part to one of the school's newest programs, Sustainable Energy Management. Launched in 2013, the program focuses on energy markets, management, and resources. Global issues such as responsible energy use and development of sustainable energy sources are critical focal points in the STEM major.
Research
ESF is classified as a "Carnegie R2 Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity" institution. The first research report published in 1913 by the College of Forestry was the result of the above noted USDA Forest Service supported study of the wood-using industries of New York State. Since that time, the research initiatives of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) have expanded greatly as faculty and students conduct pioneering studies, many with a global reach. ESF researchers delve into topics well beyond the boundaries of central New York. Recent international sites of research interest include Madagascar, the Amazon floodplains, Mongolia and the Galapagos Islands. Vermont and the Sierra Nevada are other locales within the US where recent research has focused. Current research efforts include the Willow Biomass Project and thAmerican Chestnut Research and Restoration Project
which produced the Darling 58 chestnut tree.
Campus life
Many students identify themselves as a "Stumpy" (or "Stumpie"). The nickname was given to students by their neighbors at Syracuse University, probably in the 1920s, and most-likely refers to forestry "stump jumpers". Although originally used as an insult, today, most students embrace the nickname with pride.
Students at the Syracuse campus enjoy many activities on and off campus. There are a number of student clubs and organizations at ESF, including the Mighty Oaks Student Assembly (formerly United Students Association), Graduate Student Association, the Guy A. Baldassare Birding Club, the Student Environmental Education Coalition, the Woodsmen Team, Bob Marshall Club, Alpha Xi Sigma Honor Society, Soccer Team, Sigma Lambda Alpha, ''The Knothole'' (weekly newspaper), Papyrus Club, ''The Empire Forester'' (yearbook), Landscape Architecture Club (formally the Mollet Club), Forest Engineers Club, Environmental Studies Student Organization, Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a US non-governmental, and nonprofit organization which was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat for Humanity is a Ch ...
, ''Ecologue'' (yearly journal), the Bioethics Society, Green Campus Initiative, Baobab Society, and the Sustainable Energy Club. Wanakena students have their own woodsmen and ice hockey teams. A number of professional organizations are also open to student membership, including the Society of American Foresters, The Wildlife Society, Conservation Biology
Conservation biology is the study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an int ...
club, American Fisheries Association, and the (defunct) American Water Resources Association.
ESF has an agreement with adjacent Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
that allows ESF students to enjoy many amenities offered by SU. ESF students take courses at their sister institution, can apply for admission to concurrent degree and joint certificate programs, and may join any SU organization except for NCAA sports teams. SU students are also welcome to enroll in ESF classes. Because of this, students feel a certain degree of integration with the Syracuse University community. Every May, ESF holds a joint commencement ceremony with Syracuse University in the Carrier Dome
The JMA Wireless Dome, originally the Carrier Dome (1980–2022) and colloquially called "The Dome," or more recently "The JMA Dome," is a domed sports stadium in Syracuse, New York. Located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University ...
. ESF's baccalaureate diplomas bear the seals of the State University of New York and Syracuse University.
Students also enjoy a variety of shops, restaurants, museums, and theaters in Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
*Syracuse, Indiana
* Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
, and nearby Marshall Street and Westcott Street.
Gateway Center
ESF has launched several programs, within the confines of campus and other locations, to reduce its carbon emissions. The Gateway Center utilizes sustainable energy resources to generate power and heat utilized across the campus. The building includes a state-of-the-art, combined heat-and-power (CHP) system, producing 65% of campus heating needs along with 20% of its electrical needs. The CHP system usesbiomass
Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...
to drive a steam turbine
A steam turbine is a machine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles Parsons in 1884. Fabrication of a modern steam turbin ...
and produce electricity, while natural gas is used for steam heating along with additional electricity. It has been estimated this building alone is responsible for reducing ESF's carbon footprint by 22%.
Increased global awareness of global warming and reduced nonrenewable resources has driven ESF to invest in biomass. Biomass is a renewable resource that draws light energy, carbon dioxide, and water from the environment; in return oxygen is released. It can be harvested without negatively affecting the environment. For this reason, ESF launched a program to grow its own biomass, known as the '' Willow Biomass Project''. Benefits of woody willow include, high yields and fast growth times, quick re-sprouting, and high heat energy is produced when burned. Woody willow also increases habitat diversity significantly contributes to carbon neutrality.
The Gateway Center was one of the final stages in the school's ''Climate Action Plan'', that encompasses the vision of carbon neutrality and reduced fossil fuel
A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels m ...
dependence by 2015. Currently, the school rests in Phase III of the program and is on track to reach its goal. Included in Phase III is the opening of The Gateway Center, retrofits to Illick Hall, and rooftop greenhouse replacement. One other advancement towards carbon neutrality can be seen on top of the campus's buildings. Rooftop gardens
A roof garden is a garden on the roof of a building. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, habitats or corridors for wildlife, recreational oppo ...
provide reduced energy consumption
Energy consumption is the amount of energy used.
Biology
In the body, energy consumption is part of energy homeostasis. It derived from food energy. Energy consumption in the body is a product of the basal metabolic rate and the physical activity ...
and water runoff. Shrubbery, soil thickness, and moisture content all can contribute to increased energy savings. Gateway and other buildings on campus utilize rooftop gardens to reduce energy consumption and water runoff.
Athletics
The SUNY ESF athletic teams are called the Mighty Oaks. The college is a member the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), primary competing in the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) since about the 2004–05 academic year. ESF competes in 11 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include cross country, soccer and track & field; and co-ed sports include bass fishing and timber sports.Cross country
The school's men's cross-country team are three-time USCAA national champions 2011 to 2013. The women's cross-country team came in second or third in the same tournaments, respectively. The men's soccer team was invited to the 2012 USCAA National Championship Tournament in Asheville, North Carolina, making it to the semifinals.Woodsmen
ESF has a long tradition of competing in intercollegiatewoodsmen
Woodsman (also, woodsmen, pl.) is a competitive, co-ed intercollegiate sport in the United States, Canada and elsewhere based on various skills traditionally part of forestry educational and technical training programs. In North America, the sp ...
competitions in the northeastern US and eastern Canada. The team came in first in both the men's and women's divisions of the northeastern US and Canadian 2012 spring meet. Students at the SUNY-ESF Ranger School
The SUNY-ESF Ranger School (formerly the New York State Ranger School), on the east branch of the Oswegatchie River near Wanakena, New York, offers A.A.S. degrees in forest and natural resources management. Established in 1912, the school is affi ...
, in Wanakena, compete as the Blue Ox Woodsmen team.
Club sports
In addition to the intercollegiate USCAA and woodsman teams, ESF students participate on club sports teams at both ESF and Syracuse University, including ESF's competitive bass fishing team, and SU's quidditch team. Students at the Ranger School participate in the Ranger School Hockey Club.Athletics history
In one notable part of the college's history,Laurie D. Cox
Laurie Davidson Cox (August 18, 1883 – October 1, 1968) was a leading American landscape architect and Hall of Fame coach and contributor to the sport of lacrosse. He was professor of Landscape Engineering at the New York State College of F ...
, professor of Landscape Architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...
, was responsible for establishing Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
's renowned lacrosse program in 1916, including players from the New York State College of Forestry.
Affiliation with Syracuse University
ESF was founded in 1911 as the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University, under the leadership of Syracuse University Trustee Louis Marshall, with the active support of Syracuse University Chancellor Day. Its founding followed several years after the cessation of state funding to the earlier New York State College of Forestry at Cornell. ESF is an autonomous institution, administratively separate from Syracuse University, while some resources, facilities and infrastructure are shared. The two schools share a common Schedule of Classes; students may take courses at both institutions, and baccalaureate diplomas from ESF bear the Syracuse University seal along with that of the State University of New York. A number of concurrent degree programs and certificates are offered between the schools. ESF receives an annual appropriation as part of the SUNY budget and the state builds and maintains all of the college's educational facilities. The state has somewhat similar financial and working relationships with five statutory colleges that are atAlfred University
Alfred University is a private university in Alfred (village), New York, Alfred, New York. It has a total undergraduate population of approximately 1,600 students. The university hosts the New York State College of Ceramics, which includes The ...
and Cornell University, although unlike ESF, these statutory institutions are legally and technically part of their respective host institutions and are administered by them as well.
ESF faculty, students, and students' families join those from Syracuse University (SU) in a joint convocation ceremony at the beginning of the academic year in August and combined commencement exercises in May. ESF and SU students share access to library resources, recreational facilities, student clubs, and activities at both institutions, except for the schools' intercollegiate athletics teams, affiliated with the USCAA and NCAA, respectively.
Traditions
The best known tradition among ESF students is that walking across the quad is shunned. The tradition, which dates back to at least the early 1960s, is intended to inhibit tracks from being worn into the lawn. Hecklers have been known to yell and even tackle people walking across the quad. However, other activities such asfrisbee
A frisbee (pronounced ), also called a flying disc or simply a disc, is a gliding toy or sporting item that is generally made of injection-molded plastic and roughly in diameter with a pronounced lip. It is used recreationally and competitive ...
and soccer are encouraged on the Quad.
Eustace B. Nifkin, ESF's previous mascot, is an unofficial student. He first appeared in the 1940s after a group of students summering in the Adirondacks thought him up. Ever since, he has appeared on class rosters, written articles for ''The Knothole'', and sent mail to the college from around the world. He has a girlfriend, the lesser-known Elsa S. Freeborn. SUNY granted him a bachelor's degree in 1972. The Alumni Lounge in Marshall Hall is dedicated to Nifkin.
Another well known legend is that of Chainer or Chainsaw who supposedly graduated in 1993.
Traditional events include:
* Earth Week events
* Spring Banquet
* December Soiree
* Friends and Family BBQ
* Coffee Haus
* Festival of Places
* Paper run
* Donut Hours
* Waste Audit
* Free Movies Nights
* Insomniacs
* Woodsmen Team (Forestry Club)
* ESF Day of Service
* Quadstock Music and Arts Festival
Notable alumni
More than 19,000 have graduated from ESF since its founding in 1911. The college's Alumni Association was founded 14 years later, in 1925. Notable alumni include: * Reginald E. Balch, MS '28, Canadian photographer and scientist * Bruce C. Bongarten, BS '73, former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, ESF * Joseph Buongiorno, MS '69, Class of 1933 Bascom Professor of Forest Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison *Roger Donlon
Roger Hugh Charles Donlon (born January 30, 1934) is a former United States Army officer. He is the first person to receive the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, as well as the first member of the United States Army Special Forces to be so honor ...
, first man to receive the Medal of Honor in Vietnam
* Christopher Dunn, BS '76, Director of Cornell Plantations
* Ronald J. Eby, BS '69, PhD '74, National Medal of Technology award, 2007 for his work in pediatric medicine. A polysaccharide / carbohydrate chemist whose career was devoted to vaccine development.
* Frank Edwin Egler, plant ecologist and pioneer in the study of vegetation science
* Patrick Flood
Patrick S.A. Flood (born September 12, 1951) is an American politician from Maine. Flood served as a Republican State Senator from Maine's 21st District, representing part of Kennebec County, including Hallowell, Gardiner and his residence of W ...
, BS '74, Maine state legislator
* Sol Feinstone, '15, historian, businessman, conservationist
* Jean Fréchet, MS '69, PhD '71, Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry and Professor of Chemical Engineering, UC Berkeley - Dendritic Polymers: Dendrimers
Dendrimers are highly ordered, branched polymeric molecules. Synonymous terms for dendrimer include arborols and cascade molecules. Typically, dendrimers are symmetric about the core, and often adopt a spherical three-dimensional morphology. The ...
; 2013 Japan Prize
is awarded to people from all parts of the world whose "original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind." The P ...
Laureate His PhD student, Will Dichtel professor of chemistry at Cornell, earns MacArthur 'Genius Award' 9/2015
* Delfin Ganapin Jr. Delfin Ganapin Jr. works for the United Nations in the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program. He holds the position Global Manager. He heads over 8,000 community projects globally. He guides these projects in over a hundred countries.
C ...
, PhD '87, Global Manager, Global Environmental Facility
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral environmental fund that provides grants and blended finance for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, persistent organic pollutants (POPs ...
Small Grants Program, United Nations Development Program
* William M. Harlow
William M. Harlow (1900–1986) was an American professor of engineering and silviculture at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He was also a nature photographer and filmmaker, particularly of time-lapse films.
Educati ...
, BS '25, MS '26, PhD '28, SUNY ESF Professor in the field of wood technology
*Avery Yale Kamila
Avery Yale Kamila is an American journalist, vegan columnist and community organizer in the state of Maine.
Biography
Kamila was born in Westminster, Massachusetts in the 1970s and grew up on an organic farm in Litchfield, Maine. Kamila adopte ...
, American journalist, vegan columnist and community organizer
* Stephen Kay, BLA '73, golf course architect
* Edwin Ketchledge, BS '49, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Botany and Dendrology, ESF
* Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer (born 1953) is an American Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology; and Director, Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, at the State University of New York College of Environmental Scien ...
, BS '75, author of ''Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses''; Professor of Biology and Director, Center for Native Peoples, ESF
* Michael Kudish, PhD '71, author, historian, forester and professor
* Meyer Laskin... "Dad loved his work, but he was most himself and most alive in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York that he fell in love with while in forestry school. I was 10 the first time we went backpacking."
* Raymond (Ray) Leonard, Ph.D., skipper of the ill-fated sailboat ''S. V. Satori'' made famous in the book and movie, '' The Perfect Storm''; a pioneering forest ecologist at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest
Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest is an area of land in the towns of Woodstock, Ellsworth and Thornton in the White Mountains of New Hampshire that functions as an outdoor laboratory for ecological studies. It was initially established in 1955 ...
in W. Thornton, NH.
* Moshe Levy, PhD '55, professor of chemistry, discoverer of living polymerization, and solar energy
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating), and solar architecture. It is an essenti ...
researcher
*Mark Marquisee, in the seminal 1965 'Science' paper describing the structure of alanine transfer RNA, linking DNA and protein synthesis for which Robert W. Holley shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1968 a member of his team was Mark Marquisee. He graduated from SUNY ESF (NYS College of Forestry) in forest chemistry in either 1959 or 1960 coming to Cornell for his PhD in biochemistry.
* Bob Marshall, BS '24, forester, writer and wilderness activist
* Joe Martens, MS '81, former Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (informally referred to as NYSDEC, DEC, EnCon or NYSENCON) is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection ...
* Donald E. Moore III, BS, PhD '76, animal behaviorist, zoo-based wildlife biologist, associate director of Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, DC
* James D. Morrissey, BS '58, "first American to climb the east face of Mt. Everest"
* Clarence Petty, BS '30, forest ranger, conservationist and outdoorsman
* Harry Frederick Recher
Emeritus Professor Harry Frederick Recher RZS (NSW) AM (born 27 March 1938, New York City) is an Australian ecologist, ornithologist and advocate for conservation.
Recher grew up, in the United States of America. He studied at the State Univer ...
, ornithologist
* Bruce Shelley
Bruce Campbell Shelley is a board and video game designer. He is primarily associated as the co-designer of the video games ''Railroad Tycoon'' and ''Civilization'' with Sid Meier, and later the '' Age of Empires'' series.
Shelley had worked with ...
, BS '70, computer game designer
* Sgt. William Shemin, Ranger School 1914, BS after the war, Medal of Honor recipient for bravery in World War I
* Earl Lewis Stone, Jr., BS '38, In 1948, he became the first endowed Charles Lathrop Pack Professor of forest soils at Cornell University. Retired 1979
* Lissa Widdoff, BS '79, executive director, Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation
Environmental leadership
From soon after its founding, ESF affiliated individuals have been responsible for establishing and leading prominent scientific and advocacy organizations around the world focused on the environment. Others have provided leadership to governmental environmental agencies. * Adirondack Council – Clarence Petty, '30, co-founder, 1975, director * Adirondack Park Agency –Ross S. Whaley Ross S. Whaley was the second president of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, in Syracuse, New York, from 1984 to 1999. An economist by training, Whaley had previously been director of forest economics re ...
, former ESF President, chair, 2003–07
Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks
– Louis Marshall, President, ESF Board of Trustees, trustee; Paul Schaefer, Trustee and V.P. for 50 years * Ecological Society of America – Dean
William L. Bray
William L. Bray (September 19, 1865 in Burnside, IllinoisBRAY, William L.
in '', and Professor Charles C. Adams, co-founders, 1915 * Finger Lakes Land Trust – Summer 2011:
Official athletics website
{{authority control 1911 establishments in New York (state) Educational institutions established in 1911 Environment of New York (state) Environmental research institutes Environmental studies institutions in the United States Forestry in the United States Forestry education Science and technology in New York (state) State University of New York USCAA member institutions Technological universities in the United States Environmental
in '', and Professor Charles C. Adams, co-founders, 1915 * Finger Lakes Land Trust – Summer 2011:
Cornelius B. Murphy Jr. Cornelius ("Neil") B. Murphy Jr. is Professor of Environmental and Sustainable Systems at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). From 2000 to 2013, he was the third President of SUNY-ESF.
named to Advisory Council along with Lynn Leopold, widow of A. Carl Leopold
Aldo Carl Leopold (December 18, 1919 – November 18, 2009) was an American academic and plant physiologist, son of Aldo Leopold, a noted ecologist. He is known for his research on soybeans which led to techniques allowing insulin to be dried ...
, Founding President
* National Parks Association – Bob Marshall, '24, board member, 1930s
* The Nature Conservancy – Dean William L. Bray, co-founder, 1950
* Onondaga Environmental Institute — Ed Michalenko, PhD '91, President
* Society of American Foresters – Ross S. Whaley, former ESF President, president, 1991
* Taiwan Environmental Action Network – Wen-ling Tu, MS '96, co-founder
* Union of Concerned Scientists – Howard "Bud" Ris, Jr., MLA '75, executive director, president, 1984-2003
* United States Society for Ecological Economics – Dr. Karin Limburg, ESF faculty member, president, 2006–07; Dr. Valerie Luzadis, ESF faculty member, president, 2012-14
* The Wilderness Society – Bob Marshall, '24, co-founder, 1935
See also
*Adirondack High Peaks The Adirondack High Peaks are a set of 46 mountain peaks in the Adirondack Mountains of New York (state), New York state. They have been popular hiking destinations since the late 1920s, when the list of peaks was published in Russell Carson's book ...
, ESF's origins and inspiration
* Adirondack Park Agency visitor interpretive centers
* History of the New York State College of Forestry
* List of heads of the New York State College of Forestry
* François André Michaux laid the foundation for American forestry with his work, ''The North American Sylva'' starting in 1811.
References
External links
*Official athletics website
{{authority control 1911 establishments in New York (state) Educational institutions established in 1911 Environment of New York (state) Environmental research institutes Environmental studies institutions in the United States Forestry in the United States Forestry education Science and technology in New York (state) State University of New York USCAA member institutions Technological universities in the United States Environmental