Southern University Southern University
Elevating Urban Forestry Education to New Heights
By Dr. Zhu Hua Ning, Department Chair, PhD Program Leader, and ANSWERS Institute
Director, Southern University Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources
Photos Courtesy SU Urban Forestry & Natural Resources
The jaguar background used for this story is a nod to Southern University's longtime mascot.
Representatives of SU Urban Forestry alumni, students, employers, and administrators of the Department, College, and
University are shown here with the Society of American Foresters Accreditation Site Review Team in early March 2020.
The Department of Urban Forestry and Natural
Resources at Southern University and A&M College
(hereafter, SU) offers Bachelor of Science, Master of
Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs
that are fully accredited by the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools. As such, our Department's
programs offer the most comprehensive urban
forestry higher education in the United States.
SU established the first Bachelor of Science in
Urban Forestry degree program in the nation in
1992 with support from the USDA Forest Service
and the Louisiana Board of Regents. The Master of
Science program in Urban Forestry was approved in
1998, and the Urban Forestry PhD degree program
launched in 2004. Every year since 2003 when the
award was received, our Department has received
funds via the "Department of Excellence through
Faculty Excellence" award by the Louisiana Board
of Regents. In 2015, SU honored our department
with the Most Productive Department award. Our
faculty members are nationally and internationally
award-winning experts who provide the highest
quality education and training for our graduates—
and superb research to benefit our field at large. >>
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