Natural Resources at USU

The S. J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources (QCNR) is internationally recognized for research, extension, and teaching on natural and socio-environmental systems. It is a high-impact college at USU with almost $11M in research funding last year, 61 tenure-track faculty in three departments, and close partnerships with federal and state natural resource agencies. Our work traverses biological, physical, and social systems to advance scientific knowledge, train leaders, and translate research into on-the-ground management and policy. The Department of Environment and Society uses social and interdisciplinary science to understand human-environment interactions at a range of spatial scales; the Department of Watershed Sciences studies aquatic ecosystems and the watersheds that feed them; and the Department of Wildland Resources is focused on applied terrestrial ecology, including the ecology and management of wildlife, forests, rangelands, and conservation biology. Extension and outreach are a major focus, and the college is home to pioneering groups including the Ecology Center; the Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism; the Center for Colorado River Studies; the National Aquatic Monitoring Center; the Remote Sensing/Geographic Information Systems Laboratory; the USU Dendrochronology Laboratory; the Berryman Institute; and the T.W. Daniel Experimental Forest. QCNR offers 10 undergraduate and 16 graduate degree options, and two continuing education certificates, and has approximately 500 undergraduate and 250 graduate students enrolled. With a strong emphasis on student engagement, the college has robust programs in undergraduate research, internship opportunities, and community-engaged learning. QCNR has a reputation, not just for high-impact research and teaching, but for an exceptionally collaborative, amicable and collegial community. We deeply believe in the work we do, and we take a leadership role in fostering a more sustainable world.