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College of Natural Resources
Forestry and Environmental Resources

Natural Resources Professors Named 2024-25 University Faculty Scholars

February 20, 2025
A copper statue of a wolf surrounded by trees and flowers.

Justin Baker and Mirela Tulbure, both professors of forestry and environmental resources in the College of Natural Resources, are among 20 early- and mid-career NC State faculty to be named 2024-25 University Faculty Scholars.

Established by Chancellor Randy Woodson in 2012, the University Faculty Scholars program recognizes faculty for their outstanding academic achievements and contributions to NC State through their teaching, scholarship and service to the university and beyond.

Baker, who holds a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University, joined the College of Natural Resources in 2019. He currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources and a fellow in the Center for Geospatial Analytics.

Through his research in the Resource Economics and Sustainability Lab, Baker is rapidly emerging as a national and international thought leader on greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and natural resource policy. Specifically, demand for his expertise in modeling carbon flows through forest and agricultural systems is increasing.

Baker is a frequent speaker at national and international scientific meetings and is sought by government agencies and NGOs to provide critical policy analysis of GHG mitigation in the forestry sector.

“His leadership is transforming both scientific discourse and driving public policy beyond the confines of academia,” said Myron Floyd, dean of the College of Natural Resources.

In addition to his faculty appointment, Baker serves as the director of the Southern Forest Resource Assessment Consortium, is a group of forestry organizations, researchers and stakeholders from across the southern United States who collaborate to to assess the health, condition and future of forest resources in the region.

Tulbure, who holds a Ph.D. from South Dakota State University, also joined the College of Natural Resources in 2019. She currently serves as a professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources and a fellow in the Center for Geospatial Analytics. She was named to the Center’s Leadership Board in January 2025.

As director of the Geospatial Analysis for Environmental Change Lab, Tulbure leads a team of doctoral students and postdoctoral research fellows as they conduct research on modeling the dynamics of surface water extent, vegetation response to flooding, connectivity using network analysis/graph theory and vegetation health assessment using lidar and hyperspectral data. 

Tulbure is an international thought leader in her discipline. She is acclaimed for her ability to translate cutting-edge science into solutions for real-world challenges. Her collaborative work with a small, low-income community in rural Georgia resulted in updated flood maps that empowered residents to advocate for vital flood mitigation infrastructure.

“Her commitment to extending science beyond campus not only benefits local communities but also prepares students and future science professionals to replicate these efforts in flood-prone regions in North Carolina and beyond,” Floyd said.