What unites these areas of study is a focus on using the resources at humanity\u2019s fingertips to make wiser choices about the environments we nurture, both natural and human-made. The people making these choices work a broad range of jobs across countless industries; learning to make those choices also requires a cross-disciplinary approach.<\/p>\n\n
The Environment to Grow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nWhen you hear from current students, it\u2019s easy to understand why CNR is consistently ranked among the top 10 places in the nation to study natural resources: The close-knit community the college offers is second to none. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe biggest thing with CNR that I think is different, is the people,\u201d said Sami Anthony, a junior studying paper science and engineering in CNR\u2019s Department of Forest Biomaterials. \u201cJust the overwhelming support you get from people who barely know you. They become some of your biggest mentors and biggest supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
For many students, that support starts with the faculty<\/a>. CNR\u2019s award-winning professors and advisers bring real-world knowledge and experience to the classroom, often from the heights of their respective fields, giving every CNR student opportunities for mentorship as well as exposure to diverse perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\u201cMost of our professors have also worked in industry, so they can give you their experiences while also giving you the facts about what\u2019s happening from an academia standpoint,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cIt\u2019s all about preparing you for the next steps. From the very beginning, they\u2019re always preparing you for after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Micaela Nardino, a senior studying sustainable tourism in CNR\u2019s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, found that her connections with CNR faculty opened unexpected doors.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cOne of my professors actually found my summer internship,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cHe connected me with the people that I worked for, which was the best experience. And then I did a talk in front of the Dean and some stakeholders about my experience, and another professor reached out to me with a research opportunity. The professors here are always looking out for you. They want you to succeed, and they want to partner with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Student](\"https:\/\/news.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Micaela-Nardino-1500-x-844-1-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>Senior Micaela Nardino relaxes in Biltmore Hall, a home base on NC State’s campus for many CNR students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n![\"Student](\"https:\/\/news.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Sami-Anthony-1500-x-844-1-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>Junior Sami Anthony takes a well-earned break in CNR’s Paper and Pulp Testing Laboratory.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n<\/section>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s not just the faculty who contribute to the college\u2019s strong sense of community. With 1,600 undergraduate students and 450 master\u2019s and Ph.D. students from an array of backgrounds, CNR boasts a diverse and welcoming peer network<\/a> while preserving the feel of a small college within a big university. For students like Nardino, those peer connections often prove essential catalysts for growth, revealing new pathways to link their passions to a meaningful course of study.<\/p>\n\n\u201cI transferred from environmental sciences to sustainable tourism because my peers actually guided me toward that,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cI had people in my classes that were like, you know, you\u2019re missing the people side of things that you love, you should consider going this way. And with my classes, because there\u2019s such a broad variety of things that I learn, it\u2019s been so easy to say, \u2018I do like this, I don\u2019t love that,\u2019 and it\u2019s helped me find my way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
The Freedom to Find Your Path<\/h2>\n\n
NC State\u2019s guiding mantra, \u201cThink and Do,\u201d is on full display across the College of Natural Resources, where students and professors are knee-deep in the learnings that will lead to tomorrow\u2019s breakthroughs.<\/p>\n\n
The college offers nine undergraduate degree pathways<\/strong>, many of which can be customized and combined, to give anyone with a passion for people, problem-solving or the great outdoors a seat at the table. To make it easier to choose, CNR breaks down its majors into four buckets.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>Engineering and Innovation<\/h2><\/a>\nStudents in these majors use engineering principles to provide sustainable solutions in the realms of material production and environmental restoration:<\/p>\n\n
- Environmental Technology and Management<\/li>
- Paper Science and Engineering<\/li>
- Sustainable Materials and Technology<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>
In the Field and Outdoors<\/h2><\/a>\nThese majors make the perfect match for students who harbor a passion for working outdoors to directly manage and protect our natural spaces:<\/p>\n\n
- Environmental Sciences<\/li>
- Environmental Technology and Management<\/li>
- Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology<\/li>
- Forest Management<\/li>
- Natural Resources<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>
People and Policy<\/h2><\/a>\nFor students aiming toward people-focused careers, these majors prepare them to work in public and private organizations to shape sustainable policy solutions:<\/p>\n\n
- Environmental Sciences<\/li>
- Natural Resources<\/li>
- Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>
Sport and Recreation<\/h2><\/a>\nThese majors teach students the business of recreation management so they can engineer experiences that contribute to the enrichment and well-being of their communities:<\/p>\n\n
- Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management<\/li>
- Sport Management<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
The Experience to Thrive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nIf CNR\u2019s community provides the support, it\u2019s the curriculum, with its emphasis on in-the-field learning<\/a>, that gives its graduates the hard skills for sustainable success. Each degree within CNR encourages \u2014 and many require \u2014 students to complete an internship before graduation. The courses themselves are filled with hands-on experiences, offering learners ample opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to the real-world situations they\u2019ll face in the fast-changing fields they\u2019re preparing to enter.<\/p>\n\n\u201cCNR puts you out in the world, whether you\u2019re ready for it or not,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cWe learn about problems and issues in the environment, and within the week we\u2019re out there. We\u2019re helping out. We\u2019re in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Nardino\u2019s internship took her to North Carolina\u2019s Outer Banks<\/a>, where she gained experience working with a local vacation rental agency. She spent her summer at the coast grappling with pressing problems in sustainable tourism, like affordable housing, while learning to surf in her spare time. Anthony, the paper science and engineering major, spent her internship in Cowpens, South Carolina, learning how process engineers in a local recycling mill answer the questions that come up in their daily work \u2014 and learning more about her own aspirations in the process.<\/p>\n\n\u201cI didn\u2019t come from a paper mill town,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what the paper industry was, and it was actually a thing people went into. So getting that internship really helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Students](\"https:\/\/news.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/CNR-Students-Paper-Lab-1500-x-544-2-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>Students in CNR’s Department of of Forest Biomaterials observe a paper run in CNR’s Paper and Pulp Testing Laboratory.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/CNR-Controlled-Burn-1500-x-844-1-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources students check their fire line as part of a controlled burn in Schenck Forest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n![\"Students](\"https:\/\/news.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/CNR-Students-Talking-1500-x-844-2-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>Students studying in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management meet to share their learnings at a local park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\nYou don\u2019t have to look far for proof that a CNR education translates to real-world success. That proof can be found anywhere CNR alumni ply their trade, often right here in North Carolina, where rich natural spaces and thriving industries offer endless options for ambitious graduates. Teshawn Lee (Sustainable Materials and Technology \u201820) and Holly Walsh (Environmental Technology and Management \u201822), two recent graduates of the college, are prime examples.<\/p>\n\n
Walsh, a staff scientist with environmental consulting firm Hart & Hickman, channels her CNR degree<\/a> toward a career spent outdoors, conducting assessments to help preserve \u2014 and restore \u2014 our natural spaces. She credits her classes for ingraining the hard skills needed to properly collect and analyze soil and water samples, while she credits her classmates and professors for nurturing her softer skills, like critical thinking.<\/p>\n\n\u201cNow, in the field, when I have to do something, it\u2019s not as difficult as it would be if I didn\u2019t have [those skills],\u201d said Walsh. \u201cBecause of how interdisciplinary [CNR] is, I\u2019m not just thinking about the chemistry or hydrology of a problem \u2014 I\u2019m thinking about everything that goes into it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n
Lee, a graduate of both CNR and NC State\u2019s ROTC program, splits time between his role with a sustainable building supply company, CaraGreen, and his post as a second lieutenant with the U.S. Army National Guard; but he applies the knowledge he gained from CNR across the full spectrum of his work. Since he started helping CaraGreen retool its shipping processes to incorporate more sustainable principles, he\u2019s seen his efforts boost the company\u2019s efficiency \u2014 and its bottom line. He brings that same renewable mindset to his role as a tanker, where he\u2019s been known to eagerly broach the topic of a cleaner tank fuel with fellow service members.<\/p>\n\n
The experiences of CNR graduates like Lee and Walsh, and those of current students like Anthony and Nardino, exemplify the holistic approach to natural resource management that sets the college apart \u2014 and sets its graduates up for success, wherever their paths may lead. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned from CNR is that our ecosystem is literally the ball of wet dirt that we\u2019re sitting on,\u201d said Lee. \u201cAnd how you place into that, and how you can influence that system, that\u2019s what CNR put into my mind. They taught me that, hey, you need to start designing, you need to start acting on the idea that we have these limited resources, that while they\u2019re replenishable, we need to ensure that we\u2019re using them in such a way that there\u2019s enough for everyone.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"
With each passing year, the need to transition to more sustainable modes of production and consumption grows more evident \u2014 and more urgent. From stronger hurricanes to overfishing to environmental injustice, the strain of our traditional approach to natural resource management is mounting, and young people, especially, are taking note. <\/p>\n\n
But building a sustainable world won\u2019t happen overnight. It will take people collaborating across disciplines, innovating from the bottom up and the top down, to connect solutions that work in the field with the policy reforms, business practices and development models needed to foster lasting change in our communities.<\/p>\n\n
The College of Natural Resources<\/a> (CNR) offers a full suite of undergraduate<\/a> and graduate<\/a> degrees to prepare the next generation of problem-solvers for a lifetime of meaningful work managing our planet\u2019s precious reserves. Within CNR, majors that fit neatly into the fields of conservation and ecology \u2014 like environmental sciences, forest management, and fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology \u2014 sit next to less obvious majors, like paper science and engineering, and parks, recreation and tourism management. There\u2019s a good reason for that. <\/p>\n\nWhat unites these areas of study is a focus on using the resources at humanity\u2019s fingertips to make wiser choices about the environments we nurture, both natural and human-made. The people making these choices work a broad range of jobs across countless industries; learning to make those choices also requires a cross-disciplinary approach.<\/p>\n\n
The Environment to Grow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nWhen you hear from current students, it\u2019s easy to understand why CNR is consistently ranked among the top 10 places in the nation to study natural resources: The close-knit community the college offers is second to none. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe biggest thing with CNR that I think is different, is the people,\u201d said Sami Anthony, a junior studying paper science and engineering in CNR\u2019s Department of Forest Biomaterials. \u201cJust the overwhelming support you get from people who barely know you. They become some of your biggest mentors and biggest supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
For many students, that support starts with the faculty<\/a>. CNR\u2019s award-winning professors and advisers bring real-world knowledge and experience to the classroom, often from the heights of their respective fields, giving every CNR student opportunities for mentorship as well as exposure to diverse perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\u201cMost of our professors have also worked in industry, so they can give you their experiences while also giving you the facts about what\u2019s happening from an academia standpoint,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cIt\u2019s all about preparing you for the next steps. From the very beginning, they\u2019re always preparing you for after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Micaela Nardino, a senior studying sustainable tourism in CNR\u2019s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, found that her connections with CNR faculty opened unexpected doors.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cOne of my professors actually found my summer internship,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cHe connected me with the people that I worked for, which was the best experience. And then I did a talk in front of the Dean and some stakeholders about my experience, and another professor reached out to me with a research opportunity. The professors here are always looking out for you. They want you to succeed, and they want to partner with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Senior Micaela Nardino relaxes in Biltmore Hall, a home base on NC State's campus for many CNR students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<\/a>Junior Sami Anthony takes a well-earned break in CNR's Paper and Pulp Testing Laboratory.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s not just the faculty who contribute to the college\u2019s strong sense of community. With 1,600 undergraduate students and 450 master\u2019s and Ph.D. students from an array of backgrounds, CNR boasts a diverse and welcoming peer network<\/a> while preserving the feel of a small college within a big university. For students like Nardino, those peer connections often prove essential catalysts for growth, revealing new pathways to link their passions to a meaningful course of study.<\/p>\n\n\u201cI transferred from environmental sciences to sustainable tourism because my peers actually guided me toward that,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cI had people in my classes that were like, you know, you\u2019re missing the people side of things that you love, you should consider going this way. And with my classes, because there\u2019s such a broad variety of things that I learn, it\u2019s been so easy to say, \u2018I do like this, I don\u2019t love that,\u2019 and it\u2019s helped me find my way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
The Freedom to Find Your Path<\/h2>\n\n
NC State\u2019s guiding mantra, \u201cThink and Do,\u201d is on full display across the College of Natural Resources, where students and professors are knee-deep in the learnings that will lead to tomorrow\u2019s breakthroughs.<\/p>\n\n
The college offers nine undergraduate degree pathways<\/strong>, many of which can be customized and combined, to give anyone with a passion for people, problem-solving or the great outdoors a seat at the table. To make it easier to choose, CNR breaks down its majors into four buckets.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>Engineering and Innovation<\/h2><\/a>\nStudents in these majors use engineering principles to provide sustainable solutions in the realms of material production and environmental restoration:<\/p>\n\n
- Environmental Technology and Management<\/li>
- Paper Science and Engineering<\/li>
- Sustainable Materials and Technology<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>
In the Field and Outdoors<\/h2><\/a>\nThese majors make the perfect match for students who harbor a passion for working outdoors to directly manage and protect our natural spaces:<\/p>\n\n
- Environmental Sciences<\/li>
- Environmental Technology and Management<\/li>
- Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology<\/li>
- Forest Management<\/li>
- Natural Resources<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>
People and Policy<\/h2><\/a>\nFor students aiming toward people-focused careers, these majors prepare them to work in public and private organizations to shape sustainable policy solutions:<\/p>\n\n
- Environmental Sciences<\/li>
- Natural Resources<\/li>
- Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>
Sport and Recreation<\/h2><\/a>\nThese majors teach students the business of recreation management so they can engineer experiences that contribute to the enrichment and well-being of their communities:<\/p>\n\n
- Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management<\/li>
- Sport Management<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
The Experience to Thrive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nIf CNR\u2019s community provides the support, it\u2019s the curriculum, with its emphasis on in-the-field learning<\/a>, that gives its graduates the hard skills for sustainable success. Each degree within CNR encourages \u2014 and many require \u2014 students to complete an internship before graduation. The courses themselves are filled with hands-on experiences, offering learners ample opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to the real-world situations they\u2019ll face in the fast-changing fields they\u2019re preparing to enter.<\/p>\n\n\u201cCNR puts you out in the world, whether you\u2019re ready for it or not,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cWe learn about problems and issues in the environment, and within the week we\u2019re out there. We\u2019re helping out. We\u2019re in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Nardino\u2019s internship took her to North Carolina\u2019s Outer Banks<\/a>, where she gained experience working with a local vacation rental agency. She spent her summer at the coast grappling with pressing problems in sustainable tourism, like affordable housing, while learning to surf in her spare time. Anthony, the paper science and engineering major, spent her internship in Cowpens, South Carolina, learning how process engineers in a local recycling mill answer the questions that come up in their daily work \u2014 and learning more about her own aspirations in the process.<\/p>\n\n\u201cI didn\u2019t come from a paper mill town,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what the paper industry was, and it was actually a thing people went into. So getting that internship really helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/a>Students in CNR's Department of of Forest Biomaterials observe a paper run in CNR's Paper and Pulp Testing Laboratory.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/a>Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources students check their fire line as part of a controlled burn in Schenck Forest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<\/a>Students studying in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management meet to share their learnings at a local park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\nYou don\u2019t have to look far for proof that a CNR education translates to real-world success. That proof can be found anywhere CNR alumni ply their trade, often right here in North Carolina, where rich natural spaces and thriving industries offer endless options for ambitious graduates. Teshawn Lee (Sustainable Materials and Technology \u201820) and Holly Walsh (Environmental Technology and Management \u201822), two recent graduates of the college, are prime examples.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cMost of our professors have also worked in industry, so they can give you their experiences while also giving you the facts about what\u2019s happening from an academia standpoint,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cIt\u2019s all about preparing you for the next steps. From the very beginning, they\u2019re always preparing you for after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Micaela Nardino, a senior studying sustainable tourism in CNR\u2019s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, found that her connections with CNR faculty opened unexpected doors.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cOne of my professors actually found my summer internship,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cHe connected me with the people that I worked for, which was the best experience. And then I did a talk in front of the Dean and some stakeholders about my experience, and another professor reached out to me with a research opportunity. The professors here are always looking out for you. They want you to succeed, and they want to partner with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n It\u2019s not just the faculty who contribute to the college\u2019s strong sense of community. With 1,600 undergraduate students and 450 master\u2019s and Ph.D. students from an array of backgrounds, CNR boasts a diverse and welcoming peer network<\/a> while preserving the feel of a small college within a big university. For students like Nardino, those peer connections often prove essential catalysts for growth, revealing new pathways to link their passions to a meaningful course of study.<\/p>\n\n \u201cI transferred from environmental sciences to sustainable tourism because my peers actually guided me toward that,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cI had people in my classes that were like, you know, you\u2019re missing the people side of things that you love, you should consider going this way. And with my classes, because there\u2019s such a broad variety of things that I learn, it\u2019s been so easy to say, \u2018I do like this, I don\u2019t love that,\u2019 and it\u2019s helped me find my way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n NC State\u2019s guiding mantra, \u201cThink and Do,\u201d is on full display across the College of Natural Resources, where students and professors are knee-deep in the learnings that will lead to tomorrow\u2019s breakthroughs.<\/p>\n\n The college offers nine undergraduate degree pathways<\/strong>, many of which can be customized and combined, to give anyone with a passion for people, problem-solving or the great outdoors a seat at the table. To make it easier to choose, CNR breaks down its majors into four buckets.<\/p>\n\n Students in these majors use engineering principles to provide sustainable solutions in the realms of material production and environmental restoration:<\/p>\n\n These majors make the perfect match for students who harbor a passion for working outdoors to directly manage and protect our natural spaces:<\/p>\n\n For students aiming toward people-focused careers, these majors prepare them to work in public and private organizations to shape sustainable policy solutions:<\/p>\n\n These majors teach students the business of recreation management so they can engineer experiences that contribute to the enrichment and well-being of their communities:<\/p>\n\n If CNR\u2019s community provides the support, it\u2019s the curriculum, with its emphasis on in-the-field learning<\/a>, that gives its graduates the hard skills for sustainable success. Each degree within CNR encourages \u2014 and many require \u2014 students to complete an internship before graduation. The courses themselves are filled with hands-on experiences, offering learners ample opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to the real-world situations they\u2019ll face in the fast-changing fields they\u2019re preparing to enter.<\/p>\n\n \u201cCNR puts you out in the world, whether you\u2019re ready for it or not,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cWe learn about problems and issues in the environment, and within the week we\u2019re out there. We\u2019re helping out. We\u2019re in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n Nardino\u2019s internship took her to North Carolina\u2019s Outer Banks<\/a>, where she gained experience working with a local vacation rental agency. She spent her summer at the coast grappling with pressing problems in sustainable tourism, like affordable housing, while learning to surf in her spare time. Anthony, the paper science and engineering major, spent her internship in Cowpens, South Carolina, learning how process engineers in a local recycling mill answer the questions that come up in their daily work \u2014 and learning more about her own aspirations in the process.<\/p>\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t come from a paper mill town,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what the paper industry was, and it was actually a thing people went into. So getting that internship really helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n You don\u2019t have to look far for proof that a CNR education translates to real-world success. That proof can be found anywhere CNR alumni ply their trade, often right here in North Carolina, where rich natural spaces and thriving industries offer endless options for ambitious graduates. Teshawn Lee (Sustainable Materials and Technology \u201820) and Holly Walsh (Environmental Technology and Management \u201822), two recent graduates of the college, are prime examples.<\/p>\n\n Walsh, a staff scientist with environmental consulting firm Hart & Hickman, channels her CNR degree<\/a> toward a career spent outdoors, conducting assessments to help preserve \u2014 and restore \u2014 our natural spaces. She credits her classes for ingraining the hard skills needed to properly collect and analyze soil and water samples, while she credits her classmates and professors for nurturing her softer skills, like critical thinking.<\/p>\n\n \u201cNow, in the field, when I have to do something, it\u2019s not as difficult as it would be if I didn\u2019t have [those skills],\u201d said Walsh. \u201cBecause of how interdisciplinary [CNR] is, I\u2019m not just thinking about the chemistry or hydrology of a problem \u2014 I\u2019m thinking about everything that goes into it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n Lee, a graduate of both CNR and NC State\u2019s ROTC program, splits time between his role with a sustainable building supply company, CaraGreen, and his post as a second lieutenant with the U.S. Army National Guard; but he applies the knowledge he gained from CNR across the full spectrum of his work. Since he started helping CaraGreen retool its shipping processes to incorporate more sustainable principles, he\u2019s seen his efforts boost the company\u2019s efficiency \u2014 and its bottom line. He brings that same renewable mindset to his role as a tanker, where he\u2019s been known to eagerly broach the topic of a cleaner tank fuel with fellow service members.<\/p>\n\n The experiences of CNR graduates like Lee and Walsh, and those of current students like Anthony and Nardino, exemplify the holistic approach to natural resource management that sets the college apart \u2014 and sets its graduates up for success, wherever their paths may lead. <\/p>\n\n \u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned from CNR is that our ecosystem is literally the ball of wet dirt that we\u2019re sitting on,\u201d said Lee. \u201cAnd how you place into that, and how you can influence that system, that\u2019s what CNR put into my mind. They taught me that, hey, you need to start designing, you need to start acting on the idea that we have these limited resources, that while they\u2019re replenishable, we need to ensure that we\u2019re using them in such a way that there\u2019s enough for everyone.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false,"raw":" With each passing year, the need to transition to more sustainable modes of production and consumption grows more evident \u2014 and more urgent. From stronger hurricanes to overfishing to environmental injustice, the strain of our traditional approach to natural resource management is mounting, and young people, especially, are taking note. <\/p>\n\n But building a sustainable world won\u2019t happen overnight. It will take people collaborating across disciplines, innovating from the bottom up and the top down, to connect solutions that work in the field with the policy reforms, business practices and development models needed to foster lasting change in our communities.<\/p>\n\n The College of Natural Resources<\/a> (CNR) offers a full suite of undergraduate<\/a> and graduate<\/a> degrees to prepare the next generation of problem-solvers for a lifetime of meaningful work managing our planet\u2019s precious reserves. Within CNR, majors that fit neatly into the fields of conservation and ecology \u2014 like environmental sciences, forest management, and fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology \u2014 sit next to less obvious majors, like paper science and engineering, and parks, recreation and tourism management. There\u2019s a good reason for that. <\/p>\n\n What unites these areas of study is a focus on using the resources at humanity\u2019s fingertips to make wiser choices about the environments we nurture, both natural and human-made. The people making these choices work a broad range of jobs across countless industries; learning to make those choices also requires a cross-disciplinary approach.<\/p>\n\n When you hear from current students, it\u2019s easy to understand why CNR is consistently ranked among the top 10 places in the nation to study natural resources: The close-knit community the college offers is second to none. <\/p>\n\n \u201cThe biggest thing with CNR that I think is different, is the people,\u201d said Sami Anthony, a junior studying paper science and engineering in CNR\u2019s Department of Forest Biomaterials. \u201cJust the overwhelming support you get from people who barely know you. They become some of your biggest mentors and biggest supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n For many students, that support starts with the faculty<\/a>. CNR\u2019s award-winning professors and advisers bring real-world knowledge and experience to the classroom, often from the heights of their respective fields, giving every CNR student opportunities for mentorship as well as exposure to diverse perspectives.<\/p>\n\n \u201cMost of our professors have also worked in industry, so they can give you their experiences while also giving you the facts about what\u2019s happening from an academia standpoint,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cIt\u2019s all about preparing you for the next steps. From the very beginning, they\u2019re always preparing you for after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n Micaela Nardino, a senior studying sustainable tourism in CNR\u2019s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, found that her connections with CNR faculty opened unexpected doors.<\/p>\n\n \u201cOne of my professors actually found my summer internship,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cHe connected me with the people that I worked for, which was the best experience. And then I did a talk in front of the Dean and some stakeholders about my experience, and another professor reached out to me with a research opportunity. The professors here are always looking out for you. They want you to succeed, and they want to partner with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n It\u2019s not just the faculty who contribute to the college\u2019s strong sense of community. With 1,600 undergraduate students and 450 master\u2019s and Ph.D. students from an array of backgrounds, CNR boasts a diverse and welcoming peer network<\/a> while preserving the feel of a small college within a big university. For students like Nardino, those peer connections often prove essential catalysts for growth, revealing new pathways to link their passions to a meaningful course of study.<\/p>\n\n \u201cI transferred from environmental sciences to sustainable tourism because my peers actually guided me toward that,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cI had people in my classes that were like, you know, you\u2019re missing the people side of things that you love, you should consider going this way. And with my classes, because there\u2019s such a broad variety of things that I learn, it\u2019s been so easy to say, \u2018I do like this, I don\u2019t love that,\u2019 and it\u2019s helped me find my way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n NC State\u2019s guiding mantra, \u201cThink and Do,\u201d is on full display across the College of Natural Resources, where students and professors are knee-deep in the learnings that will lead to tomorrow\u2019s breakthroughs.<\/p>\n\n The college offers nine undergraduate degree pathways<\/strong>, many of which can be customized and combined, to give anyone with a passion for people, problem-solving or the great outdoors a seat at the table. To make it easier to choose, CNR breaks down its majors into four buckets.<\/p>\n\n Students in these majors use engineering principles to provide sustainable solutions in the realms of material production and environmental restoration:<\/p>\n\n These majors make the perfect match for students who harbor a passion for working outdoors to directly manage and protect our natural spaces:<\/p>\n\n For students aiming toward people-focused careers, these majors prepare them to work in public and private organizations to shape sustainable policy solutions:<\/p>\n\n These majors teach students the business of recreation management so they can engineer experiences that contribute to the enrichment and well-being of their communities:<\/p>\n\n If CNR\u2019s community provides the support, it\u2019s the curriculum, with its emphasis on in-the-field learning<\/a>, that gives its graduates the hard skills for sustainable success. Each degree within CNR encourages \u2014 and many require \u2014 students to complete an internship before graduation. The courses themselves are filled with hands-on experiences, offering learners ample opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to the real-world situations they\u2019ll face in the fast-changing fields they\u2019re preparing to enter.<\/p>\n\n \u201cCNR puts you out in the world, whether you\u2019re ready for it or not,\u201d said Nardino. \u201cWe learn about problems and issues in the environment, and within the week we\u2019re out there. We\u2019re helping out. We\u2019re in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n Nardino\u2019s internship took her to North Carolina\u2019s Outer Banks<\/a>, where she gained experience working with a local vacation rental agency. She spent her summer at the coast grappling with pressing problems in sustainable tourism, like affordable housing, while learning to surf in her spare time. Anthony, the paper science and engineering major, spent her internship in Cowpens, South Carolina, learning how process engineers in a local recycling mill answer the questions that come up in their daily work \u2014 and learning more about her own aspirations in the process.<\/p>\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t come from a paper mill town,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what the paper industry was, and it was actually a thing people went into. So getting that internship really helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n You don\u2019t have to look far for proof that a CNR education translates to real-world success. That proof can be found anywhere CNR alumni ply their trade, often right here in North Carolina, where rich natural spaces and thriving industries offer endless options for ambitious graduates. Teshawn Lee (Sustainable Materials and Technology \u201820) and Holly Walsh (Environmental Technology and Management \u201822), two recent graduates of the college, are prime examples.<\/p>\n\n<\/a><\/a>The Freedom to Find Your Path<\/h2>\n\n
Engineering and Innovation<\/h2><\/a>
In the Field and Outdoors<\/h2><\/a>
People and Policy<\/h2><\/a>
Sport and Recreation<\/h2><\/a>
The Experience to Thrive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>The Environment to Grow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
<\/a><\/a>The Freedom to Find Your Path<\/h2>\n\n
Engineering and Innovation<\/h2><\/a>
In the Field and Outdoors<\/h2><\/a>
People and Policy<\/h2><\/a>
Sport and Recreation<\/h2><\/a>
The Experience to Thrive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
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