As an associate professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Gillian Bowser will travel to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, where she will collaborate with Professor Shai Divon in the Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric). Bowser will contribute to a project titled “Inclusive Sustainable Development in the Highlands,” funded by a Marie Curie Research Staff Exchange grant through the European Union in partnership with the University of Innsbruck in Austria. 

Emma Burdick graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in fish, wildlife and conservation biology and was named the outstanding graduate from the Warner College of Natural Resources. The honor is based on Burdick’s perseverance and accomplishments during her time as an undergraduate. Read more about how a pair of Hello Kitty Crocs laid the foundation for her love of natural resources. 

Tara Teel, alumna and long-standing professor in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, began serving as the department's interim head on July 1.  Teel served as HDNR’s assistant department head from 2019-2025. Her efforts to advance integration of the social sciences in conservation and her research on human values toward wildlife and human-wildlife interactions have had significant impacts in Colorado, across the U.S., and globally. Teel is taking over from outgoing interim head, Tony Cheng, who will return to performing his regular research and teaching duties as faculty in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship in the fall. HDNR is extremely grateful for Cheng’s leadership during this past year!

Warner College Business Services is your integrated support team for all Financial Services, Human Resource Services, and Proposal Support Services

As of June 23, Warner College of Natural Resources has raised $5,900,784 towards a goal of $8,200,000 for CY25. 

The mission of Warner College's International Affairs Committee is to celebrate the international diversity of the college, and build connections, learning, and engagement with our international community among students, staff, and faculty. Learn more about the IAC by visiting their website. 

What if solutions to some of the planet's biggest problems could be found inside some of its smallest creatures? That is the bet a team of researchers is making, and it's led them to places both remote and, lately, rather familiar. Listen to NPR's Ari Daniel interview the research team, including James Henriksen, an environmental microbiologist in the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory. 

For the first time, researchers have demonstrated in an intact plant a long-contested process that allows some plants to rebound from extended drought. The team of Colorado State University, University of Colorado, and U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists says understanding this special trait could improve agricultural productivity and food security.

Bill Parton, senior research scientist with the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, and colleagues developed the CENTURY Model in the 1980s. What started as a regional project designed to evaluate how agriculture in the Great Plains affected soil carbon and plant production, grew into a globally recognized tool for ecological forecasting.  As climate science gained urgency in the 1990s, the model’s scope expanded. “We went from just doing agriculture and grasslands to modeling systems across the world,” Parton said. 

The Professional Development Institute is a long-standing tradition offering CSU faculty, state classified personnel, administrative professionals, and graduate students an opportunity to present content and generate energy in their passion areas. 

The 47th Annual PDI will take place Tuesday-Thursday, January 6–8, 2026. This year’s Call for Proposals is now open and runs through September 26.

Please visit PDI's website for more information about submitting a proposal. 

Fall 2025 Classes Begin

Monday, August 25 | 8 a.m.

Colorado State University

Warner Scholarship Dinner

Friday, October 24 | Time TBD

Lory Student Center Ballrooms

CSU Symposium 2025

November 3-6 | Times TBD

Location TBD

Pathways: Human Dimensions of Wildlife is an annual conference and training program designed to address the myriad issues that arise as people and wildlife struggle to coexist in a sustainable and healthy manner. This year's theme is “Appreciating Nature’s Benefits” and will be held September 7-10, 2025 in Estes Park, Colorado. 

For more information about the conference and to register, please visit the Pathways website. 

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