For the average undergraduate student one of the questions they are frequently asked is, “Are you going to graduate school?” Many students choose not to pursue a graduate degree but for those that answer “Yes”, it can be a difficult path. That is not to say it doesn’t have rewards. Nearly all graduate students leave their programs with a lifelong mentor; someone who has driven them to be their best and to enjoy every step of the way there. For those students lucky enough to be under the tutelage of Dr. John Bliss (pictured here at the far right), they will have not just a lifelong mentor but also a lifelong friend.

John Bliss is all about his students. Bliss has been to the funerals and weddings of his students and their children since he began working with graduate students 25 years ago. He was once “honored to be asked to give an English name to the baby son of a wonderful Chinese student”. Since he began teaching at Oregon State 12 years ago, he has fully invested his time and energies into multiple graduate classes, such as this year’s “Communities and Natural Resources”, “Ecosystems Services from Family Forestlands”, and his first class for the Masters in Natural Resources “Social Aspects of Sustainable Natural Resources”. Because these classes are designed for graduate students they create a greater depth of study for enrolled students. Bliss’ “Communities and Natural Resources” course, now in its seventh year, is a ten day program where up to 15 students visit rural communities in Oregon to study “ranchers, farmers, agency people”, and more to get a firmer understanding of their day-to-day experiences.

Bliss’ students come from around the globe; from Nepal to Florida. His current students, or “oddballs”, as he calls them, range from across the continental United States. “I have the best students on campus,” Bliss insists, confirming his statement by declaring the odds of acceptance: 1 in 10. Nearly all of his students have gone on to successful careers after graduation. Most of his students come to graduate school because they want a change of pace to either work with their hands or expand their horizons. “I have one student who was a successful architect before he decided to study forestry!” Bliss enthuses. All of his students enter with the clear understanding of their professional relationship. “To varying degrees students take responsibility for the design and implementation of the research leading to their theses. My principal roles are those of coach, critical reviewer, and sounding board.”

As is students come and go, Bliss continues to stay in touch. His desktop is covered in photo files of his students’ travels and new lives. He is grateful for all of the experiences he has received since he took his position as the Starker Chair in Private and Family Forestry in 1998 which has enabled him to work at OSU. When not in his office he travels extensively to Eastern Europe, Africa, China, and other locations abroad. He now looks forward to two new students arriving in the fall.

Story by Danielle White, College of Forestry senior

Mark Needham, professor of forestry, wants to bring the world into his classroom. An avid traveler, Mark’s journeys lead to a rich classroom atmosphere where students take a step out of Corvallis and look at recreation activities abroad. During the fall and spring terms, Mark teaches three recreation resource management courses: FOR 251, FOR 453/553, and FOR 523. For undergraduate students, the 251 and 453 courses are popular because neither have pre-requisites and both are open to all majors.

The class FOR 251 is appropriate for students who like hands-on assignments. Although there are no class field trips, Mark requires students to work in teams to assess a natural resource recreation site, such as Avery Park, the Sea Lion caves, or other parks. Students must have interviews with management staff and make a site visit evaluating the environmental impacts that humans have on the site and other social factors of the site. Although there is a written report and oral presentation required for the class, some students find that their projects result in jobs from the locations they analyze.

FOR 453/553 is a class available for undergraduate and graduate students. Instead of visiting a natural resource recreation site, students are asked to audit a nature-based tourism operator. Because many of the students in the class have traveled little, Mark has chosen to bring the international experience to the students. The teams, in the past, have chosen to focus on international companies that operate out of Nepal, Costa Rica, and Belize. Students review brochures and other marketing tools to assess any instances of green-washing or false advertising as well as interview an individual from that company, either through Skype or another internet voice/video messenger.

Mark spends his off-seasons conducting research around the globe.  The majority of his projects occur in the United States in Alaska, Hawaii, and in Oregon, all of which focus on recreation and tourism. Their focuses range from wilderness best practices to managing the effects on coral reefs. For undergraduate students interested in working with Mark Needham, his most time-consuming project is in Oregon studying the relationship between land-owners and beavers. Mark currently employs 7 undergraduate students in his beaver project.

When not teaching and researching, Mark spends time playing indoor soccer with a city league and playing ice hockey (he IS Canadian, eh?). His ice hockey passion takes him state-wide to find the different rinks to play in. In addition to playing sports, Mark is also an aspiring photographer. His message to students is to “have an open mind to the diversity of the natural resources out there. It can be more than just forestry. It is also people, communities, and other natural resources, such as alpine and marine environments, and wildlife. It is also about the interaction between ecosystems and people.”

Story by Danielle White, College of Forestry senior

Professors Matt Betts and Tom Spies study trees from above!

Tom Spies