August 23, 2018

Distinguished Forestry Professor, Dr. Jim Long Receives National Award


Dr. James (Jim) Long

Dr. James (Jim) Long has lead an exemplary, 35-plus-year career in forest science and silviculture. The impacts of Jim’s research program include applications that are literally used on a daily basis by professional foresters in the Western United States and around the world. Dr. Long’s work on practical approaches to stand density management are broadly implemented and serve as a foundation for silvicultural prescriptions across the United States. These approaches have served as a model for the advancement of forest science.

While Dr. Long is well known for his publications (including all SAF journals) and multiple years as editor for two prominent forestry journals, a measure arguably more meaningful than H-indexes (37) is his impact on students. Jim’s “students” broadly include undergraduates, graduates, professionals, and researchers, which is a result of having lead an internationally renowned research and educational program, chaired the National Silviculture Instructors Subworking group (1990-2005), coordinated the Continuing Education in Ecosystem Management (CEEM), and served on numerous USDA and BIA Silviculture Certification Panels. Jim has always sought to incorporate the results of his fundamental research into management and application, but more importantly has stayed abreast of changing resource-management paradigms, bridging an important gap between constantly evolving management needs and the emergence of new science. Although Dr. Long will retire next year, his legacy will be demonstrated through his students and their careers.