Alumni Profiles
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The Department has a long history of producing leaders - alumni who make significant contributions to the improvement their professions and the world around us. Meet some of our alumni and let us know what you are doing by updating your record.
Fall 2009 Spotlights
Meet Deb Nahikian
Deb Nahikian earned her Bachelors of Forest Management in 1990. Now a middle school science and social studies teacher in Gastonia, NC, Deb has remained a good friend of the college and has stayed in touch with us. Jennifer Catalano caught up with her this fall and asked this Forester turned Teacher a few questions that help us learn more about her.
What attracted you to forestry as a major?
I was always an “outdoor” person and I would visit my grandparents in Asheville every summer. When I was 10 I went to the Cradle of Forestry in Brevard and it made an impression on me. As I went through middle school and high school, I got involved with FFA and went to forestry camps and it continued to be something I was interested in. It is also true that I was a huge Lassie fan growing up and Timmy’s dad worked for the USFS. I never really knew exactly what Timmy’s dad did, but he was always having very exciting adventures!
How has your education at NC State affected your career choices?
The education I got at NCSU prepared me well for my profession and when I graduated I went straight to work feeling confident and that I could contribute something. When I changed careers 14 years later to become a teacher, my Forestry degree from NCSU was considered equivalent to a biology degree and I was able to use that as a lateral entry into teaching.
What is your fondest or funniest memory of school?
There are many that I probably should not put in print in order to protect the reputations of other professionals! Most of them involve summer camp at the Hill or other functions that were held at the Hill. The one that I can relate is when we “stole” the sawblade/gong from in front of the mess hall and put it in the back of Doc Steensen’s truck. He drove it all the way around the pond with it banging around in the back and thought it was the metal bread trays and was cussing up a storm about all the racket they were making.
Did you have one class that was particularly tough?
Oh Lord yes! How I survived Entomology with Dr. Farrier I will never know! I worked my tail end off in his class and was happy to make a D- the only one I have ever made in my life. I still have nightmares about the names of beetles and cringe when I hear someone calling them bugs!
What has been your biggest professional challenges?
Being a woman in a predominately male profession was a challenge and I was determined to prove myself equal and capable. I was perhaps a bit too stubborn for my own good, but I am proud of what I accomplished and that I had the respect of my colleagues and coworkers.
What are some of your greatest rewards during college or in your profession so far?
I loved being a forester and found the profession to be very rewarding. I took great pride in being a part of what Union Camp (the company I worked for) called intensive culture where we grew pine trees very quickly. I loved using all the new technology of the profession such as GPS and computers. I would proudly point out to family and friends the tracts that I “planted” or harvested. As a teacher now, I have been able to use many of my experiences in the classroom and have found that students today are very far removed from the woods or nature and being able to tell them about forestry, natural regeneration and renewable resources from a firsthand experience is something I feel is important.
What path took you from being an forester to a middle school teacher?
My current position is a middle school science and social studies teacher. How does a forester end up in the classroom? The shortest answer is the forestry profession changed dramatically from 1990 to 2003 when I changed careers. Many of my classmates and I went to work for the forestry products industry and when we started there were easily 25-30+ companies. By the time I left the industry in 2003, there were less than a dozen of those same companies in the Southeast.... The thing that I had always enjoyed about being a forester was the opportunity to talk to schools and other organizations about forestry, land management and renewable resources. I was at a crossroads in my forestry career and felt that it was time for me to be in charge of my future instead of at the whim of upper management. Teaching seemed to fit. I joke that I went from planting trees to teaching middle school students and that trees were easier because at least they stayed still!
What do you see as the most important issues that face your profession?
The forestry profession has changed dramatically and it is no longer just about trees. It is the entire concept of managing for natural resources and much of it is driven by public opinion. Large tracts of land are becoming less and less common and the next generation of landowners is less interested in managing for timber. Traditional management tools such as clear-cutting and prescribe burning are not in favor by the general public and the pressure to prevent these practices has dramatically changed how land managers do their jobs. I believe that the large wildfires common in the western states, and such as the one this past spring in Myrtle Beach, will become more frequent and intense because of the lack of management.
What advice do you have for undergraduate students?
I would recommend that students be well rounded and not “specialize” in any one area. Be willing to get a broad base of experience in all areas. I always dreamed of working with the U.S. Forest Service and was thrilled when I was accepted as a Co-op student with the USFS. The one year I worked for them was invaluable because I quickly learned I did not want to spend a career as a USFS employee. I did gain a great deal of experience that helped me when I returned to school for my senior year and afterwards when I went to work for Union Camp. I highly recommend that students take advantage of Co-op or internship opportunities.
Meet Carter Reeb
Carter Reeb graduated in the spring of 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Technology. This summer he contacted his former instructors in the ET program to let them know he was on the West Coast and was starting a new job with CH2M HILL. Success stories are so great to hear - especially so soon after graduation - so we asked Carter to catch up with us by answering these questions:
What attracted you to profession?
When I started at NC State I knew that I wanted to study nature and the way in which man has detrimentally impacted his environment. What I didn't know was how many ways in which I could accomplish that goal. For me, cleaning millions of gallons of water per day that would otherwise severely pollute the local waterway is highly rewarding because I see myself as effectively protecting the local natural environment. Every day I conduct complex chemical tests and operate a large system of complicated technology. The attraction for me was the opportunity to continue my education of the natural environment and take a stand for the environment at the same time.
How has your education at NC State affected your career and/or personal life?
Most university programs allow a student to either become educated and enriched as a human being or become technically prepared for a career. The ET program is unique in that it allows a student to become qualified to run complex chemical tests and understand large systems of complicated technology while at the same time educating the student in subjects ranging from anthropology and sociology to physics and statistics.
What is your fondest or funniest memory of school?
My greatest experience at NC State was the last week of my final semester. I had made so many friends in the ET department and we all were cramming for finals together in the CNR Library. I can’t imagine the university experience without all those great people and their support for one another.
Did you have one class that was particularly tough?
Analytical Chemistry (CH 315) was very difficult for me. Luckily I had a group of ET students that were also taking the same class and we studied together throughout the whole semester. I think every ET student should take this course as it offers valuable knowledge of applicable statistics, real-world chemistry and usable lab techniques that will make the student a better job or graduate school applicant post-graduation.
What has been your biggest professional challenge so far?
My biggest challenges so far as a professional have been networking and managing other people as a boss. I always thought that I would be a professor or a lab tech but now I run an industrial wastewater treatment facility and instead of simply running chemical tests and reporting to someone on behalf of my own work I have to think about payroll and performance reviews and disciplinary action. Thankfully I worked throughout college at the NIEHS, EPA and in Dr. Nichol’s laboratory and learned the basic skills of leadership.
Your greatest reward? The greatest reward so far in my professional career was meeting the Senior VPs of my company and being offered the opportunity to travel as a consultant at other facilities.
How did you find your current position?
If anyone tells you that it’s not what you know but who you know, they are absolutely right. A family friend is a regional director for the company I now work with and passed my resume along. This family friend gave the resume to his boss and finally it made it to the VPs of the company. They suggested giving me a job out in Oregon and so I moved out here in June.
What is a typical day like?
For me the typical day starts at about 6:30 am when I show up at the facility. I get turnover (a rundown of what the facility is doing) from the graveyard shift and then I work with the operators who collect samples, run lab tests on these samples, monitor equipment and meter readings and make adjustments to the facility based on the process feedback. I sometimes will help the operators with the lab work or rounds of the facility. Other times I am doing administrative work such as payroll, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality reports and employee training. About once every month I get sent to Denver, Colorado or Northern Alberta, Canada for meetings or consulting work.
What do you see as the most important issues that face your profession?
The most important issues that face the profession of water and wastewater treatment is a lack of fully educated professionals with bachelor’s degrees. The majority of operators do not have a degree simply because experience and a certification exam are all that is required to operate a facility. If even a few university students per year were to enter the water and wastewater treatment field there would be a marked decrease in noncompliance issues and untreated discharges to receiving waterways. The work that we do in this industry is essential to the health and well-being of all humans and to the environment. The future of this profession is in the hands of recent graduates with a 4-year degree. For someone with a high school degree it would have taken 15-20 years for that person to get where I am only 5 months after graduation from NC State. A university education and applicable experience makes all the difference.
What advice would you give a high school or transfer student considering Natural Resources as an undergraduate major?
If you have the aptitude for statistics, calculus, physics, chemistry and biology you should really consider Environmental Technology. Although completing the degree is no easy endeavor, the rewards are amazing. Although I can’t speak to the Fisheries and Wildlife program or the Forestry degree, I have friends that completed degrees in both programs and they were more than impressed with the education and the resulting open doors in their industry. My only advice is that you make friends within the department quickly and plan on studying with these people every semester until you graduate. The available resources, smaller class sizes, more attentive and educated professors and friendlier people make the College of Natural Resources the best department at NC State.
Summer 2009 Spotlight
Meet Brenda Brickhouse 
Brenda Brickhouse is an alumna of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources and a long-term supporter of the College of Natural Resources at NC State University. Involved since the late 1980’s with the college’s oldest charitable organization, Brenda was recently elected President of the NC State Natural Resources Foundation, Inc. (NCSNRF) by its Board of Directors. NCSNRF was established in 1929 as the NC Forestry Foundation, the oldest foundation on NC State’s campus. The Foundation oversees more than $150 million in assets and strengthens ties between the college, alumni, industry, friends, and the general public.
Brenda graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry and, in 1988, with a Master of Public Affairs degree, both from NC State. She is the Director of Environmental, Health and Safety Services for Power Operations at Progress Energy. Brenda is such an inspiration to us, so we caught up with her recently to get her thoughts on the following questions.
How did you become interested in forestry?
“During the 70’s, the birth of Earth Day and the modern environmental movement peaked my interests. I was pretty good in math and the sciences in high school, and I wanted a technical degree in some kind of environmental field.” Brenda explained that when she was looking for a major, she found that many of the conservation-based programs were part of a liberal arts education, and found the forestry curriculum at State to be stronger in technology and applied science, with more depth in economics, statistics, and biology. “So that is why I chose forestry.”
Did it seem unusual at the time be a woman studying forestry?
“Not really. There were about 10% women in the program at the time. I grew up with a mom who told me that I could do anything I wanted. I didn’t have traditional roles or expectations placed on me.”
How has your education in forestry affected your career?
“The best thing about the forestry program is that it is very multidisciplinary. You must weigh many issues dealing with the economics of timber production, soil and water conservation, fisheries and wildlife issues, aesthetics, public policies, and local community concerns. Learning to deal in all of those arenas and understanding how to balance those various apples-to-oranges kind of concepts was really critical to me. I’ve frankly used that throughout my entire career, even though I done very little pure forestry since school.”
Immediately upon graduating with her B.S. in forestry, Brenda went to work for Carolina Power & Light (now Progress Energy) as a forester with what was then the Transmission Department (cross-country power lines). “I worked on siting power lines and power plants, land clearing and maintaining erosion control among other things, but I dealt a lot with communities and regulators. Dealing so much with community aspects and governmental agency relations led to my pursuing the MPA degree, which focused on environmental planning.
“I’ve been everything from a power plant manager to a distribution operations manager, and now I direct our environmental, health and safety services. I work with multidisciplinary teams, dealing with multiple projects, regulations, and community relations. It’s amazing to be this far along in my career and be doing pretty much what I learned all along the way.”
What has been your biggest professional challenge?
“My biggest challenge and one of the job assignments I’m most proud of was when we had a merger of Carolina Power & Light and Florida Power and I was on the management team that went to Florida. I was managing a power plant in Florida, and I had never run a steam electric power plant before. It was all new to me - new plant, new company and people - and to work through that and bring the merger to success in my little part of the world was really a neat experience.
“In my entire career, I’ve never been afraid of trying something I’ve never done before. I have a husband who has been very supportive about me moving somewhere new and trying a new job that totally consumes me. I haven’t had 9-to-5 kind of jobs.”
What are some of the greatest rewards of your career?
“It has been rewarding seeing individuals and groups that have worked for me over the years grow and develop in leadership and management. Caring about them and seeing them reach their full potential is really what it’s all about.”
Brenda also spoke of some of the challenges and rewards of her volunteer work with the foundation and associated organizations. “My work with NCSU and the Foundation has truly been some of the most rewarding in my professional career. Changing the strategy and the business model for the Forestry Foundation was challenging, but we’ve been very successful in meeting the vision and goals that we set. And it’s kept me grounded in my Forestry roots!”
Brenda admits that she rarely says no, so she often gets some tough assignments. “It’s gratifying working with people on a project that looks difficult coming out of the box, and then pulling it off to a successful outcome. Some of my operational jobs have been rather non-traditional jobs for women, or for that matter a non-engineer. It’s been fun and exciting; there’s often a lot of 24-7, adrenaline-junky action.”
What is your fondest memory of school?
“Summer Camp! It was such a great experience that not everyone has the opportunity to have. I learned a lot and made friends for life.”
What was your toughest class?
“My 7:50AM entomology class! My dad ran a night club when I was growing up so we are not morning people.”
What advice would you give someone thinking about entering the field of forestry?
“Degrees in this department may seem specific, but actually they incorporate a multidisciplinary approach and an understanding of the policies and the people and communities you will be impacting. So people should consider that a major like forestry doesn’t mean that you’ll only be working with trees. You will learn an approach to problem solving and take that model – that way of thinking – and apply it to other things.
“Be open with your idea of what a forestry degree encompasses. There are many important forestry-related issues currently facing us, such as sustainability, water quality and quantity, biofuels, and climate change. The time is ripe for really smart people working on these issues.
“I hope high school students don’t opt out of forestry because they see it is narrow, because it isn’t. Students should work toward their passions and think outside of the box.”
Spring 2009 Spotlight
Meet Dakota Paris
Dakota grew up just outside of Graham, North Carolina, and graduated in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Forest Management and a Minor in Soil Science. Dakota was very involved when in school, so it was great to catch up with her earlier this year to see how she was doing and get a little insight into her experiences while at State.
What attracted you to your chosen major/profession?
"I always loved being outside in the woods growing up, so I naturally wanted to find a career that would not keep me indoors all of the time. I found forestry and was hooked."
What was the most challenging part of your education? What was the most fun? Most rewarding?
"College was an adventure, one that I will never forget. Getting to know all of my classmates and the friendships that were forged there was one of the most rewarding things of college. Classes themselves were the most challenging, I tended to do alright in my major and minor classes but those general education classes were the ones that usually got me. I really think it had something to do with not being interested in the subjects. One of the great things about college was that there was always fun to be had, even when in the middle of doing homework and studying. Friends were always only a few minutes away and you could get together anytime, day or night."
Photo: Classmates cheer on Dakota as she competes during forestry conclave
Tell us a little about your current position.
"The North Carolina Forest Service hired me not long after my graduation. I started my career as an Assistant County Ranger in the western part of the state. I have learned a lot in my time with the Forest Service, and gotten a lot of hands on experiences that I could not get in school. I have tried to keep my options open by taking the Registered Forester's Exam. In becoming a Registered Forster I give myself the options of moving up to a Service Forester within the Forest Service or moving out into the private sector and working for a Forestry Consultant.
"I would advise anyone who thinks they might be interested in becoming Registered at any point in their career to go ahead and take the exam as soon as they can after graduation. Find someone who has taken the exam before and pick their brain for as much information as possible, because it really helps when you go in with an idea of what you are up against."
What do you think the future holds for forestry?
"Forestry has turned out to be one of the best choices that I have made. It is very rewarding to get the opportunity to sit down and talk with a landowner who is interested in forestry practices and explain how things work and answer his or her questions. I see a lot of opportunities opening up in Forestry here in the next few years as some of our current people retire."
What advice would you give to students considering coming to NC State in your major?
"I would advise anyone who is interested in forestry and is uncertain as to whether they want to go this route to contact someone who is in the field and just talk to them. Contact a Consultant, County Ranger, or anyone who is working in the field of forestry and ask if you can talk with them about their career, or if you can spend a day or two shadowing them on the job. The more you know, the easier it is to figure out what you want. It has been my experience that most people who are in Forestry love to talk about forestry. I love forestry and, given time I may try to move up in the ranks, but as it stands I enjoy my job." 
Photo: Dakota Paris, center in sunglasses, with a group of Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources faculty and students, helping plant trees at the Hofmann Forest as part of a research study in January 2006.
From the Summer 2005 WolFER News
Meet J. Wilson Jones, Jr.
J. Wilson Jones, Jr. knows how important it is to lend a helping hand. His support has meant a lot to the more than 200 people he employs, and to the students he has funded through scholarships. Jones, 71, who goes by Wilson, graduated with a B.S. degree in 1956 from NC State’s School of Forestry in the Lumber Products Manufacturing and Merchandising program. That program later developed into the Wood Science and Technology curriculum.
“It was a broad degree,” recalls Wilson, “that got into accounting, business, a little bit of construction engineering, and law.” The curriculum fit Wilson’s needs and experience. His father, grandfather, and great grandfather had been in the lumber business.
J. Wilson Jones, Senior started the J. W. Jones Company Inc. “I had worked around the mill since I was twelve years old,” Wilson recalls. Though his father received no formal education past the eighth grade, Wilson was expected to go further. “‘You’ve got to go to college.’ That is all I heard, all of my life.” He now values his education for the “broad experience of the different classes that I had, the people that I dealt with and learned to work with. Plus you learn that you don’t know everything - but you know where to look. You also make connections that are invaluable in later years.” He also fondly recalls, “the good times I had in Raleigh.”
Wilson was in the ROTC while at NC State, and served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after graduation. He says his broad education, military training, and experience dealing with people were all key factors in his decision to go back to the lumber business. Now his sons, J. Wilson, III and Stephen M. have joined him in the business, or as he puts it, “I work with them.”
Wilson and his wife, Margaret B., live in Elizabeth City, NC, and own J. W. Jones Lumber Company, Inc. and Mackeys Ferry Sawmill, Inc.. Overseeing two sawmills, a chip-mill, and 210 employees (not counting the truck drivers and logging crews) can be an extremely complex task. His responsibilities include “putting my finger on different little things that are going on; giving some direction to our supervisors and the whole organization; trying to understand what is happening this new millennium in the lumber business.”
“We are really dealing with a world market, and the markets have completely changed in the past 40-50 years. In this new century, you have to adapt. You have to find niches and produce merchandise that will work in all of that change,” says Wilson. “With all the changes in the industry,” he feels rewarded by “having been able to stay in business as long as we have, and having my two sons come into business with me.”
Several NC State graduates have been or are currently foresters with his companies, including Henry Cunningham, Bob Pippen, Kent Luton, and Joe Davison. “That is part of the key to our success - the good people working with us,” states Wilson. “About 30-40 years ago, we started having foresters work with landowners. If our forefathers hadn’t planted trees and been good stewards of the land, then we wouldn’t be in business now.”
His knowledge, experience, and generosity have been of great benefit to many. He has been appointed to the North Carolina Forest Advisory Council, which advises the NC Division of Forest Resources. And he is past Chair of the Board of Trustees for the College of The Albemarle, an eastern NC community college he has supported for years. “I have respect for what community colleges have done for people in rural areas,” states Wilson.
Wilson has been a long-time supporter of natural resource programs at NC State as well, remarks Ben Chilton, former Executive Director of the NC Forestry Foundation and Pulp and Paper Foundation. “Mr. Wilson Jones has funded several scholarships for Wood Products students from the Elizabeth City region and surrounding counties. He is currently providing academic support and summer 
jobs for two students majoring in Forest Management and minoring in Wood Products.”
Providing jobs, scholarships, guidance, and encouragement are just part of his everyday world, though it has made a world of difference to many people. Regarding the lives he has touched, Wilson Jones says simply, “When somebody needs a helping hand, you stick out the hand and do what you can.”
Photo: J. Wilson Jones, center, accepts a plaque for his support from Brenda Brickhouse, President of NC Forestry Foundation, and Larry Nielsen, Dean of the College of Natural Resources, and Interim Provost NCSU, 2005.
