When NMFS was looking for a home for its first RTR Unit, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ( Virginia Tech ) quickly moved to the top of the list of possible institutions. NMFS wanted a university with a strong fisheries program, a critical mass of population dynamics expertise, promising opportunities for collaboration with other government agencies, and a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate education.
Virginia Tech has one of the oldest and most respected fisheries program in the United States . In a survey of University Natural Resource Department Heads, Virginia Tech was named the #1 wildlife program in the country, the #2 fisheries program in the country, and the #1 fisheries program in the Southeast. Virginia Tech's fisheries research is management focused, being both relevant and varied. The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences is home to 25 full time faculty. The Department's expertise includes Dr. Brian Murphy– fisheries management, Dr. Steve McMullin– human dimensions, and Dr. Eric Hallerman– genetics, all individual who will play an important role in the mission of the RTR Unit.
Colleges and Universities in the Southeast have many excellent faculty research population dynamics, but few have the “critical mass” desired by NMFS for their new Unit. Virginia Tech's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife currently has seven faculty members who have published and taught on the subject of population dynamics ( Berkson , Haas , Jiao , Kelly , Orth , Stauffer , and Vaughan ). Additional population dynamics faculty are found in both VT's Entomology and Biology Departments providing the combined critical mass NMFS was looking for to work with the RTR Program's Education and Research Programs.
Virginia Tech's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences is also home to both a U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Research Unit housing three government scientists/faculty and a U.S. Forest Service Cooperative Research Unit housing an additional three government scientists/faculty. The College of Natural Resources, of which the Department is a part, is also home to a National Park Service Cooperative Research Unit, housing one federal scientist/faculty member. This combination of federal research units provides unique opportunities for NMFS, plus a long track record of successful collaborations between Virginia Tech and government research units.
Finally, faculty in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences are committed to developing, utilizing, and evaluating the most innovative and effective approaches to undergraduate and graduate education. A number of the faculty most closely involved with the RTR Program have published papers about university education in peer reviewed journals. Case study and experiential learning are just two examples of current education approaches that NMFS believes are required for its new recruiting program to be successful. Virginia Tech is a leader in their development.
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