image: This image shows Dr. A. Goron Holley -- Louisiana Tech University. view more
Credit: Louisiana Tech University
RUSTON, La. -- The Society of American Foresters has named Louisiana Tech University School of Forestry Associate Professor and Associate Director A. Gordon Holley as its 2012 Carl Alwin Schenck Award winner.
Holley received the award at the 2012 Society of Foresters National Convention held Oct. 24-28 in Spokane, Wash. The Schenck Award recognizes outstanding performance in the field of forestry education. This award recognizes individuals whose educational efforts exemplify those of Schenck, founder of the Biltmore Forestry School.
Holley, who holds the Bobby J. and Laura B. Neill Professorship in Louisiana Tech's School of Forestry, started his career as a teaching assistant at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA), where he taught 12 sections of an Introduction to Forestry laboratory while working toward his master's degree. Later Holley assisted with a graduate-level biometrics course and a forest resource management planning course.
In 1998, upon completing his Ph.D., Holley became an instructor at SFA from 1999 to 2005, he served as assistant professor at Oklahoma State University (OSU) where he taught Forest Measurements I&II, Forest Economics and Finance and Timber Management.
Holley joined the Louisiana Tech staff in 2005 and has served as Forestry Club advisor at both OSU and Louisiana Tech. He has also served on committees for effective teaching and undergraduate education, as well as on subcommittees related to undergraduate advisement and student profiles while at OSU.
Soon after arriving at Tech, Holley helped redesign the forestry school's summer camp in response to student's expressed need to have a greater proportion of instruction in the field and created an annual, two-week spring trip to Honduras for Tech forestry students.
Holley has been honored numerous times for his dedication to instruction and been the recipient of several awards, including Louisiana Tech's College of Applied and Natural Science's 2007 Outstanding Instructor of Upper Level Courses Award and the 2008 Scholarly Activity Award, Oklahoma State University's 2002 Outstanding Advisor Award (OSU) and OSU's Department of Forestry's Outstanding Professor for 1999-2000, 2001-2002, and 2002-2003.