Senior Administrator Search Information

Finalist Visit Dates and Open Forums

All open forums available to the public. Presentations will not be recorded.

Joel Snodgrass

Visit Dates: March 30-April 1
Open Forum: March 31, 3:30-4:30 p.m. with a reception to follow.
Cascades Room, Inn at Virginia Tech or Zoom Link

Dr. Joel W. Snodgrass is an academic leader with extensive experience in research, teaching, and administration. He currently serves as the Department Head and Professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, a position he has held since August 2014. Dr. Snodgrass has a robust academic background, holding a B.S. in Biology from Guilford College, an M.S. in Zoology from the University of Central Florida, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia. Dr. Snodgrass held several key administrative roles before coming to Virginia Tech, including Graduate Program Director and Chairperson of the Department of Biological Sciences at Towson University. His leadership at Virginia Tech has been marked by significant achievements, such as increasing grant funding, expanding faculty and staff, and enhancing diversity and inclusion within the department. Dr. Snodgrass's research interests focus on the effects of human-induced landscape changes on aquatic systems. He has secured over $5 million in grants and fellowships, contributing to numerous high-impact publications and presentations. His work has been recognized with various awards and honors, reflecting his commitment to advancing interdisciplinary research and education. Dr. Snodgrass has been actively involved in professional organizations, serving as President of the National Association of University Fish and Wildlife Programs and on the editorial board of several journals. He is dedicated to fostering academic excellence and environmental stewardship, particularly in relationship to natural resources management and conservation.

A. Alonso Aguirre

Visit Dates: April 1-3
Open Forum: April 2, 3:30-4:30 p.m. with a reception to follow.
Cascades Room, Inn at Virginia Tech or Zoom Link

A. Alonso Aguirre is Dean of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. He is a two-time alumnus of CSU and Warner College, as well as winner of the College’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Aguirre’s academic mission is to provide the next generation of environmental science, sustainability, and policy leaders with unique educational and research opportunities that are transformational and transdisciplinary in nature within the context of globalization and international markets. Previously, he was a Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University, Fairfax Virginia. There, he headed an academic and research program using One Health/Planetary Health approaches to understand wildlife diseases and their links to human health; he also was chair of the University’s Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee. For the past 30 years his work has focused on the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems under the tenet “health connects all species in the planet,” developing practical, sustainable, and effective solutions understanding local socio-economic factors and a solid grasp of complex national and regional health and environmental policies. His collaborations highlight transdisciplinarity, integrative research, socio-ecological systems and resilience, while building local capacity in over 28 countries. Dr. Aguirre cofounded the emerging discipline of Conservation Medicine, the Journal of EcoHealth and the International Association of Ecology and Health. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed papers and 5 books. Dr. Aguirre was appointed to the Board on Life Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences and served in the expert panel of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. He has advised governments of several countries of the Americas, Southeast Asia, and Western Europe and briefed the Mexican and United States Congress on many health and ecological issues linked to anthropogenic change. He has received numerous awards including the Conservation Merit Bicentennial Award from Mexico and the Harry Jalanka Memorial Medal from Finland.

Saskia van de Gevel

Visit Dates: April 6-8
Open Forum: April 7, 3:30-4:30 p.m. with a reception to follow.
Solitude Room, Inn at Virginia Tech or Zoom Link

Dr. Saskia van de Gevel is a distinguished academic leader and a finalist for the Dean of the College of Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE) position at Virginia Tech. With over 16 years of leadership experience in higher education and the National Geographic Society, Dr. van de Gevel has consistently championed shared governance, honesty, and a supportive work environment. As Department Chair at Appalachian State University, she strengthened the department's research capabilities and academic programs for faculty and students. Dr. van de Gevel has built strategic partnerships with industry, government, and community organizations to secure funding, enhance research programs, and create student opportunities. She has effectively leveraged data-driven storytelling to expand scholarship opportunities and establish employment pipelines for graduates. Dr. van de Gevel has an interdisciplinary background with a B.S. in Forest Science from the Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Tennessee.

Announcement

Virginia Tech has announced the committee tasked with overseeing a national search for the next dean of the College of Natural Resources and Environment.

As the head of the College of Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE), the dean serves as chief administrative officer of the college and is responsible for strategically leading the college’s academic and administrative operations. CNRE is home to a diverse group of academic and research programs including forestry, forest products, fish and wildlife conservation, and geography, while developing new degree programs and majors, elevating faculty scholarship and expertise, and enhancing facilities and teaching and research capacity.

The new dean will replace Paul Winistorfer, who has announced his retirement effective fall 2025, after 16 years of leadership and service to CNRE and Virginia Tech.

The list of search committee members is as follows:

• Kevin Pitts – search committee chair, dean of the College of Science
• Tim Baird – associate professor, Geography
• Anamaria Bukvic – assistant professor, Geography
• Dan Cleveland, associate vice president, Colleges and Units, University Advancement 
• Kevin Edgar – professor, Sustainable Biomaterials
• Francesco Ferretti – assistant professor, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
• Jennifer Gagnon – coordinator, Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
• Mike Gutter – director, Virginia Cooperative Extension; associate dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Sarah Karpanty – professor, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
• Joe Knight – department head, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
• Stacey Kuhar – executive assistant, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
• Mike Melo – chief executive officer, ITA International
• Garry Morgan – director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, College of Veterinary Medicine
• Patty Raun – Alumni Distinguished Professor, School of Performing Arts
• Bettina Ring – Virginia State Director, The Nature Conservancy
• Maren Roman – professor, Sustainable Biomaterials
• Todd VandeVord – senior financial planning manager, Office of Budget and Financial Planning

The search committee will be supported by a staff that includes Leslie Stevens, project director for Faculty Affairs, and Peggy Vilardo, administrative assistant for Faculty Affairs.

Virginia Tech is partnering with WittKieffer to assist with the search process.