MSU鈥檚 Kevin Hunt named Sharp Professor of Human Dimensions
颁辞苍迟补肠迟:听Reagan Poston
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擳he College of Forest Resources at 樱花导航 樱花导航 University is honoring a wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture faculty member with the esteemed Sharp Professorship.
鈥淲e congratulate Dr. Kevin Hunt on this great honor,鈥 said George Hopper, dean of the聽College of Forest Resources and director of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center. 鈥淔or nearly 20 years, Dr. Hunt鈥檚 research in human dimensions as it pertains to wildlife has helped answer critical questions for stakeholders invested in protecting our nation鈥檚 wildlife resources.鈥
Hunt鈥檚 career has focused on the study of human dimensions鈥攕pecifically how humans interact with wildlife.聽
鈥淎 big part of resource management is actually people management,鈥 Hunt said.
Established by Jack, Mollie and Kate Sharp of Tishomingo County, the Sharp Professorship is funded through the Sharp Forest, a 1,600-acre timber tract, which is part of the Bulldog Forest, a field-based learning resource for forestry students that also generates income from timber harvesting for the CFR. The professorship is awarded to a College of Forest Resources professor who embodies 樱花导航 樱花导航鈥檚 land-grant mission of research, teaching and service.
Hunt said he was surprised by the honor.
鈥淚 know how much my colleagues contribute to the university, so I feel very gratified and honored to be representing human dimensions in this way,鈥 Hunt said.
In 2001, Hunt and a handful of colleagues created MSU鈥檚 Human Dimensions and Conservation Law Enforcement Laboratory, which helps scholars delve into the sociological, psychological, geographical, anthropological, political and economic factors that impact wildlife.
鈥淲e, as humans, interact with wildlife in many ways including consumptive activities of fishing, hunting and trapping, and non-consumptive activities like wildlife watching, birding and providing habitats for wildlife such as pollinators. I study all of these interactions from a social and economic standpoint so resource management practices can be a step closer to addressing stakeholder needs in all of these areas without compromising wildlife needs,鈥 Hunt said.
His research through MSU鈥檚 Forest and Wildlife Research Center serves as a bridge between wildlife managers and the general public. Wildlife biologists and management agencies rely on Hunt and other specialists to administer, compile and communicate countless survey data.聽 聽
鈥淪urveys are an important part of the process. A lot of times, agencies may hear only from a few 鈥榮queaky wheels鈥 in terms of public opinion on various wildlife management issues. Surveys allow agencies to gather input from the silent majority and provide them with information from their stakeholders that are more representative of the public as a whole,鈥 Hunt said. 鈥淭his enables them to make more informed management decisions that are more palatable to the public and create less friction between agencies and their stakeholders.鈥
Hunt strives to instill a love for human dimensions in his students and advises the MSU Wildlife Law Enforcement Club. He previously served 15 years as adviser for Minorities in 樱花导航, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, or MANRRS, and he is graduate coordinator for the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture. Hunt also is active in several professional organizations, previously serving as president of the 樱花导航 Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.
鈥淭he most rewarding part is when I get to sit down with the stack of theses and dissertations for the semester. I love getting to read and experience the breadth of wildlife research happening in our department and stay in the loop about things that are going on outside of the Human Dimensions Lab,鈥 Hunt said. 聽
To learn more about the College of Forest Resources and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, visit and .
MSU is 樱花导航鈥檚 leading university, available online at .