News Release
For Immediate Release — June 24, 2011
UT Names New Director of the Forest Resources Research and Education Center and Arboretum
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
has chosen a senior forestry analyst and sustainable
forest manager from Crossville to serve as director of
the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education
Center and Arboretum. Dr. Kevin Hoyt will begin his
new position on July 5.
Richard Evans to retire after 39 years of service
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has chosen a senior forestry analyst and sustainable forest manager from Crossville to serve as director of the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center and Arboretum. Dr. Kevin Hoyt will begin his new position on July 5.
Hoyt is no stranger to the UT Institute of Agriculture, having received his Bachelor of Science in Forest Management, Master of Science in Forestry and a Ph.D. in Natural Resources all from the University of Tennessee. In addition, he has worked as an adjunct faculty member for the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries. His most recent experience is with Huber Engineered Woods, LLC, in Spring City.
Dr. Bill Brown, dean of UT AgResearch is pleased that Dr. Hoyt could join the UT AgResearch team. “Kevin brings a wealth of experience in industry that will benefit our students and research programs and his familiarity with sustainable forestry practices will continue to advance the Center’s traditions of environmental stewardship,” Brown said.
Regarding his appointment, Hoyt is thrilled. "Being named as the new Director of the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education is truly an honor and fulfills my lifelong goal of working in public outreach, education and for the advancement of natural resources research at my alma mater,” he said.
Hoyt added, "Following Richard Evans in this position is truly a humbling experience given his long tenure in the position. I hope to build on his foundation and legacy in sustaining the Center's future programs and initiatives.”
Evans is retiring after 39 years of service to the University. He knows Hoyt well and is pleased to have him take the reins as the Center’s director. “I think Kevin’s experience and talents will represent the University well, and I am looking forward to working with him through the transition,” he said. Evans plans to reside in Clinton and is also looking forward to staying engaged as an Arboretum volunteer. “And I plan to spend a little more time fishing and with the grandchildren,” he said.
Hoyt is well known to the Tennessee forestry and conservation community, having just been presented in April with the prestigious Tennessee Wildlife Federation Forest Conservationist Award for his efforts in sustainable forest management. He is also a past winner of the Tennessee Forestry Association Award of Merit, is a long-serving member of that organization’s board and was named board member of the year in 2004. A member of the Forest Resources Association (FRA) and the Society of American Foresters (SAF), Hoyt is a certified forester.
The UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center is a 11,500 acre field research laboratory that is a regionally recognized leader in developing new technologies applicable to modern forestry and wildlife resources management and environmental stewardship. Headquartered in Oak Ridge, the Forestry Resources Center is comprised of three forest units: the Cumberland forest located in Morgan and Scott counties, the Highland Rim Forest, in Franklin County, and the Oak Ridge Forest and Arboretum in Anderson County. The Center is one of 10 research facilities operated by the UT Institute of Agriculture. In addition to its agricultural research programs, UTIA also provides instruction research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.
###
Contact:
Lorna Norwood, UTIA Marketing and Communications, 865-974-7141, lorna@tennessee.edu
###
UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center