Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology Celebrates New Name
The University of Maine’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology (WFCB) formally recognized its new name and celebrated the department’s tradition of education and research at a recent event.
The division, previously known as the Department of Wildlife Ecology, officially changed its name in September 2014 to better reflect its current graduate and undergraduate programs.
About 300 supporters of the department were invited to the Jan. 15 event on campus.
“The change directly mirrors the department’s academic structure,” says Lindsay Seward, an instructor and coordinator of the undergraduate ecology and environmental sciences program.
Wildlife education at UMaine began with the establishment of the Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit in 1935 and approval of a master’s degree in wildlife management. A bachelor’s degree in wildlife management was created in the mid-1940s, and master’s and Ph.D. degrees were offered in 1983 with the creation of the Department of Wildlife in a new College of Forest Resources. In 1994, the name was changed to the Department of Wildlife Ecology.
The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology offers programs that lead to undergraduate and graduate degrees. Undergraduate students pursue concentrations in fisheries, wildlife science and management, and conservation biology.
Over the past several years, WFCB has experienced growth in both academics and research. Undergraduate enrollment has nearly doubled over a four-year period and research productivity continues to be high, according to department officials.
“We look forward to a promising future as our program continues to grow and evolve to meet the conservation needs of today,” says Daniel Harrison, current chair of the department.
The curriculum offered through the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology allows students to meet the requirements for professional certification by the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society.
Aquatic and fisheries work within the department has increased over the last decade. More than 40 percent of current graduate students have projects that are directly linked to commercial and recreational fisheries, according to Joseph Zydlewski, an associate professor in the department and assistant leader of fisheries for the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.
The name change also conforms to similar college departments throughout the country, as well as state agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Contact: Elyse Kahl, 207.581.3747