Virginia Tech has named Christopher Fields-Johnson, a resident of Richmond, Va., as the Outstanding Graduating Senior in the College of Natural Resources for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Fields-Johnson is expected to receive a bachelor’s degree in Forestry in the College of Natural Resources in May 2008. He is first in his class in the College of Natural Resources and is the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, including recognition as the Society of American Foresters’ co-member of the year. He also serves as an undergraduate research assistant.

Outside the classroom, Fields-Johnson participated in an internship with the Virginia Department of Forestry. He has also held volunteer positions at Smithfield Plantation and Claytor Lake State Park.

The Outstanding Senior Awards are presented at the Student Honors Day Banquet each spring. These awards are co-sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and the senior class.

The purpose of the award is to recognize outstanding student performance in each college of the university. Students are selected on the basis of their quality credit average (3.4 or higher on a 4.0 scale) and outstanding performance in several or all of the following areas: academic achievement, extracurricular activities, leadership positions, and contributions of service to the university and/or community.

The College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top five programs of its kind in the nation. Faculty members stress both the technical and human elements of natural resources and instill in students a sense of stewardship and land-use ethics. Areas of studies include environmental resource management, fisheries and wildlife sciences, forestry, geospatial and environmental analysis, natural resource recreation, urban forestry, wood science and forest products, geography, and international development. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

Founded in 1872 as a land-grant college, Virginia Tech is the most comprehensive university in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is among the top research universities in the nation. Today, Virginia Tech’s eight colleges are dedicated to quality, innovation, and results through teaching, research, and outreach activities. At its 2,600-acre main campus located in Blacksburg and other campus centers in Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond, Southside, and Roanoke, Virginia Tech enrolls more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries in 180 academic degree programs.

Written by Stephanie Haugen-Ray.

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