SAF National Convention 2007: Convention Program

Dr. Zhu Ning, Professor at Southern University and A&M College

Dr. Zhu Hua Ning has been a professor of urban forestry at Southern University for 13 years, where she played an instrumental role in the establishment of the nation's first urban forestry B.S. degree granting program. As the Director of the Gulf Coast Regional Climate Change Assessment, she successfully led the region in contributing to the national assessment on climate change from 1997 to 2003 and received a merit award by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). She served as the Chair-elect and Chair of the SAF Urban and Community Forestry Working Group from 2003 to 2007. She has led the working group to two SAF Working Group Merit Awards for the contribution to forest science and technology both in 2005 and 2006. She has been serving on the Board of Directors of Seventh American Forests Communities Committee since 2001. In addition, she Co-Chairs the SAF National Committee on Cultural Diversity, and is the Chair-elect of the International Forestry Working Group. She has won many merit awards including USDA Forest Service Distinguished Leadership Award in Minority Education and Outreach in Urban Forestry.

Strengthening Leadership Skills for Facing the Challenges of a Changing World
Through her involvement with the SAF and other leading national and international organizations, Dr. Ning has learned to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge to solve environmental problems. She has explored a range of policies and technologies that promote sustainable forests and environments. She has strengthened her skills through collaborative multi-stakeholder processes, communication and leadership. Dr. Ning has experienced cross-cultural and cross-nation learning from peers around the world. Her leadership skills have been enhanced through her tireless efforts in exploring the ways and means that organizations and other natural resource leaders are handling diverse forestry, natural resources, and urban environmental challenges in a changing world.