The Society of American Foresters
Carl Alwin Schenck Award

INFORMATION ON CARL ALWIN SCHENCK:  Carl Schenck was invited to the United States by George W. Vanderbilt to manage the Vanderbilt Forest Estate in North Carolina.  Together with Bernhard E. Fernow and Gifford Pinchot, the German-born and -educated Schenck was one of the few academically trained foresters in the United States in the 1880's.  A pioneer in American Forestry education, Schenck was also among the original fifteen active members of the Society of American Foresters.

The first forestry education program in the United States, the Biltmore Forestry School, was founded by Carl Schenck in 1898.   Schenck was a tireless worker--his days characterized by lectures lasting several hours in the morning, followed by full afternoon field trips to the forest, and then evenings spent, often far into the night, preparing addi­tional lectures, reviewing and grading student diaries, appraising forest working plans, writing textbooks, corresponding with past and prospective students, and fulfilling many and various other responsibilities connected with the operation of an active forestry school.

A confirmed generalist, Schenck taught all of the forestry subjects offered at Biltmore, and was a daring and dynamic lecturer, with an abundance of self-confidence, deep and enduring devotions, strong convictions, and aspiring personal objectives.  Dean Emeritus Joseph S. Illick of the College of Forestry, State University of New York, and one of Schenck's forestry students, said of him: "Dr. Carl Alwin Schenck possessed that rare quality which characterizes the superior teacher who can make education remain after all that was learned has been forgotten." 

AWARD CRITERIA: Nominees for the Carl Alwin Schenck Award must demonstrate their abilities as an outstanding forestry educator, including attributes in the following areas:

1. devotion to the instruction of forestry,

2. demonstration of an active career that sets high professional and educational standards for students and demonstration of outstanding service to profes­sional education,

3. development of personal teaching methods that are characterized by imparting competent knowledge through dynamic communication skills and by imaginative techniques, or by development of educational programs that utilize novel concepts in search of imparting sound forestry education to students,

4. the recipient must be an active faculty member at the time of the application date in any SAF-accredited forestry education program in the United States.

5. ten years minimum of professional experience

• A biographical sketch (not to exceed three pages) that references the award criteria plus the present faculty position and location, and educational background experience.

• Four letters of endorsement addressing the Schenck award criteria, one letter must be from a peer or associate and, one letter must be from a dean or department head. Endorsement letters should address items 1, 2, and 3 under “award criteria”.

• Nomination form – available from the SAF National Office or the SAF website.

AWARD DESCRIPTION/PRESENTATION: The award is presented at the annual awards ceremony at the SAF national convention.  The recipient will receive an engraved award and a cash honorarium of $500. Complimentary convention registration is provided and up to $500 is available to cover travel expenses and accommodations for the award recipient.

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS:

1988 Joseph Buongiorno 1989 George W. Thomson 1990 David William Smith 1991 David Robinson 1992 Joe R. McBride 1993 Edward R. Buckner 1994 Dennis L. Lynch 1995 John E. Houghton

1996 Glenn R. Glover 1997 Edward C. Jensen 1998 John R. Seiler 1999 Raymond P. Guries 2000 Burton V. Barnes 2001 No Recipient 2002 Brian P. Oswald 2003 Martin F. Jurgensen 2004 Thomas Kuzmic 2005 Richard A. Hopkins