The Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences (FWCS) at Oregon State University provides comprehensive research, education, and outreach programs related to conservation science and the management of fish and wildlife resources. Our goal is to provide people with the knowledge needed to make wise decisions on issues of conservation, sustainable use, and ecosystem restoration.
For over 90 years, FWCS has been teaching students to think critically about the problems our planet and ecosystems are facing while we conduct impactful research related to wild animals, their habitats, and human-ecological systems. We actively promote science-based conservation solutions and sustainable management practices, engaging with federal and state agencies, landowners, fisheries, Tribes, and many other partners. Our work increasingly integrates biological, physical, and social sciences, and we share our studies of individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems widely.
We take pride in our many accomplishments, including:
- Faculty in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences are conducting ecological and social science research on a diverse array of topics in the Pacific Northwest and abroad. We excel in the application of new technologies to improve and expand data collection, analyze change, and contribute to wildlife and fish conservation with less invasive methods. Want to see where? Explore our interactive map that showcases our amazing research in action.
- With research expenditures topping $12M annually, and matched by our faculty in COMES and MMI, we are a highly productive program that excels in collaborative and transdisciplinary science. Our work in coastal, terrestrial, and freshwater systems is driven by the needs of wild species, habitats, and people, forging solutions with communities, Tribes, non-profits, businesses, and a broad array of state and federal agencies.
- Oregon State Ecampus is consistently ranked in the top 10 online programs nationwide, and we contribute to that success through our award-winning online programs. Following many years at the forefront of distance learning in natural resource sciences, we developed the first Fisheries and Wildlife online Bachelor of Science degree in 2010. We also provide online Graduate Certificates, an online non-thesis master’s degree, and a new post-baccalaureate certificate, making us the largest program of its kind in the nation and the largest department in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
- We put a strong emphasis on quality teaching and serve as a university leader in the evaluation of teaching excellence. Our faculty regularly win teaching awards at the college, university, and national levels, with many listed in the College’s Registry of Distinguished Teachers.
- In addition to our excellence in fish, wildlife, and coastal Extension, public outreach and engagement is encouraged and rewarded for all faculty in the department. We share our science through transdisciplinary research, public talks, social media, and many other
For more information, please explore our website. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please feel free to contact me.
Cheers,
Selina Heppell
Department Head
Survey of Graduates Awards History Partnerships
Who we are
The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife is a part of the College of Agricultural Sciences. We are a team of scientists, students, and staff devoted to the study of conservation biology and fish and wildlife management. We educate our students to think critically and evaluate problems from a strong background in basic and applied science, fundamental ecological principles, and consideration of social influences on conservation. We strive to help our students succeed through a rich program of field and laboratory coursework and personal advising.
Our student body represents a wide variety of social, economic, and ethnic groups with over 900 students working toward their Bachelor of Science degree either on the Corvallis Campus or online through Ecampus and over 250 graduate students working towards their MS, PhD, Certificate, or Professional Science Masters degree.
Our faculty includes over 40 tenure-track and research professors based in Corvallis, Newport, and the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Station faculty. We are home to a USGS Cooperative Research Unit with four faculty members who are integrated fully into our program. Our large research program supports dozens of Postdoctoral Associates, Research Associates and Research Assistants. Through our close ties with state and federal agencies, we also have a large number of courtesy appointments; these scientists serve on graduate committees, provide guest lectures, short courses, and statistical tutoring, and collaborate on research. This dynamic and internationally recognized group of scientific professionals provides a rich environment for students who seek a degree that is both scientifically rigorous and relevant to today’s natural resource issues, as well as professional development guidance that helps our students find jobs in natural resource fields.
Our advisors work with on campus and online students one-on-one to promote student success and professional preparation. Staff and faculty prioritize students at all levels, with awards for excellence in advising at both the college level and within professional societies. Faculty, advisors and the Department Head have an “open door” policy for students to create a welcoming atmosphere that emphasizes connection. And, we strive to provide all of our students with experiential learning opportunities, including our required internships, course offerings at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, hybrid courses with short, intensive field experience, and faculty-led study abroad programs.
Faculty and students in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences acquire, integrate, and disseminate knowledge about fish, wildlife, and conservation at all levels of biological organization. We focus on resource systems influenced by human activities. Our goal is to provide people with the knowledge needed to make wise decisions on issues of conservation, sustainable use, and ecosystem restoration. We accomplish this through a combination of undergraduate and graduate education, scholarly research, extension education, and public outreach.
Survey of Graduates
History
The Department of Fish, Game, and Fur Animal Management was established in 1935 within the Oregon Agricultural College during the conservation fervor that swept the country in the wake of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl eras. At the same time the department was established, the Oregon Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit became the second unit in the country among the original nine units established under the enabling legislation. The name of the department was changed to Fish and Game Management in 1936 and to Fisheries and Wildlife in 1964. There have been six permanent leaders since its inception: Roland E. Dimick (1935-1963), Thomas G. Scott (1963-1973), Richard A. Tubb (1975-1993), Erik K. Fritzell (1994-2001), William D. Edge (2001-2015), and Selina Heppell (2016-present). Charles E. Warren (1973-1975) and Lawrence R. Curtis (1993-1994) served as interim department heads.
Enrollment in the department has fluctuated substantially during the program’s history. Almost 100 students enrolled in the program the first year and the first class graduated in 1938. The program was virtually closed in 1943 and 1944 because of WW II. Peak enrollment was reached in 1974 with 391 undergraduates. Five years later the largest class of 98 students graduated. The department has had the largest or second largest undergraduate program in the college since it was established, and for many years has had one the largest graduate programs in the university.
Student clubs also have a long history with the department. The first college Fish and Wildlife club in the nation was formed in 1935 at OSU and named the Ding Darling Wildlife Club, in honor of the noted conservationist. The name was subsequently changed to the Fin and Antler Club and later to the Fish and Wildlife Club. The Club is currently a student chapter of both The Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society. The Fish and Wildlife Graduate Student Association was established in 2002.
The undergraduate curriculum has changed several times during the department’s history. One impetus has been to provide more flexibility and individual choice to students. In 1996, following a 10-year program review, the program underwent a major revision. The current degree program has three innovative features: internships, a capstone sequence, and a self-designed specialization. In 2009, the Department began to offer a popular online undergraduate degree program and within five years, students registered for classes in that program increased from 56 to 257.
Partnerships
Federal cooperators are an integral part of the department. The Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), Oregon State University, and the Wildlife Management Institute. The Wildlife Unit, which began in 1935, was terminated in 1959 and reestablished 1971. The Fish Unit was established in 1966 and the two units were later combined. We have been fortunate in having a four scientist unit almost continuously since 1971.
Throughout the years, the department has launched and/or participated in several major collaborative research programs:
- The Oyster Research Lab on Yaquina Bay, a forerunner to the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC), was established in 1941.
- The Hatfield Marine Science Center was established in 1965; the department has had faculty conducting marine research at the site since, and now has seven faculty members housed at the center.
- The Pacific Cooperative Pollution and Fisheries Research Laboratory (later called the Oak Creek Laboratory of Biology), established in 1953, was one of the leading centers for aquatic toxicology in the nation until it disbanded in 1994.
- Since 1969, one or more faculty has participated in the H.J. Andrews Coniferous Forest Biome Project of the International Biological Program and its successor, the Long-Term Ecological Research Program (LTER).
- The Smith Farm Genetics and Performance Laboratory in Corvallis was established in 1975.
- Two or more faculty have been science team members in the Cooperative Forest Ecosystem Research (CFER) program since it was established in 1995. CFER is a cooperative venture between Oregon State University, USGS FRESC, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The partnership works closely with resource managers, researchers, and decision-makers to develop and convey reliable scientific information needed to successfully implement ecosystem-based management in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Oregon Hatchery Research Center (OHRC), a research venture between ODFW and the department opened in October 2005. The goal of the OHRC is to answer scientific questions related to fish recovery and hatchery programs, including the differences that may exist between wild and hatchery fish, and how to better manage those differences.
Our history of collaborative research and a world-renowned faculty attract some of the brightest minds in the world to our program. Degree programs that engage and enhance student learning, as well as offerings for students on the Corvallis Campus and online through Ecampus, have resulted in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife being one of the largest and most successful departments at Oregon State University.