MSU working to close opportunity gap in state’s natural resource sector

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Breaking down barriers for minorities and women to pursue natural resource careers is the focus of a new diversity initiative in ��Ƶ’s College of Forest Resources.

While Mississippi’s forestry industry has an annual output of $13.12 billion, and fishing, hunting and wildlife watching have a $2.7 billion annual economic impact on the state, minorities and women are underrepresented in the sector. Just 2% of the nation’s foresters and conservation scientists are Black, according to DATA USA. The same report estimates only 27% of positions in these fields are held by women.

“There are tremendous career opportunities in natural resource management fields. Our forestry students report 100% job placement with starting salaries averaging $42,500 and ranging as high as $75,000,” said CFR Dean Wes Burger. “This initiative seeks to ensure those opportunities are available to all.”

The initiative includes two new full-time staff positions focused on improving diversity across CFR.

Portrait of TJ Walker — T.J. Walker (Photo by Dominique Belcher)

T.J. Walker is CFR’s new director of diversity programs and student development. Walker, formerly district dean of student services for Northwest Mississippi Community College, will lead programs designed to foster the recruitment, retention, graduation and employment of students in natural resources.

“We seek to increase awareness, access and affordability for underrepresented students including minorities, women and first-generation college students,” Walker said.

The MSU alumnus earned his bachelor’s in education at MSU, his master’s in leadership at Belhaven University and his Doctor of Education at the University of Mississippi.

Portrait of Morgan Alexander — Morgan Alexander (Photo by Dominique Belcher)

Morgan Alexander, who earned a bachelor’s in wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture from CFR, is the new student diversity coordinator. Alexander, who formerly served as an MSU admissions counselor and is a current CFR master’s student studying conservation education, will implement initiatives to increase enrollment diversity in CFR’s undergraduate degree programs. She also will provide support and student success assistance to ensure retention, graduation and employment.

Burger said the new positions provide a distinct opportunity to address diversity across CFR departments in a “holistic and meaningful way.”

“Historically, natural resource programs have struggled to recruit a diverse student body. Having T.J. and Morgan working fulltime to recruit and retain minority students and other underrepresented groups could enable the college to become a national model for inclusive education in natural resources,” Burger said.

Natural resource careers afford Mississippians a chance to earn a viable wage while staying in their home state. CFR is facing lack of representation head-on with support from generous donations from The Molpus Foundation and the Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF).

CFR’s diversity initiative aims to have the college’s student body reflect the demographics of Mississippi high school graduating seniors by 2030. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 38.8% of Mississippians are Black, while the university lists the current CFR student body at 7% Black.

WHEF President and CEO Jim McHale said CFR’s diversity plan perfectly aligns with the foundation’s mission.

“Everything we do starts with our mission in mind, which is all about helping more Mississippians obtain postsecondary credentials that lead to meaningful employment. We are also driven by our core values and one of those values is to increase equity in education throughout the state,” McHale said.

He noted the CFR’s efforts will work in tandem with the Mississippi Education Achievement Council’s Ascent to 55% goal, of which WHEF has played a role in helping establish. Ascent to 55% aims to increase the Mississippi workforce’s postsecondary attainment to 55% by 2030 and 60% by 2035—up from the current 48.5%—with an emphasis on closing the achievement gap for underrepresented groups including Black, women and first-generation college students.

“Of those Mississippians who have postsecondary degrees, there is a tremendous disparity between white and Black students, and I want to commend MSU for putting a stake in the sand and looking at how they can be much more intentional about recruiting Black students into these industries. We know there are outstanding opportunities for family-sustaining employment in forestry and other natural resource professions in Mississippi that are available to college graduates,” McHale said.

McHale noted that WHEF partnered with Ithaka S+R, a nonprofit research and strategic consulting service, to quantify how increasing postsecondary attainment would impact the state and population.

According to the report, “Mississippi could potentially gain over $376 million annually in increased tax revenue and decreased social services spending, as a more educated population would earn higher wages.” The CFR diversity initiative also addresses one of the report’s three key recommendations by “investing in programs that meet social and labor needs.”

“The report recommends targeted investments to create postsecondary opportunities. CFR has identified a critical gap in the labor supply and racial gaps in credential production and seeks to remedy both in a meaningful way,” McHale said.

For more on MSU’s College of Forest Resources, visit .

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