The faculty and administration of the Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources is pleased to announce that Jeffrey A. Hepinstall, Ph.D. has accepted an offer to fill the vacant Assistant Professor in GIS/Landscape Ecology position previously held by Dr. Mike Wimberly. Dr. Hepinstall began his new duties on August 1, 2006.

With fifteen years experience working on GIS and image processing software, Dr. Hepinstall has developed land-use models predicting development patterns and subsequent affects on water quality and wildlife populations in regional scale environments and created models incorporating wildlife habitat requirements into comprehensive forest management plans. His appointment will add to the growing GIS and landscape ecology resources provided at the Warnell School.

Dr. Hepinstall has received research funding from several prominent federal organizations including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Forest Management, University of Maine; his M.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Minnesota; and a B.A. in Biology with a Minor in Environmental Studies from Colgate University.

“We are very pleased Dr. Hepinstall has agreed to join the faculty here at the Warnell School,” said Dean Richard Porterfield. “His experience using GIS technology increases the comprehensive technical capabilities the School provides to train students who will become future leaders in landscape planning and ecological change.”

“Jeff’s skills and abilities will be a great resource to Warnell School faculty and students as they continue to apply this unique technology to their research and outreach.”