Ron Hendrick, associate dean of academic affairs at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, is leaving his post on Oct. 23, 2009.

Hendrick, who has been with Warnell for 16 years, has taken a job with Ohio State University as Director of the School of Environment and Natural Resources and Associate Dean of the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. He begins his new job on November 1, 2009.

Sarah Covert

Dean Mike Clutter has named Dr. Sarah Covert, a professor of forest biotechnology at Warnell, as Hendrick’s replacement. The two are working together before Hendrick leaves to ease the transition, Clutter said. Covert will take over on Nov. 1, 2009.

Hendrick said he will miss Warnell, but is looking forward to beginning work at OSU. “It has been a privilege to work with, and on the behalf of, so many outstanding, faculty staff and students during my time in Warnell. I have been very happy here, but this position at Ohio State furthers my career goals, and also brings my wife Michelle and me considerably closer to our families in Michigan, something that has become more of a priority over time.”

As Warnell’s associate dean of academic affairs, Hendrick oversees the school’s undergraduate programs, graduate programs, recruitment and placement efforts, and instructional technology. During Hendrick’s tenure as associate dean, Warnell’s enrollment grew by nearly 42 percent from Fall 2007 to Fall 2009.

Warnell Dean Mike Clutter said he is sad to see Hendrick leave, but wishes him well. “Warnell will miss Dr. Hendrick’s experience and knowledge with respect to our programs,” Clutter said. “He has been a strong advocate for students and has strengthened our curriculum and programs during his tenure as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. I personally wish Ron and Michelle well as they transition to their new roles at Ohio State University.”

Ron Hendrick

Hendrick joined the Warnell School in 1993, first as an assistant professor of forest ecology. Over the years he moved up the ranks, from associate professor and graduate program coordinator before being named associate dean of academic affairs in 2007. Since 2006, Hendrick has also been an affiliate faculty member of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and an affiliate faculty member of UGA’s ecology school since 1994. He has also taught programs in Warnell’s study abroad program, serving as academic director for three years for programs in Antarctica and New Zealand. He has a bachelor’s degree in forestry and a Ph.D. in forest ecology, both from Michigan State University.

Hendrick has written or co-written dozens of papers in scientific journals and has won several awards over the past few years for his work. He has been active around UGA, serving on several committees and groups. He is also a member of the Society of American Foresters, Ecological Society of America, Soil Science of America, Sigma Xi and Xi Sigma Pi. He is moving with his wife, Michelle.

Replacing Hendrick, Clutter said, was not easy. He chose Covert from a highly-qualified pool of internal candidates. “While we have many extraordinarily well qualified faculty for this position I believe that Dr. Covert’s strong administrative and analytical skills make her uniquely qualified for this position,” he explained. “Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge about UGA and natural resources with her to the position. She has the respect of both her faculty colleagues and students that have worked with her. I expect she will be a strong advocate for both students and faculty here in Warnell.”

Covert said she is excited to lead Warnell’s recruitment effort, improve the school’s instructional quality and expand its study abroad program. “I am honored to have this opportunity to work with Warnell’s excellent faculty and staff towards a further strengthening of our instructional programs.”

Covert, who received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, first joined Warnell in 1993 as an assistant professor. She also has served as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Plant Pathology, Department of Genetics, and Department of Plant Biology during her tenure, and was chair of the Warnell Teaching Effectiveness Committee from 2001 to 2008. She was promoted to full professor in 2008 at Warnell. She has authored or co-authored dozens of publications and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has most recently been researching the control of annosum root disease, which is a common cause of southern pine tree death.

Tags: Ron Hendrick, Sarah Covert