Students on a boardwalk on bog in northern Vermont

UVM Land Acknowledgement

The campus of the University of Vermont sits within a place of gathering and exchange, shaped by water and stewarded by ongoing generations of Indigenous peoples, in particular the Western Abenaki.

Acknowledging the relations between water, land, and people is in harmony with the mission of the university. Acknowledging the serious and significant impacts of our histories on Indigenous peoples and their homelands is a part of the university’s ongoing work of teaching, research, and engagement and an essential reminder of our past and our interconnected futures for the many of us gathered on this land.

UVM respects the Indigenous knowledge interwoven in this place and commits to uplifting the Indigenous peoples and cultures present on this land and within our community.

Our History

Vermont is a place where the roots of natural resource conservation and management can be found. The University of Vermont long ago recognized the importance of providing educational opportunities in this area. Efforts were initiated with forestry courses in 1888. From that beginning, natural resource curricula evolved until, in 1973, the School of Natural Resources (SNR) was established as one of nine degree-granting units within the University.

Over the years that followed, the School repeatedly demonstrated its ability to adapt to an exciting and evolving field of study. The core curriculum and degree programs have changed to accommodate the needs of students. Today, distinctions among disciplines are de-emphasized while elements of a strong professional education are retained, an approach that is not simply multidisciplinary but truly interdisciplinary in nature.

In 2003, the School became the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources (RSENR), the first named and endowed academic unit at the University, following a generous gift from the late Steve (UVM, 1961) and Beverly Rubenstein of New Vernon, New Jersey and their family. Steve was a charter member of the Rubenstein School Board of Advisors, and his wife, Beverly, and son, Andy, are currently members.

Our Community

The School has been housed in the George D. Aiken Center since 1982. In addition to the Aiken Center, the Rubenstein School campus has expanded to include members of the Environmental Program, the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory, and the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station. We also maintain many other special partnerships. Our School is home to more than 900 undergraduates and more than 100 full and part-time Master’s and Ph.D. students, more than 10 post-doctoral associates, nearly 50 full-time faculty members, and nearly 50 research and administrative staff. Our alumni now number over 6000.

Our Mission Question

The Rubenstein School strategic vision was created around a mission question designed to leverage our distinctive strengths. We will relentlessly pursue answers to this question in order to turn ideas into action.

How can the Rubenstein School unleash empathy, passion, innovation, and creativity to heal and radically change human-environment systems in a just, equitable, and ecological direction?

Learn more about our 20-Year Stratgeic Vision >>

Allan Strong

Interim Dean Allan Strong

Read more from the Dean's Office >> 

Rubenstein School Dashboard

  • 1100 undergraduate students
  • 120 graduate students (PhD, MS, MPS)
  • 6000+ alumni
  • 52 full-time faculty
  • 70 administrative & research staff
  • 15 post-doctoral associates
  • 5 undergraduate programs (BS)
  • minors
  • 92% first-year retention rate (Class of 2025)
  • 73% 4-year graduation rate (Class of 2022)
  • $21 million in research funds awarded (FY 2023)
  • 2 research laboratories
  • 4 research forests
  • 1 research vessel