2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the School of Natural Resources, now the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, at the University of Vermont (UVM). To celebrate this major milestone, members of the Rubenstein School community gathered for multiple events over UVM Weekend on September 29th and 30th. The events brought together alumni, emeriti faculty, retired staff, and current students, faculty, and staff. They shared moments of connection, meals, games, and views of Lake Champlain.

In 1973, the School of Natural Resources was founded out of the Department of Forestry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at UVM. The School had five Bachelor of Science degrees and two Master of Science degrees. In 1974 the first graduating class was made up of 53 students—49 men and four women. At that time the School’s graduate program consisted of just 7 students.

Interim Dean Allan Strong joined the School of Natural Resources in 1979 as an undergraduate student. “Being an alum, working as a faculty member, and now serving as Interim Dean, I’ve had a chance to think back on what a 50th anniversary means,” shared Strong. “A lot has changed, and as we have grown, so has our impact. We are graduating amazing students. Our dedicated faculty and staff are tackling the challenging environmental issues of today, and thanks to myriad partnerships, our School now has a global reach.”

The Rubenstein School now has more than 1,000 undergraduate students, and 120 graduate students, more than 60 percent of whom are female identifying.

The School has had many inspirational leaders, including its first Director, Hugo John. Subsequent deans Larry Forcier, Don DeHayes, Mary Watzin, Jon Erickson, and Nancy Mathews have all built on one another’s successes and have played integral roles in the School’s journey.

Countless moments mark the School’s history from that first graduating class in 1974. A few key milestones are listed below.

• 1980 – The GIS laboratory was created, now called the Spatial Analysis Lab.
• 1982 – The School moved from its original home in the Hills building into the newly-built Aiken Center.
• 1986 – The School’s Core Curriculum was developed for all incoming undergraduate students.
• 1996 – The School created its first Diversity Plan.
• 1996 – The Rubenstein family made a gift to the School that allowed for the construction of the Rubenstein Ecosystems Sciences Laboratory on Lake Champlain.
• 2001 – The “Greening of Aiken” initiative (now the “Greening of Rubenstein”) began under Gary Hawley’s leadership.
• 2002 – A gift from the Gund family established The Gund Institute for Ecological Economics and the first Director, Bob Costanza moved his research team from the University of Maryland to UVM. Following a second gift from the Gund family, the Gund Institute for Environment is now a UVM-wide hub for understanding and addressing environmental challenges.
• 2003 – The Rubenstein family gave an endowment for the School, that led to its renaming. It became the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. In the 20 years since their endowment, the name Rubenstein has become synonymous with excellence in environmental education, research, and outreach.
• 2012 and 2013 – With a vision developed by faculty, staff, and students, The Aiken Center was renovated and achieved LEED-Platinum designation. As of fall of 2023, the Aiken Center is officially a net zero building.
• 2014 – A gift from our David Blittersdorf endowed the Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy, now held by Jon Erickson.
• 2017 and 2018 – The School commissioned an equity assessment to inform next steps in creating a more inclusive and diverse community.
• 2019 – The School established an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Action Committee and released its first Inclusive Excellence Plan.
• 2023 – This year with funding from Senator Leahy through the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, and the estate of the late Peter Rose, brought a new hybrid research vessel, the Marcelle Melosira, to Lake Champlain.

“The lengths that all of our faculty and staff go to support our students, the work they put in to make their scholarship relevant to today’s environmental issues, and the caring community that they create for each other truly make the Rubenstein School a special place,” said Strong.