University of Vermont Forestry students proved their academic prowess and field expertise last week by winning the Society of American Foresters’ (SAF) National Quiz Bowl at the 2025 SAF National Convention in Hartford, Connecticut. This marks UVM Forestry’s second championship title in three years, following their first win in 2023 and a second-place finish in 2022 and 2024.

SAF is the national scientific and educational organization representing the forestry profession in the United States. Its annual convention brings together forestry professionals, educators, and students from across the country. The SAF Quiz Bowl is a celebrated tradition at the convention, offering students a chance to showcase their knowledge and connect with peers and professionals in the field.

Competing against more than 30 other universities with accredited Forestry programs, the UVM team—comprised of four undergraduate students in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources—emerged victorious after four rounds of competition. Each round, they faced off against one other team to answer questions that spanned topics including silviculture, forest measurements, geographic information systems, dendrology, forest operations, and hydrology, among others.

“The UVM Forestry team has consistently reached the finals in recent years, and this win is a testament to their hard work, collaboration, and deep understanding of forest science,” said Luben Dimov, Senior Lecturer in the Rubenstein School and Faculty Adviser to the UVM Forestry Club and the Quiz Bowl Team. “Our students demonstrated mastery in all subjects, teamwork, focus, and a competitive spirit. We are all proud of their well-deserved achievement.”

The team’s success highlights the strength of UVM’s Forestry program and its commitment to preparing students for leadership in sustainable forest management.

Three of the team members discussing how to answer a question during the competition

Meet the Team

The winning team was comprised of Alannah Fleming ‘26, Forestry major and Wildlife Biology minor; Amelia Ritt ‘26, Forestry major; team captain Carmen McFadden ‘26, Forestry major and Wildlife Biology minor; and Finn Murphy ‘25, Forestry major and Geospatial Technologies minor. Upon returning to campus, the teammates reflected on their experience and achievement.

“It was great to build confidence throughout the competition; after the first few rounds, things got easier as I learned to trust in our preparation and the hours of studying we put in,” said first-time competitor Murphy. “It was an exciting culmination of my time studying forestry at UVM, and I am proud to have brought the trophy back home!”

Ritt, who represented UVM at the competition last year, reflected on how fun the experience was. “I credit our success to all our wonderful forestry classes that have prepared us for this. I’m especially grateful to our Professor, Luben Dimov, who pushed us to study and prepare!”

First-time competitor and team captain McFadden also expressed gratitude for Dimov. “The Quiz Bowl provided a great opportunity for us to participate in friendly competition with other schools, review all our past classes, and make Luben proud!”

“Winning quiz bowl was an amazing experience, and we are thrilled to bring the trophy back to UVM,” said Fleming, a second-time competitor. “It was fantastic to showcase the knowledge we gained from our forestry classes and to represent our outstanding forestry program. A big thank you to all our forestry professors for their support in helping us win!”

A Top Tier Program

One of five majors in the Rubenstein School, the Forestry program is accredited by SAF. This distinction recognizes a program's adherence to rigorous academic and professional standards. SAF-accredited institutions demonstrate excellence in forestry education and a commitment to preparing students for careers that support the health and sustainability of forest ecosystems.

“This achievement reaffirms what many of us always comment on in terms of the intelligence, creativity, and character of the Forestry students at UVM,” said Tony D’Amato, Professor in the Rubenstein School and Director of the Forestry program. “Their win reflects loads of hard work and a deep passion for forestry. They also had an amazing coach in Dr. Luben Dimov who put in countless hours making sure they were ready to shine in the Quiz Bowl. This is a great win for our UVM community!”

The whole UVM Forestry crew at the SAF Convention holding up the quiz bowl trophy, photo courtesy of SAF taken by Wasim Muklashy
The full group of UVM Forestry attendees at the SAF National Convention, with faculty members Luben Dimov (far left) and Tony D'Amato (far right).

All photos courtesy of SAF, taken by Wasim Muklashy.