Three-time University of Kentucky alumnus Jeffrey Stringer, who dedicated 47 years of his professional career to forestry at the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is now celebrating his retirement.

Stringer received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry and his Ph.D. in plant physiology/biochemistry/molecular biology, all from UK. He began in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) as a research assistant in 1978 and held multiple roles before becoming the chair of FNR in 2018.

“I have been fortunate to work in a collaborative environment that has allowed me to improve the forest, its resources and the communities it serves,” Stringer said.

Steven Price, professor and interim chair of FNR, said that Stringer’s retirement marks the end of an era—not just for UK but for many people across the forestry industry who have worked with Stringer for decades.

“Basically, everybody that works in forestry knows Jeff,” Price said. “His name is synonymous with the University of Kentucky’s forestry program.”

'An outstanding representative of our college’

Stringer helped build UK’s forestry network in the UK Cooperative Extension Service from the ground up, providing direct service to foresters, landowners and natural resource professionals throughout Kentucky.

His extension work included conducting logger trainings across Kentucky. During this time, he furthered his education at UK and eventually attained roles as a research specialist in hardwood silviculture and extension professor.

One of Stringer’s most enduring contributions is his role in directing the Master Logger Program which began in 1992 in partnership with the Kentucky Forest Industries Association and the Kentucky Division of Forestry. The educational program teaches logging methods to enhance the logger’s ability to operate efficiently within the framework of environmental and safety regulations.

"The most gratifying work has been the development of impactful projects and programs,” Stringer said. “Whether it is spearheading the Kentucky Master Logger program, co-founding the White Oak Initiative, creating financial benefits for landowners, loggers and forest industries, or creating and transferring science that protects the environment and the flora and fauna it contains while providing pathways for forest utilization, I have found great satisfaction.”

His research efforts focused on impactful projects such as using tritiated soil water to explore and define rooting patterns in common species found in oak-hickory forests, which led to the establishment of biological methodologies for determining leakage at nuclear waste disposal sites. Additional research established methods of protecting water quality during timber harvesting operations, which resulted in improved mandatory best management practices used by loggers throughout Kentucky.

Stringer has received regional, state and national honors for his work, including the title of Fellow from the Society of American Foresters and Extension Forester of the Year from the Forest Landowners Association. His recognition stretches back to his undergraduate days, when he was named Forester of the Year by Zi Sigma Pi.

“As a student, a faculty member and as a department chair, Jeff has been an outstanding representative of our college,” said Scott Smith, Martin-Gatton CAFE dean from 2001 to 2013 and current acting director of The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky. “During my term as dean, he was particularly active and very effective in spreading the word about both the economic and environmental values of Kentucky woodlands.”

A lasting influence

When Price was a new faculty member at UK, Stringer’s mentorship and support was “a big deal.” Stringer helped Price establish early research projects focused on reptiles and amphibians, which allowed Price to start producing scholarship quickly.

More than a decade later, when Stringer retired from his role as chair, he stayed in a post-retirement appointment and helped Price step into the interim chair role. More than simply passing the torch, Price said, Stringer made sure he had the guidance and context he needed—exhibiting Stringer’s ongoing commitment to the program.

“His influence runs deeper than programming or policy,” Price said. “He shaped people’s careers, fostered trust across the state and created a model for what long-term extension and academic leadership could look like.”

Even as he enjoys his retirement—including spending time with family and devoting time to beloved hobbies like fishing—Stringer hopes to continue his service to the forestry program by assisting with alumni relations and philanthropy.

“Most of all, I am proud of our department and its focus on the land-grant mission of conducting useful science and delivering solutions for the betterment of society,” Stringer said.

To learn more about Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Kentucky, visit https://forestry.ca.uky.edu/.

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Writer: Bailey Vandiver, bailey.vandiver@uky.edu; Contributors: Jordan Strickler, jstrickler@uky.edu; May May Barton, maymay.barton@uky.edu

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