Christopher B. Davidson receives College of Natural Resources Young Alumnus Award

The College of Natural Resources and the Virginia Tech Alumni Association jointly presented Christopher B. Davidson of Memphis, Tenn., with the Young Alumnus Award-Graduate Degree.

This honor is reserved for a former graduate of the college that has achieved early career accomplishments and substantial service to the university.

Davidson earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Forestry at Virginia Tech in 1997. While completing his doctorate at Virginia Tech, Davidson frequently donated his time to assist in minority recruiting events for the college. In addition, as a research associate he examined the susceptibility and vulnerability of mixed oak-pine forest to gypsy moth defoliation. His research on mixed oak-pine and gypsy moth was published in Forest Science and the Canadian Journal of Forest Research.

Since Davidson earned his doctorate, he has held numerous positions in the forest industry. Following graduation, Davidson became a Regional Research and Development Manager for Champion International in North Carolina. He then moved to Savannah, Ga., and overlooked the precision forestry programs throughout the southern woodlands.

After briefly working in Augusta, Ga. as a business support manager, Davidson moved to Memphis, Tenn., to work at the headquarters of IP Forest Resources. Currently, Davidson manages the Environmental Health and Environmental Management Systems for the Forest Resources Division of IP Forest Resources.

Davidson has received many awards and honors. He served as an adjunct assistant professor at North Carolina State University and at Southern Illinois University. Davidson is also a member of the Society of American Foresters.

The College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top five programs of its kind in the nation. Faculty members stress both the technical and human elements of natural resources and instill in students a sense of stewardship and land-use ethics. Areas of studies include environmental resource management, fisheries and wildlife sciences, forestry, geospatial and environmental analysis, natural resource recreation, urban forestry, wood science and forest products, geography, and international development.