Professional Development Awards - Carl Alwin Schenck Award Grant

Professional Development Awards - Carl Alwin Schenck Award Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Society of American Foresters (SAF)
Amount: Up to US $1,000
Last Updated: January 18, 2026

Summary

The Carl Alwin Schenck Award, presented by the Society of American Foresters, honors exceptional contributions in forestry education. This prestigious award recognizes nominees who demonstrate outstanding teaching, leadership, and innovative educational approaches. Recipients receive a $500 honorarium, complimentary registration for the SAF national convention, and up to $500 for travel expenses. Nominees must be active faculty members with at least ten years of professional experience in SAF-accredited programs, showcasing commitment to educational excellence.

Overview

The German-born and educated Carl Alwin Schenck was invited to the United States by George W. Vanderbilt to manage the Vanderbilt Forest Estate in North Carolina. Together with Bernhard E. Fernow and Gifford Pinchot, Schenck was one of the few academically trained foresters in the United States in the 1880's and was among the original fifteen active members of SAF. Schenck founded the first forestry education program in the United States at the Biltmore Forestry School in 1898. A confirmed generalist, Schenck taught all of the forestry subjects offered at Biltmore. Dean Emeritus Joseph S. Illick of the College of Forestry, State University of New York, and one of Schenck's forestry students, said of him: "Dr. Carl Alwin Schenck possessed that rare quality which characterizes the superior teacher who can make education remain after all that was learned has been forgotten." This award recognizes outstanding performance in the field of forestry education. The award is presented at the SAF national convention and includes a honorarium of $500, complimentary convention registration, and up to $500 to cover travel expenses. Nominees  must demonstrate their abilities as an outstanding forestry educator, including attributes in the following areas: Devotion to the instruction of forestryDemonstration of an active career that sets high professional and educational standards for students and demonstration of outstanding service to professional educationDevelopment of personal teaching methods that are characterized by imparting competent knowledge through dynamic communication skills and by imaginative techniques, or by Development of educational programs that utilize novel concepts in search of imparting sound forestry education to students.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Nominees must be an active faculty member at the time of the nomination in any SAF-accredited degree program and a minimum of ten-years of professional experience.