FNR Faculty Receive Awards, Promotions

Dr. Liz Flaherty was selected as a winner of the Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, which is the University’s highest undergraduate teaching honor.

Flaherty, an associate professor of wildlife ecology and habitat management, was inducted as a Purdue Teaching Academy Fellow last month in recognition of excellence in teaching, innovation in teaching methodology, teaching-related service and scholarship in teaching and learning.

Flaherty is the fourth FNR faculty member to receive the Murphy Award since 1967, following William R. Chaney (2000-01), Barny Dunning (2010-11) and Rod Williams (2015-16). Flaherty was selected to present the Kohls Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Lecture at the College of Agriculture’s Celebration of Teaching Excellence in 2019.

Drs. Zhao Ma and Eva Haviarova were promoted to the rank of full professor in Forestry and Natural Resources. Ma, a professor of natural resource social science, focuses her research on understanding how individuals and institutions make decisions with respect to natural resource management and conservation. Haviarova, a professor of wood products, conducts research in areas of furniture strength design and product engineering, direction for emerging furniture design challenges, design and development of low-cost furniture for underprivileged, and frame design for upholstered furniture.
Ma also was named as a University Faculty Scholar. This award recognizes outstanding faculty who are on an accelerated path for academic distinction in the discover and dissemination of knowledge. 

Meanwhile Dr. Mark Christie was promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure in the department of biological sciences. Christie has a 25% appointment in FNR and is quite active in FNR research and education in aquatic sciences. His research focuses on conservation genetics, kinship and parentage analyses, gene expression and population genetics.
Eva HaviarovaLiz FlahertyZhao MaMark Christie

Featured Stories

Distinguished Ag Alumni Group 2026
College of Agriculture adds 9 to ranks of Distinguished Ag Alumni

Purdue University’s College of Agriculture recognized nine alumni at the Distinguished...

Read More
An image of the Learn-N-Burn trailer in front of a forested area at Martell Forest
Learn-N-Burn Trailer To Support Indiana Landowners

Keep your eyes peeled across Indiana for the newly minted Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources...

Read More
Mingyu Zhao
Mingyu Zhao - Graduate Ag Research Spotlight

“Being at Purdue has changed my thinking entirely,” says Mingyu Zhao, a third-year...

Read More
Madi Medley holds a field mouse she found during a break from bush hogging the prairie
FNR Field Report: Madi Medley

Senior wildlife major Madison Medley spent her summer as a natural resource intern with Hamilton...

Read More
Phil Nelson standing in front of the building named after him at Purdue University.
Nelson’s vision to bring food science to the fore

Philip E. Nelson, named Indiana State Fair Tomato King at age 15 for exhibiting 24 perfect...

Read More
Addy Ellis using a seine on Lake Michigan; Ellis standing in a river in waders before checking on freshwater mussels; freshwater mussels in hand.
FNR Field Report: Addy Ellis

Addy Ellis, a sophomore aquatic sciences and political science double major, spent the summer as...

Read More