College of Natural Resources Dean Myron Floyd will step down August 1 and return to the college’s faculty. Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden made the announcement today.
“Myron’s leadership has ensured the college will remain on a successful pathway of growth and innovation, and that the college sets a high bar for natural resources higher education,” said Arden. “I am immensely grateful to Myron for his hard work and dedication to the college and the university as a whole, and wish him the best as he returns to our faculty.”
Floyd was named dean of the college on April 1, 2020. He first joined the college in 2005 as a professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. In 2010, he was appointed to serve as director of graduate programs for the department, and in 2014, he became department head. Myron’s commitment to teaching, research and extension have made him an integral part in the fulfillment of NC State’s land-grant mission.
Since his appointment as dean, he has been a strong advocate for the college, helping to grow its reputation across North Carolina and around the country. Floyd oversaw the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, the Department of Forest Biomaterials, and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, as well as the Center for Geospatial Analytics.
Under his leadership, college research expenditures grew by 62% and extension programs reached over 1.7 million stakeholders, including landowners and natural resource professionals. The college surpassed its $35 million fundraising goal during the Think and Do the Extraordinary campaign, and the North Carolina Natural Resources Foundation endowment reached nearly $270 million.
Additionally, the Environmental First-Year Program expanded into a university-wide initiative serving 300+ students across 10 colleges. Floyd also oversaw the college’s management of 94,000 acres of sustainably certified forest assets for teaching, research and extension programs. In 2024, he established the Office of College Culture and Community, partnering with the Provost and College of Education to hire the college’s first embedded mental health counselor.
“I have been honored to shape our community, advance research and support student success in my time as dean of the College of Natural Resources,” said Floyd. “We are a global leader in sustainability and stewardship through education, research, outreach and extension, and I am confident that our trajectory of growth and excellence will continue in the coming years.”
Prior to joining NC State, Floyd served on the faculty at Clemson University, Texas A&M University (College Station), and the University of Florida. An elected Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences and the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration, Floyd is widely recognized as a leading scholar focused on human dimensions of natural resources.
His most recent research examines how public parks and green spaces contribute to health and well-being, particularly in low-income communities of color. He has served as PI or co-investigator on numerous large multidisciplinary research teams funded by governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, U.S. Department of the Interior Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Defense Army Corps of Engineers, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
He is co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, 22 peer-reviewed monographs and proceedings papers, 18 book chapters and more than 150 presentation papers and abstracts. In 2008, he was awarded the Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Award, the highest award for research excellence from the National Recreation and Park Association.
Floyd’s national leadership efforts have included service on the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs Executive Committee, The North Face Explore Fund Council, and advisory groups connected to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2024, he was named chair of the USDA Forestry Research Advisory Council, which provides recommendations and advice to the Secretary of Agriculture on forestry research. He currently serves on the American Forest Foundation Board of Trustees, National Recreation Foundation Board of Trustees, and REI Cooperative Action Fund Advisory Committee.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in recreation and park administration, a Master of Science in parks, recreation and tourism management from Clemson University, and a Ph.D. in recreation and resources development with a specialization in natural resource sociology from Texas A&M University.
“Dean Floyd has been an exceptional leader in the College of Natural Resources, helping advance our state and nation’s economy, environmental health and stewardship of natural resources,” said Chancellor Kevin Howell. “We deeply appreciate his dedicated service to our students, faculty and staff and to NC State’s land-grant mission.”
An announcement will be made at a later date about plans for an interim dean and a national search for a permanent dean.
