Saskia L. van de Gevel named dean of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment
Saskia van de Gevel. Photo by Christina Franusich for Virginia Tech.
Saskia L. van de Gevel, chair and professor in Appalachian State University's Department of Geography and Planning, has been appointed the next dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.
Van de Gevel officially starts on July 1 and will be on the Blacksburg campus starting Aug. 1, succeeding Paul Winistorfer, who is retiring after 16 years as dean.
“Dr. van de Gevel is an academic leader with a proven track record for building programs and partnerships to elevate faculty scholarship and position students for success. Her experience in transdisciplinary collaboration, strategic planning, and program assessment and enhancement will be invaluable to Virginia Tech, and I look forward to the vision and leadership she will bring to the College of Natural Resources and Environment,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke.
Van de Gevel has served as chair of Appalachian State University’s Department of Geography and Planning since 2020, guiding her department through a period of dynamic growth and innovation. Under her leadership, the department secured major research grants, revised the curriculum and launched an online graduate certificate program in geographic information science, and implemented a new scholarship for first-generation college students.
A passionate advocate for geographic education, van de Gevel served as the National Geographic Society’s geography steward for North Carolina and as coordinator of the North Carolina Geographic Alliance, where she supported statewide K–12 geography education and teacher development. In recognition of her dedication to the discipline, she received the 2023 Outstanding Service Award from the Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers.
“I am deeply honored and excited to serve as the next dean of the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech,” van de Gevel said. “It is a privilege to join an outstanding land-grant institution committed to serving communities and addressing global environmental challenges. I look forward to working alongside our exceptional faculty, staff, and students - and in close collaboration with Virginia Cooperative Extension, our industry partners, and stakeholders - to foster cutting-edge research, transformative teaching, and public engagement. Together, we will drive discovery and informed decision-making for a more sustainable and resilient future.”
Van de Gevel’s work spans continents, from studying endangered mountain forests in the United States to studying environmental stewardship strategies in national parks across Europe and Africa. Her global perspective is shaped by living in both the Netherlands and the United States and by her research in diverse forest ecosystems worldwide. These interwoven experiences fuel her commitment to global learning and the value of cross-cultural environmental understanding.
Van de Gevel applies tree-ring science to understand long-term ecological and climatic changes. Her research on endangered mountain forest ecosystems in the eastern United States and northern Rockies has been recently published in journals such as The Holocene and Progress in Physical Geography. She also explores historical landscapes through dendrochronology of Appalachian log structures, revealing environmental history stories from past centuries.
At Appalachian State, van de Gevel was celebrated for her immersive, hands-on teaching style. She led popular courses such as Global Change of the Biosphere and biogeography study abroad programs in Costa Rica and the Bavarian and Austrian Alps. Her commitment to student success earned her the Board of Governors Appalachian State University Campus Excellence in Teaching Award.
Van de Gevel holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Tennessee, a Master of Science in forestry from Southern Illinois University, and a Bachelor of Science in forest science from Pennsylvania State University.
Winistorfer, who has served as dean of the College of Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE) since 2009, is retiring after 16 years of leadership.
“I want to thank Paul Winistorfer for his years of exemplary leadership and service to CNRE, his unwavering commitment to the college’s students, faculty, programs, and partners, and for positioning Virginia Tech for future growth and success,” Clarke said.