Two members of the College of Natural Resources and Environment recognized for service and leadership

Two leaders in the College of Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE) were recognized for their sustained contributions to the Virginia Tech community. 

Sarah Karpanty, professor of fish and wildlife conservation, was named to the Faculty Service Academy, and Stephanie Hart, executive director of the CNRE Advising and Career Center, has been selected to join the Faculty Leadership Academy.

The Academies of Faculty Service and Leadership, overseen by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, recognize faculty members whose work has made a significant and demonstrable impact on the university through sustained service or leadership beyond the expectations of their roles. Appointments are made annually following a nomination and review process.

Leading outside the classroom

Karpanty’s recognition reflects more than two decades of service to the university, CNRE, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, and countless students who have studied under her tutelage. She views service as an essential component of the faculty mission, alongside teaching and research.

“All faculty have three parts to our mission: teaching, research and service,” Karpanty said. “Service takes many forms. The university can’t operate without people stepping up to fill these different roles.”

Since coming to Tech as a post-doc in 2004 and rising through the ranks as a faculty member, Karpanty has held numerous leadership roles in CNRE and even serving as faculty senate president, a role she described as an exciting opportunity to contribute at the university level. She also served on several high-profile committees, including the last presidential search committee.

In recent years, her service has focused more closely on departmental and student support. As associate department head for undergraduate affairs, Karpanty mentors students and works extensively to help them navigate experiential learning requirements.

“The most valuable service I’ve done has been supporting students in our department,” she said. “I do a lot of work mentoring students, both formally and informally.”

The Faculty Service Academy recognizes exceptional service that extends beyond a faculty member’s usual responsibilities and demonstrates a positive, measurable impact on the university.]

Taking advising to a higher level

Hart’s induction into the Faculty Leadership Academy recognizes more than a decade of visionary, collaborative leadership that fundamentally reshaped how CNRE students are supported, from recruitment through graduation.

Hart began leading advising in CNRE in 2013, when most undergraduate advising in the college was conducted by faculty. Her initial role focused on supporting faculty advisors with training and resources while serving as a backup advisor for students. As undergraduate enrollment grew rapidly, Hart identified the need for a model centered on holistic, equitable and consistent student support.

“When I started here, we had faculty advising in the college,” Hart said. “In 2015, we began transitioning to a fully functional advising unit within the college and hired professional advisors.”

Between 2013 and 2015, Hart led a collaborative effort to create CNRE’s centralized advising center, one of the first at the university. 

The advisors deliver accurate, consistent guidance while providing individualized support from acceptance for admission all the way to graduation.

Over the past 11 years, Hart has led the development of the Advising and Career Center into a nationally recognized operation. From its initial staff of three, the center now boasts 10 people, all of whom interact directly with students.

“We’re fairly unique in that we have a fully functioning unit,” Hart said. “We house the recruiter, the advisors, and the director of employer relations and career services within the center.”

CNRE’s Advising and Career Center earned the University Exemplary Department Award in 2024 and the NACADA Outstanding Advising Program Award in 2025. Today, approximately 93 percent of CNRE students voluntarily meet with an advisor at least once per semester, indicating the center’s value to the student experience.

Proving that leadership comes from adaptability, Hart restructured the center’s model so the advisors had equitable workloads while allowing them to maintain the personalization that has proved to be valuable. 

She is known for listen-first leadership, wellness-forward supervision and deep investment in professional development for her team. Through creative problem-solving and sustained advocacy, she secured additional advisor positions, established department liaison roles to strengthen communication, and integrated career services into the center making CNRE one of the few colleges at Virginia Tech with a dedicated, student-facing career services professional.

“Part of the recognition is leadership and service to the university through the work we do within our unit and across the broader campus community,” Hart said.