A CNRE alumna remembers: Barbara Knuth Ph.D. ’86
Doctor of Philosophy in fisheries and wildlife
College of Natural Resources and Environment: What have you been doing since you graduated?
Barbara Knuth: Since I graduated from Virginia Tech, I’ve been working as a professor at Cornell University in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. I came to Cornell immediately after completing my Ph.D. at Virginia Tech in fisheries and wildlife sciences. I began as an assistant professor and advanced through the academic ranks to full professor. I’ve also held several academic leadership positions, including serving as chair of my department, senior associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, senior vice provost overseeing undergraduate admissions and financial aid, and dean of the graduate school. Professional service has been very important to me, particularly with the American Fisheries Society, where I’ve held numerous volunteer positions, including serving as president about 20 years ago. I married a fellow Virginia Tech graduate student (also in fisheries), and we have two wonderful daughters.
CNRE: What is your fondest memory?
Knuth: When my department planned and hosted the annual Mud Bass (Carp) Fishing Tournament on the Duck Pond. Our Virginia Tech chapter of the American Fisheries Society was the official organizer and sponsor, and we engaged so many of the department’s graduate students in fisheries and wildlife. It was a great way to build community among us and also do some really important outreach with the local community, inviting children and adults to experience a fun day outdoors, learn about fish and fishing, and enjoy each other’s company.
CNRE: What is the most amazing thing that you learned? What professors inspired you?
Knuth: The most amazing thing that I did was being able to build a mix of experiences into my Ph.D. program. My dissertation research was related to decision-making processes and criteria used by natural resources management agencies, so it was very people oriented and involved reviewing lots of documents and talking with many professionals. My funding for my assistantships, though, was a mix of teaching (for example, Ichthyology Lab) and fieldwork (mostly working on boats on large rivers like the Ohio and the Kanawha). I gained important skills in being able to interact with very different types of people from different walks of life, learning how to adapt to rapidly changing conditions, and enjoying being outside in some very challenging circumstances.
The professor who inspired me the most was Larry Nielsen, whom the fisheries graduate students fondly referred to as “Uncle Larry” (not to his face, of course!). As my Ph.D. advisor, Larry constantly encouraged me toward my academic goals and was instrumental in providing many professional development opportunities for me that influenced my eventual career path, including becoming a professor and deeply engaging with the American Fisheries Society in volunteer service. He was also a role model for how to live your best life, committing himself to his family and his profession.
CNRE: If you could go back in time, what’s the one thing you would tell your undergraduate self?
Knuth: Appreciate your student colleagues because some of them will be your friends for life. This goes for my undergraduate self as well as my graduate student self. I still have close friendships formed during both those phases of my life, with people who share my values and interests, prioritize staying informed and being thoughtful, and are kind to others.