Grow your future: UAM accepting applications for $7,000 forest business scholarship
By Traci Rushing
U of A System Division of Agriculture – UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural
Resources
July 30, 2025
Fast facts:
- UAM is offering four scholarships for students seeking a graduate certificate in forest business
- The graduate program offers a hyflex approach to subjects such as forest economics, supply chain management, leadership and more
- Application deadline is Aug. 10
- Funding is part of an endowment in memory of UAM forestry alumnus Jonathan Hartley
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MONTICELLO, Ark. — The University of Arkansas at Monticello is offering $7,000 scholarships to for four students pursuing a graduate certificate in forest business - a program that blends economics, sustainability and industry expertise to prepare tomorrow’s forest leaders.
Funded through the recently established Jonathan Hartley Endowed Scholarship for Forestry, this opportunity is open to students admitted to UAM’s Graduate Certificate in Forest Business program for the Fall 2025 semester. Each scholarship will cover all tuition cost associated with completion of the certificate program. The application deadline for scholarship consideration is Aug. 10.
Program admission requires a four-year degree, preferably in forestry, natural resources or a related area. However, applicants from other from other academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. For scholarship consideration, applicants should email a copy of their undergraduate transcript and a one-page essay describing their career interests and goals to cfanr@uamont.edu.
About the Program
The 15-credit graduate certificate program is designed for working professionals and recent graduates alike. Students can complete the program in as little as one year. All courses are offered in hyflex or hybrid format meaning students can attend in person, join live online or view recordings on their own schedule.
There are three required courses in the program consisting of Forest Finance, Forest Operations and Supply Chain Management and Forest Appraisals. Students will also take two elective courses from a list of five options.
Fall 2025 courses within the program include:
- Forest Finance – Provides students the ability to conduct advanced timberland investment analyses.
- Leadership in a Forest Business – Develop skills in communication, team performance, and decision-making.
- Timber Taxation – Learn tax policies and procedures associated with timber management and ownership.
Each class meets once weekly from 5:30–7:30 p.m., with flexible attendance options.
“The graduate certificate in forest business was designed for adding expertise in business and management skills for people working in the forestry sector,” said Michael Blazier, dean of the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources. “The flexible times and methods of attendance for its courses were developed with working professionals across the states and beyond in mind.”
About the Jonathan Hartley Endowed Scholarship for Forestry
The $7,000 scholarships are made possible by a $1.3 million gift from the estate of Andrea Stanley Hartley in honor of her late son, Jonathan Isaac Hartley — a UAM alumnus and respected forestry professional. The gift is the third-largest single donation in UAM’s history and will support both undergraduate and graduate students studying forestry.
Jonathan Hartley earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry from UAM. He worked on research with faculty then served as a Drew County forester with the Arkansas Forestry Division before passing away in 2018 at age 34 after a lifelong battle with chronic illness.
“Jonathan was passionate about forestry and his time at UAM,” said Jolene Hammock, CFANR outreach and engagement coordinator and wife to Hartley from 2006 to his passing. “He would be proud to help future generations of foresters thrive.”
For more information about the Graduate Certificate in Forest Business program or scholarship questions, contact the UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at (870) 460-1052.
About the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center
The College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, a University of Arkansas System Center of Excellence, brings together interdisciplinary expertise through a partnership between the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The College and Center are headquartered at the University of Arkansas at Monticello campus, but their programs range statewide with the mission of developing and delivering teaching, research, and extension programs that enhance and ensure the sustainability and productivity of forest-based natural resources and agricultural systems. Academic programs are delivered by the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources through the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, research is administered by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and extension and outreach activities are coordinated by the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact: Traci Rushing • trushing@uada.edu • 870-460-1852