CSU’s new research professor of forestry's goal: Ohio’s forest health

Jess Hartshorn, Ph.D., began her new position as Associate Research Professor of Forestry at Central State University on June 16.

Image

Her job responsibilities include conducting research related to forest health, serving as the CSU research liaison for the Ohio Joint Forestry Team, and engaging students in field research of forest insects and diseases. 

Dr. Hartshorn said her primary goal at Central State “is to establish an institute of forest health with researchers and professionals across the state to facilitate research and outreach to stakeholders.” 

She added, “A third of [Ohio’s] land is forested, and there is a lot of forest health research going on in the state, but no unified network to connect the people doing the work."

"My hope is that by connecting these folks, we can leverage the work people are already doing to advance the field of forest health and help landowners deal with emerging issues in forestry and forest industries.” 

Prior to coming to Central State, Dr. Hartshorn was an assistant professor of forestry at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, from 2018-24. She was promoted to associate professor of forestry in 2024. 

Dr. Hartshorn received her doctorate (2016) and master's degrees in forest entomology from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Georgia. She earned a Bachelor of Science in zoology from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. 

A Dayton native, Dr. Hartshorn is a registered yoga teacher. She is currently enrolled as a student in Wright State University’s Master of Science program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. 

“I'm very excited to be back home,” she said.