Harmon brings new leadership to Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management

Harmon brings new leadership to Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Media Contact: Kristin Knight | Communications and Marketing Manager | 405-744-1130 | kristin.knight@okstate.edu

Jason Harmon recently assumed the role as head of the OSU Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management.

Harmon joins the department after serving 16 years on faculty at the School of Natural Resource Sciences at North Dakota State University, where he held various leadership roles, including associate director of the school from 2019 to 2022.

A Wisconsin native, Harmon said he looks forward to immersing himself in his new role and community.

"Oklahoma is a new state for me, and I'm eager to understand the issues that matter here, work alongside talented faculty and staff, and support solutions that make a difference for the people who depend on natural resources," he said.

Harmon earned his bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of Wisconsin, where he discovered his passion for ecology and its role in improving lives and the environment. He also received a doctorate in entomology from the University of Minnesota.

Harmon said OSU's natural resource ecology and management department has numerous strengths, including its nationally recognized expertise in areas such as fire ecology, its dynamic mix of established and early-career faculty, and its shared commitment to natural resource stewardship across rangelands, forestry, fisheries and wildlife.

"In this department, we're all working toward a common goal to study natural resource systems and develop tangible, science-based solutions to help stakeholders manage them effectively," he said. "These resources don't maintain themselves. It takes knowledge, care and innovation."

As department head, Harmon is dedicated to supporting students, faculty and staff by listening to their needs, celebrating successes and identifying new opportunities to enhance the department's impact on natural resource challenges.

"I see my role as helping people do their best work - whether that's in the classroom, the lab or out in the field," he said.