In May 2017, Jason Vokoun became NRE’s Interim Department Head. Dr. Vokoun’s scholarly activities are dedicated to resolving management issues associated with fisheries conservation and associated aquatic sciences. He has previously served as departmental graduate program coordinator and undergraduate program coordinator. Part of his role as Interim Head is to serve as Director of the Environmental Sciences interdisciplinary major. He is also the current Director of the Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center. He received the Kinsman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching from the college in 2009. Dr. Vokoun was co-founder of the Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources (CCNR) in 2007 and has been its co-chair three times. A student-centered professor, Dr. Vokoun is proud of his former students and maintains strong relationships with them post-graduation. Former Department Head John Volin now serves as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at UConn.