College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Reprint from MSU AgBioResearch FUTURES, Fall/Winter 2012

A self-proclaimed “adventure seeker,” Lee Mueller was 17 when he took a five-day canoe voyage with some friends to explore the river that ran through their hometown. It was an excursion that would later help guide Mueller down the right career path.

“We had been trying to find a place to camp for one night and came across this organization — funny enough at the University of Michigan — known as Les Voyageurs,” he said. “It was founded in 1907 by a couple of forestry majors. It was destined to be a society — not a fraternity — of members who had a love for the outdoors and for nature, and who respected nature. They had a cabin on the Huron River where they allowed us to stay.”

A year later, as a freshman studying physics at Michigan State University (MSU), Mueller continued to visit the Society of Les Voyageurs (named after the pioneering French-Canadian voyagers of the Great Lakes fur trade). He drove nearly every Sunday from Lansing to Ann Arbor to have dinner with the group. He relished the conversation with fellow outdoor buffs and even began identifying trees “just for the fun of it.”

By the end of that first year of college, Mueller realized his heart wasn’t in physics.

“I was sitting at my desk frantically writing my mathematics and physics equations when I looked outside and saw a group of students walking to a tree and a professor holding a branch of the tree,” he recalled. “It was a beautiful day, and I would have loved to have been outside. I realized it was either a forestry or horticulture class. ”

Shortly afterward, Mueller met with the chair of the MSU Forestry Department, accepted a scholarship and switched majors. Mueller, who has never looked back on his decision, calls forestry the perfect profession for him.

MSU AgBioResearch scientist Karen Potter-Witter could not agree more. In fact, she quickly realized the potential of the undergraduate in her 400-level Forest Research Economics class and actively began to recruit him.

“It became clear early on in the class that Lee was very bright and engaging,” Potter-Witter said. “He had this great combination of willingness to participate, enthusiasm, analytical skills and writing skills. In fact, there was at least one other faculty member who wanted him in his program, but I had a new project that was coming up that I knew he would be perfect for.”

But Mueller wasn’t exactly drawn to Potter-Witter’s specialty area of forest economics — at least not initially.

“I honestly never thought I’d end up liking economics,” he said. “But, more and more, after talking to her and working alongside her, I realized that economics isn’t mathematics. Mathematics helps describe economics, but it’s more along the lines of a science of decision making.”

He also credits Potter-Witter for enabling him to hone his critical thinking skills, something he puts to the test daily in his current position as the urban forest project coordinator with the Friends of the Grand Rapids Parks, a nonprofit organization. One of his primary tasks is to work with the city of Grand Rapids to raise its tree coverage from 26 to 40 percent — a mission of the city’s “Green Grand Rapids” plan.

“A lot of my work is centered on engagement and education activities and building strategies to get people to begin to understand and talk about the value of trees,” he said. “I’m working to set up the context by asking, ‘Why are trees really important?’, ‘Why do we have this 40 percent goal?’ and ‘What can we do to impact or influence reaching that goal?’”

Mueller, who admits to becoming bored easily, is embracing the vast challenges of his new job, a position he assumed in May. It’s a role, however, he didn’t envision while in school.

“When I was at MSU, I always assumed that I would be doing traditional forestry work — helping landowners manage their 40 to 140 acres of land in northern Michigan,” he said. “I thought I’d be working on timber sales and walking in the woods, but somehow I landed in urban forestry. It’s closely related but also adjacent to what I studied. It’s easy to jump back and forth between the two because trees don’t change terribly much whether they’re in a city or a forest. It’s the environment and people that are different.”

Potter-Witter takes an approach to mentoring that is based on her experience with mentors early in her career development. It is part cheerleader and part taskmaster.

“It’s not so much a sink-or-swim mentality, but I do believe in giving students challenges where they can show themselves what their abilities are, as well as show others,” she said. “Lee was certainly one of those students who rose to the challenge.”

An advocate for the Society of American Foresters, Potter- Witter strongly encourages her students to participate in the organization. She recalls how Mueller attended the national convention in 2010 and presented their posters and research findings.

“I think, as a faculty member, seeing students find success in their profession is perhaps the greatest reward at MSU,” she said. “I know that sounds cliché, but having been teaching here for almost 30 years, this is what I really enjoy.”

Mueller is currently vice chair of the Lower Peninsula Chapter of the Michigan Society of American Foresters and, in that role, is organizing the next state meeting.

“It’s really great to see how the tables have turned,” Potter-Witter said. “It’s very rewarding to see what impact he is having on the next generation of foresters.”

It was guidance from Potter-Witter that helped Mueller to become better organized, improve his time management and become a leader. Today, the International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist and state of Michigan registered forester also serves on the forest stewardship advisory committee for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest Stewardship Program.

“Early on, I did have the propensity to get really involved in things and overextend myself,” he said. “Her style is that of an adviser and not a manager. She is happy to set expectations and happy to help when you ask for it, but by and large she allows you to run with your own ideas, and if need be, she pulls you back.”

Because mentoring played such an important role in her development, Potter-Witter said she has made it a top priority. She considers Mueller one of her brightest success stories.

“Lee is contributing to the well-being of the state through the nonprofit that he works for and believes in,” she said. “It’s really wonderful when you see your students shine professionally.”