The Owen Fellowship of The Longleaf Alliance Awards $20,000 Scholarship to Basanta Shrestha for Advanced Studies in the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

Home News The Owen Fellowship of The Longleaf Alliance Awards $20,000 Scholarship to Basanta Shrestha for Advanced Studies in the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

The Owen Fellowship of The Longleaf Alliance Awards $20,000 Scholarship to Basanta Shrestha for Advanced Studies in the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

April 1, 2026

Now in its third round, The Owen Fellowship of The Longleaf Alliance is a program that makes a direct impact on the development of the next generation of longleaf pine restoration professionals and researchers.

We are proud to announce that this year’s recipient is Basanta Shrestha, Ph.D. Student, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University, in the amount of $20,000.

2026 Owen Fellowship awarded to Basanta Shrestha, Ph.D. Student, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, South Carolina

Basanta Shrestha’s research examines how soil pyrogenic carbon (PyC), a stable form of carbon produced during fire events in forest ecosystems, accumulates during longleaf pine restoration. Using a chronosequence approach across restored and mature longleaf pine sites, the project will quantify how soil PyC pools vary with stand age, fire history, and soil conditions. By linking below ground carbon storage to longleaf management practices, this research will improve understanding of long-term carbon sequestration and its role in global climate change mitigation in fire-managed ecosystems. It will also offer practical insights for land managers working to restore and sustain longleaf pine forests.

About The Owen Fellowship

The Owen Fellowship of The Longleaf Alliance aims to advance longleaf pine research through a $20,000 scholarship award for graduate students. The Fellowship also includes participation in the 16th Biennial Longleaf Conference, formal presentation at the 16th Biennial Longleaf Conference, and contribution to The Longleaf Leader magazine.

Dr. William ‘Bill’ Owen is a professional musician, educator, and landowner in Virginia. Through his work on the Board of Directors of The Longleaf Alliance, he was inspired to endow a fellowship for advanced studies and research in the South’s great forest.

Bill hopes The Owen Fellowship will encourage the next generation of longleaf leaders. “I’m obviously passionate about longleaf pine but I am also passionate about education. I decided to combine these two with a bequest to The Longleaf Alliance to endow a scholarship for advanced studies in the longleaf ecosystem,” said Bill Owen.

About The Longleaf Alliance

The Longleaf Alliance, based in Andalusia, Alabama, was established in 1995 to promote retention, management, and restoration of longleaf throughout its historic range, serve as a clearinghouse of information on all things longleaf, provide technical assistance to landowners and managers, provide education and training to natural resource professionals, and facilitate partnerships among the numerous public and private interests vital to the future of the longleaf forest. The mission of The Longleaf Alliance is to ensure a sustainable future for the longleaf pine ecosystem through partnerships, landowner assistance and science-based education and outreach.