Van Wagner: Teacher, Forester, Singer

Name: Van Wagner

Preferred Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown & Current Town: Danville, Pennsylvania

Graduation Year: BS 1998, MS 2012

Major: BS Wildlife and Fisheries Science, MS Earth Science Education

Current Professional Title: Agriculture teacher, Forester, Arborist

Name of Employer: Danville Area School District and self-employed owner of Van Wagner and Sons Tree Service

Brief Description of Your Role/Profession: I am a high school agriculture teacher teaching classes including veterinary science, forestry, AP environmental science, wildlife management, and drone/GIS science.  

Why did you choose Penn State?

I found my passion in agriculture when I was a student at Danville High School. My teachers, Paul Heasly and David Blank, promoted the agriculture programs at Penn State as some of the best in the country. Once I started leaning specifically toward forestry and wildlife management, Penn State felt like the perfect next step for me. 

What inspired you to pursue your degree?

My father spent a lot of time teaching me about the forests of Pennsylvania. He instilled a great respect for the outdoors, wildlife, and natural places. My high school teachers helped me pursue a profession in the field, but it was my dad who taught me to love the forest. 

What clubs, organizations, or leadership roles were you involved in?

While attending Penn State, I played intramural baseball, volunteered with the State College Presbyterian Church (as well as camp Krislund just to the east), and was also very musically involved in activities on and off campus. I play folk music and took my guitar and banjo just about anywhere I could.   

What is a favorite Penn State memory?

I discovered caving/spelunking during my time at Penn State. I have a fond memory of spending a Friday night exploring a local cave known as J4 with a bunch of my friends. We ended up absolutely covered in cave mud. On our way back to campus, one of our two cars broke down, so we piled an absurd number of mud-covered cave explorers into my Chevy Cavalier. Then we got pulled over by the police for having a headlight out. Amazingly, the story ended happily with all of us getting back to campus safe and sound. I suppose the officer knew there were a lot worse things kids could be doing with their Friday night and he was just happy to help us get home.       

How has your Penn State education influenced your career or life?

The networking and sense of family fostered by Penn State are incredible. My life continues to cross paths with people from similar circles of forestry and wildlife, and the common denominator continues to be Penn State. A lesson I learned early on is to respect relationships you create at Penn State because you will interact with these people again and again and the seeds of respect will grow into strong relationships. 

You recently completed your "67 Trees on 67 Mountains in 67 Counties" project. Can you talk about what inspired you to embark on such a challenge, how it felt to complete it, and what you hope people take away from it?

My goal was to climb the highest mountain in every Pennsylvania county. Once on top, I then climbed the tallest tree there. It was my hope that this project would get people talking about our forests. I wanted to celebrate all the great things that we gain from our forests: jobs, clean water, spiritual renewal, renewable resources, and so much more. But I also wanted to bring attention to how fragile our forests are. They face threats from invasive insects, climate change, and fragmentation. I want to inspire all Pennsylvanians to learn more about their forests and to get involved in the conversation about how best to manage these forests.

Outside of your career in education, you are an accomplished singer. Can you talk about how you have used singing to tell stories, spread awareness, and reach all ages regarding conservation and forest management?

I like to write songs about Pennsylvania. Sometimes I write about trees and forests, sometimes I write about people and history. I do this because I truly love where I live and the rich heritage associated with the Keystone State.

What are one or two of your proudest accomplishments in which your Penn State education played a role?

I was absolutely astonished to be chosen as an Outstanding Alumni Award recipient in 2025 from the School of Forest Resources. It's hard for me to put into words just how incredible this makes me feel about my many efforts related to our forests. I view this award as a challenge to do even more in the future. I challenge myself to truly earn this award going forward. 

What collegiate advice or professional development tip would you give to a current student?

Be diverse and be authentic. Find what you're passionate about in your field of study and pour everything you've got into that. Authenticity will take care of itself if you're pursuing something you're truly passionate about. By diverse, I mean embrace all of you. Your side jobs, hobbies, things that you currently don't think relate to your career path. Make them relate. Seek value in each of these experiences. These experiences will turn out to be an important part of your journey and your story. The sooner you embrace that the better. 

Why are you proud to be a Penn State Ag Sciences alum?

Agriculture is such a noble profession. Managing our natural resources is among the most important things we are tasked with. Penn State is a leader in all areas of agriculture.