March-June 1997 NEWSLETTER
  1. PENCIL AND PAPER
  2. POSITIONS AVAILABLE
  3. COMING EVENTS
  4. SOCIETY NEWS
  5. COMMITTEE SIGN-UP FORM
Pencil

Where did the time go?

This is supposed to be the earlier newsletter but time flies when you are "trying" to keep ahead of students, universities, and proposal deadlines. My apologies to all of you for the delay in your newsletter.

Bruce

Moving Around

It still must be too cold for us to move since nobody told me they were moving!

Annual Meeting Program

See page 2 for the schedule! President-elect Fred Kamke has put together a well-rounded program on a very timely topic. Distance learning is causing a major shift in education (particularly graduate-level) at most universities and colleges. At MU, we have redefined "residency" in the academic sense as a result of distance learning technology.

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The SWST Newsletter is published six times a year by the Society of Wood Science and Technology, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705 USA. Phone 608-231-9347, FAX 608-231-9592. e-mail vicki@swst.org. Web: http://wwwl.fpl.fs.fed.us/swsthome.html

SWST is a technical and professional organization for scientists and engineers working in academia, government, consulting, and the forest products industries and is dedicated to providing better ways to use and produce wood products. Items for the newsletter may be sent to Bruce Cutter, SWST Newsletter Editor, 1-30 Agriculture Building, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211. Phone: 573-882-2744 FAX: 573-882-1977, e-mail: snrbruce@muccmail.missouri.edu

Society of Wood Science and Technology

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1997 Annual Meeting

"Distance Learning and Technology Transfer for the 21st Century"

Sunday, June 22nd

Waterfront Centre Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia

Moderator: Fred Kamke, SWST President-Elect

8:00-8:30 Ian Franks, Director of Media Services, UBC
Distance Learning Technology for the 21st Century
8:30-9:00 Jim Bowyer and Joe Massey, Univ. of Minnesota
Distance Education via Interactive Television and the Internet: A Report of Recent Experiences in University-Level Teaching of Wood Science
9:00-9:30 Bill Holland, Weyerhaeuser
Continuing Education and Training: A Large Company Perspective
9:30-10:00 Fred Lamb, VaTech and Cynthia West, USFS
Continuing Education and Training: A Small Company Perspective
10:00-10:30 Greg Foliente, CSIRO
Wood Science and Technology in the Networked World: Technology Transfer Opportunities and Challenges
10:00-10:45 Discussion (all speakers)
10:45-11:45 Award Presentations
11:45-12:45 Annual Business Meeting and Lunch
1:00-4:00 Joint SWST/FPS Plenary Sessions
Session 1: Wood Surface Chemistry and Adhesive Interactions
Session 2: Improved Drying Through the Understanding of Wood Physics
Session 3: Wood Quality and Fiber Requirements for High Speed Paper Machines and Fine Quality Printing Papers
4:00-5:30 Joint SWST/FPS Technical Forum and Student Posters
Positions

Head, Department of Forest Products/Forest Products Laboratory, Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University is a comprehensive land grant institution and has the largest on-campus enrollment of the eight state institutions of higher learning. All components of the University have a strong commitment to teaching, research, and service and have brought national and international recognition to the University. The Department Head will provide leadership for efficient planning and implementation of teaching, research, and service programs to meet the needs of students and the forest products industry in the state, region, and nation. The Department has fourteen faculty members engaged in teaching, research, and service programs, most of whom carry joint appointments. The Department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in forest products, with options in wood science and wood industries management, and has approximately 20 undergraduate students in this recently reactivated major. Approximately 35 graduate students are enrolled in Master's or Doctoral programs in composite wood products, environmental biotechnology, wood preservation and property enhancement, wood chemistry, and business and production systems with emphasis on the furniture industry. The teaching, research, and service programs are supported by state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment.

Duties and Responsibilities: The Head of the Department is responsible to the Dean, College of Forest Resources and the Director, Forest and Wildlife Research Center. The Head will have a full-time administrative appointment and will provide overall leadership, direction, and administration for teaching, research, and service activities. The Head has responsibility for coordination of budget and personnel management functions and is expected to establish and maintain working relationships with other units of the University, the forest products and furniture industries, government agencies, and professional societies. Currently the Department/Laboratory has approximately 70 employees and an annual budget in excess of $4 million.

Qualifications: Doctorate in forest products, wood science and technology, or closely related field, and an established record of excellence in the forest products area. Candidates should have demonstrated work experience in planning, developing, coordinating and evaluating teaching, research and service programs; administration of resources; directing personnel; and interpersonal communication skills needed to coordinate interdisciplinary programs with other departments, USDA agencies, land grant universities, the forest products industry, and professional organizations.

Salary and Benefits: Salary commensurate with training and experience; competitive benefits.

Procedures: A letter of application, personal resume, academic transcripts, and the names and addresses of at least four (4) professional references should be forwarded to: Dr. Douglas Richards, Chair of the Search Committee for Head, Department of Forest Products, Mississippi State University, Box 9681, Mississippi State, MS 39762. Nominations are encouraged and should be sent to the same address. Applications/nominations will be accepted until an acceptable candidate is chosen, but review of credentials will begin July 1, 1997. Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.

Graduate Assistantships Available --University of Georgia

Internal Defect Detection in Hardwood Logs

A 2 year stipend is available for a qualified applicant. The applicant should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 of 4.0, a minimum GRE of 1000 (math and verbal) for MS, 1200 for Ph.D.. The stipend is $10,692US per year for M.S. and $11,400US per year for Ph.D.. The stipend includes a full-tuition waiver for both in-state and out-of-state student. The applicant should have a BS degree in Engineering, Computer Science or Wood Science and Technology. The successful applicant will be a team member of a multidisciplinary research project developing the use of x-ray tomography for detection and classification of internal defects in many species of hardwood logs. Skills in programming in Visual C++, Unix C++ are desirable. The NRI Competitive Grants Program sponsors the assistantship. The Warnell School of Forest Resources is well equipped with a state-of-art high computer and image processing facilities including a dedicated x-ray CT scanner. The departments of Computer Science, Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Forest Resources are cooperating on the project. Please send a resume with transcripts and 3 references to: Dr. Timothy D. Faust, Associate Professor, University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forest Resources, Athens, GA 30602, e-mail: tfaust@uga.cc.uga.edu, Fax: 706-542-8356.

Process Control in Lumber Drying

A 2 year stipend is available for a qualified applicant. The applicant should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 of 4.0, a minimum GRE of 1000 (math and verbal) for MS, 1200 for Ph.D.. The stipend is $10,692US per year for M.S. and $11,400US per year for Ph.D.. The stipend includes a full-tuition waiver for both in-state and out-of-state student. The applicant should have a BS degree in Engineering or Wood Science and Technology. The project will address process control problems in hardwood lumber drying. Familiarity with standard PLC equipment would be helpful. Skills in programming in C++ would also be an asset. The assistantship is sponsored by the Irvington-Moore Co.. The Warnell School of Forest Resources is well equipped with a state-of-art high temp/ conventional temperature dry kiln with Allen-Bradley PLC5 process control equipment. The kiln is housed in the 3 year old 10,000 sq. ft Phillips Wood Utilization Lab. The laboratory is well equipped for wood drying research. Please send a resume with transcripts and 3 references to Dr. Timothy D. Faust at the address shown above.

Doctoral Fellowships in Forest Products Marketing -- University of Washington

The College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, invites applications for two Doctoral Fellowships in forest products marketing. The Forest Products Marketing program maintains a close affiliation with the Center for International Trade in Forest Products (CINTRAFOR), providing students with a unique opportunity to conduct market research in their area of interest. Successful applicants will be provided with a $17,000 yearly stipend and a waiver of tuition fees. Candidates with an interest in forest products marketing and international trade are strongly encouraged to apply for Fall Quarter, 1997 admission. US citizenship is required for this program. For more information, please contact: Dr. Ivan Eastin, College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195. Tel:(206)543-1918, Fax:(206)685-3091, email: eastin@u.washington.edu

Wood ID Short Course

The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service is offering a 1-1/2 day workshop on Thursday - Friday, August 7-8 entitled "Practical Wood Identification" to be held in the Forestry-Wildlife-Fisheries Building on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, LA. Lectures on wood anatomy and identification will be given on the commercially important, domestic hardwoods and softwoods. An overview on the properties of some common tropical woods will also be given. The second day is devoted to hands-on identification of wood specimens. All participants will receive the book "Wood Identification" by R. Bruce Hoadley, hand lens, wood collection, hand lens, wood identification key, razor blade, and "Woods of Louisiana" publication in addition to drinks and snacks. The registration cost is $100 before July 25 and $125 after July 25. All hobbyists and industry personnel interested in identifying wood are urged to quickly contact Todd Shupe with the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service at ph. (504)388-4087, fax (504)388-2478, email: tshupe@agctr.lsu.edu. The maximum enrollement is 20 people, and this workshop promises to fill up rapidly. The instructors for the workshop will be Doug Stokke (USDA Forest Service, NEFES) Mark Gibson (Louisiana Tech University, Louisiana Forest Products Laboratory), Ramsay Smith (Louisiana State University, Louisiana Forest Products Laboratory), and Todd Shupe (Louisiana State University, Cooperative Extension Service).

SOCIETY NEWS

Attention SWST Full Members--Visiting Scientist Program Database Update

The SWST Visiting Scientist Program faciliates the exchange of knowledge between outstanding specialitists in wood science and technology and interested persons at educational, industrial, or governmental institutions. Many of the foremost wood scientists in the Society have participated in the Program. Their presentations have consistently won praise from the hosts. And, the scientists themselves have found the visits both stimulating and and enjoyable. In addition to providing a forum for discussions on wood, the Society expects the Program to create interest in careers in wood science and technology and to assist in improving existing educational programs in this area. We believe that bringing people together to discuss these problems benefits both the scientists and the participants.

The format of visits is arranged between the host institution and the visiting scientist. Generally, a visit is scheduled for one or two days duration. During this time, the visitor gives a number of lectures or seminars and has discussions with individuals. SWST pays transportation costs of the scientist to and from the host institution. The host is responsible for all of the local costs. As a part of the request, the host institution is asked to provide some nominal direct contribution to the program. However, in many cases, the visiting scientist's organization has covered the entire cost of the visit. Visiting Scientist Program application packets are mailed to potential host institutions in the spring of each year (update lists will be issued during the summer this year).

Any SWST Full Member in good standing may participated in the program. We are in the process of updating our list of potential visiting scientists In order to be included in the updated list, please complete and return the Visiting Scientist Form below by June 30, 1997 (Please do so even if you have been on the visiting scientist list for years.....we are generating a completely new list as the old one has not been updated for several years! So, if you snooze, you loose!!). 



               Please copy or tear off and return
.................................................................................................................................................................................

                  SWST VISITING SCIENTIST FORM
     

Name:                                                                                                                                                
Employer/Institution:                                                                                                                     
Address 1:                                                                                                                                      
Address 2:                                                                                                                                      
City/State or Province/Country                                                                                                       
Postal Code:                                                                                                                                  
Specialty:                                                                                                                                        
        
Will discuss formally:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
Will discuss informally:                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
     
Return to: Vicki Herian, Society of Wood Science and Technology, One 
Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI  USA  53705-2398, FAX 608-231-9592, 
E-mail vicki@swst.org

SWST Committee Reports (as of 5/20/97)

SWST Visiting Scientist Program Committee Report--Visits during 1996-1997-- Monlin Kuo

  1. Greg Foliente of CSIRO, Australia visited NC State October 1996, hosted by Bo Kasal.
  2. Richard Vlosky of LSU visited UC-FPL December 1996, hosted by Frank Beall.
  3. Erol Varoglu and Paul Morris requested Bill Dost to visit Forintek, Vancouver, B.B.
  4. Steve Shaler, UMaine, visited Iowa State April 1997 hosted by Doug Stokke.

Public Liaison (formerly 4-H Wood Science) - Doug Stokke

Changes made in the scholarship programs by the National 4-H organization made it infeasible for SWST to continue to support scholarships for students pursuing a university education in wood science and technology. Thus, the committee was renamed and has assumed an expanded role in outreach. Our top priority project this year was to design and produce a portable exhibit to be used to educate professional audiences about the aims of SWST. The display will be unveiled at the 1997 SWST Annual Meeting, and will also appear at the all Division 5 IUFRO conference in Pullman, WA in July. In the future, we look toward the development of display materials geared toward younger audiences to inform them regarding educational and career opportunities in wood science and technology. It is our intention that the exhibit will be available for member use to promote the society at various meetings, conferences, and events such as the national FFA (Future Farmers of America) congress. The Public Liaison Committee is also charged with maintaining communication with and where appropriate, actively participate in, a variety of other organizations. SWST has had a vigorous role in the Renewable Natural Resource Foundation (RNRF), as evidenced by the following summary provided by Howard Rosen: "SWST is one of the 19 members of this nonprofit consortium of professional, scientific and educational organizations dedicated to cooperate in assessing our renewable resources and formulating public policy alternatives. We have been actively involved in the following over the last year: SWST is also a member of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), the primary mission of which is to publish reports on the scientific aspects of public issues.

International Relations - Howard Rosen

The committee granted its first affiliate membership to accommodate those people who live in countries where the cost of membership to an individual would be prohibitive. On September 6, 1996, Professor Valentine Shalaev, Director of the Forest Systems Research at Moscow State Forestry University in Russia was presented an engraved wooden membership plaque by Howard Rosen, who travel to the University. Back issues of Wood and Fiber/Wood and Fiber Science since 1969 were sent to the library of the University. The committee has been gathering names of those who might fit the criteria for membership in SWST and will decide on new members for next year. The upcoming IUFRO Division Meeting in Pullman, Washington will give us opportunity to discover interest from potential new members.

Critical Issues Committee - (Howard Rosen's input to Geza Ifju, Chairman)

The Critical Issues Task Group Report, "Environmental Implications of the Use of Wood-base Products" has been distributed to members of Congress, State Foresters, many societies in the mainstream of the environmental movement, key government people, and North American Forestry and Wood Science schools. The eleven prominent members of the Task Group labored long and hard to come up with a brief document to set forth the view of SWST to support the theme that: Research in wood science and forest products is essential to the enhancement of conservation and environmental conditions by achieving more efficient and effective utilization of wood and fiber resources.

Book Reports - Dick Jaegels

Two book reviews were completed by reviewers, edited and sent to Bob Youngs for Wood and Fiber Science. Two other are in the process of being reviewed. Review copies of two additional books have been requested from the publishers. (Dick took over from R.C. Tang about two months ago) 
           SWST Committee Signup Form for 1997-1998
Please mark the committee(s) on which you would be willing to serve.
If there is more than one which interests you, indicate your
preference by assigning 1=highest preference, etc.  You won't
be guaranteed to get your top choice, but please be assured that diligent
effort will be made to accommodate your interests.   Return your completed
form to Vicki Herian, either at the Annual Meeting or by mail or fax 
(address and fax # given below). 

_____     Accreditation Committee

_____     Annual Meeting Program

_____     Book Review Committee

_____     Constitution and Bylaws Committee

_____     Critical Issues Committee

_____     Education Committee

_____     International Relations Committee (ad hoc)

_____     Marra Award Committee  (WFS volume 30, 1998)

_____     Membership Committee

_____     Nominations Committee

*****     Past Presidents' Council (sorry, you have to be President
            first to  be on this Council!)

_____     Public Liaison Committee 

_____     Publication Policy Committee

_____     Visiting Scientist Committee

                Vicki Herian, Executive Director
             Society of Wood Science and Technology
                   One Gifford Pinchot Drive
                    Madison, WI  53705-2398
                      Phone:  618-231-9347
                       Fax:  618-231-9592
                 email:  vicki@swst.org
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Last updated: 6/13/97
For further information, please contact Vicki Herian at vicki@swst.org