We are very pleased to announce the winners of the 2014 Forest Products Society Annual Excellence Awards. Please join us in congratulating the winners and attend the awards ceremony at the FPS 68th International Convention on August 10-13, 2014 in Quebec City, Canada. Learn more

Fred W. Gottschalk Memorial Award Winner

Fred W. Gottschalk Memorial Award Winner - Dr. Mark Gibson

Professor and Associate Director Forestry

Louisiana Tech University

Mark D. Gibson received a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from Clemson University in 1972, a Master of Science degree in Forestry from Clemson University in 1974, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Forest Products from Oregon State University in 1982. He has thirty years of experience in research and teaching of wood technology and utilization at major U.S. universities including California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, Clemson University, Oregon State University, and Louisiana Tech University. Dr. Gibson is currently Interim Director of the School of Forestry and Professor of Wood Utilization at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA and has been a faculty scientist with the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center since its inception in 1992. He has over 75 publications and over 60 presentations at professional meetings. He has served as a member of the graduate faculty at Louisiana Tech University and an affiliate member of the graduate faculty at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. His current research examines the influences of forest management practices on wood quality in plantation-grown and naturally-grown hardwoods and southern pines, and the influence of wood quality on manufacturing processes.

The Fred W. Gottschalk Memorial Award for outstanding service to the Forest Products Society is presented in memory of Fred W. Gottschalk, the first President of the Society who died in a plane crash in Salt Lake City in 1965. The purpose of the award is to recognize and honor exceptional service to the Forest Products Society by an individual member. Learn more

2014 Fred W. Gottschalk Memorial Award Judges:

Chair: Cornelius “Niels” de Hoop, LSU AgCenter

Steve Quarles, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety

Dr. Douglas D. Stokke, Iowa State University

Mike Barnes, Mississippi State University

Paul Merrick

Wood Engineering Achievement Award - Young Engineer

Wood Engineering Achievement Award - Young Engineer Winner - Samuel Zelinka

Materials Research Engineer

USDA FS Forest Products Laboratory

While an undergraduate, Sam became interested in the effects of changing preservative treatments on metal fasteners. Sam developed electrochemical based tools to quickly assess the corrosion potential of actual fasteners in preservative treated wood. To develop these techniques, Sam researched the electrical properties of wood at various moisture conditions. His findings led to application of percolation theory to develop a new model for electrical conduction in wood as a function of moisture content that helps explain why corrosion and mold growth occur below fiber saturation.

Knowledge of surface area is critical for electrochemical techniques. Sam patented analytical and imaging techniques to accurately determine this parameter on screw fasteners.

Based on his corrosion and percolation theories, Sam was invited to EPMA (Swiss Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology) to develop a corrosion model for inclusion in a software that models heat and moisture transport in multi-layer building components exposed to natural weather. This work has led to computational methods to predict the long term mechanical behavior of fasteners in treated wood products.

In 2011, Dr. Zelinka was presented a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for his work on the corrosion behavior of metals in wood products.

The Wood Engineering Achievement Award recognizes achievements and innovations in the discipline of wood engineering, including structures, structural elements, building codes, consensus standards, design procedures and education. Learn more

The award focus alternates each year among Lifetime Achievement, Young Engineer and Engineering Innovation. This year's award is sponsored by the American Wood Council.

2014 Wood Engineering Achievement Award Judges:

Chair: Xiping Wang, USDA Forest Products Laboratory

Tom Gorman, University of Idaho

Brain Brashaw, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth

L.J. Markwardt Wood Engineering Award

L.J. Markwardt Wood Engineering Award Winners

Primary Author – Shan Gao, Northeast Forestry University

Co-Authors: Xiping Wang, Lihai Wang & R. Bruce Allison

"Effect of Temperature on Acoustic Evaluation of Standing Trees and Logs: Part 2 – Field Investigation" Wood and Fiber Science (44-3)

The L.J. Markwardt Award recognizes the author(s) of a technical paper published in the Forest Products Journal or Wood and Fiber Science during the previous two years that has the most outstanding merit in the field of wood as an engineering material. This award encourages research and promotes knowledge of wood in the engineering field to enhance the efficient utilization of wood. Learn more

2014 L.J. Markwardt Wood Engineering Award Judges:

Chair: Brian W. Beakler, Armstrong World Industries, Inc.

Tom Gordon, University of Idaho

Jim Wacker, US Forest Service

Wood Award

Wood Award Winners

First Place Paper:

“Quantitative Wood-Adhesive Penetration with X-Ray Computed Tomography”

Jesse Loren Paris

Oregon State University

Academic Advisor: Frederick A. Kamke

Second Place Paper:

“Optimal Design of a Two-Layer asymmetrical Laminated Wood Product with Minimized Cupping”

Ling Li

University of New Brunswick

Academic Advisor: Meng Gong

The Wood Award recognizes the most outstanding graduate student research conducted in the field of wood and wood products. Wood Award papers describe original research on a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, harvesting and forest operations, product development and manufacture, fundamental properties, end-use applications, and distribution and marketing. Learn more

2014 Wood Award Judges:

Chair: Nicole Stark, USDA Forest Products Laboratory

Grant Kirker, USDA Forest Products Laboratory

Katie Jenkins, USDA Forest Products Laboratory

Student Scholarship Program

2014 Wood Preservation Fund Student Scholarship Recipients

Hector Fabio Archila Santos, University of Bath

Mario De Jesús García Manzano, University of Guadalajara

Ataollah Haddadi, University of New Brunswick

Maria Fernanda Laguarda Mallo, University of Minnesota

Benedikt Neyses, Luleå Tekniska Universitet

Areo Olusola Samuel, University of Ibadan

Paul Frederik Laleicke, Oregon State University

Wyatt Klopp, University of Northern British Columbia

Leandro Passarini, Université Laval

Aaron Weidman, Oregon State University

The merit-based Forest Products Society's Student Scholarship Program of The Wood Preservation Fund provides financial assistance to student and post-doctoral members of the Society, enabling them to participate in the Society's International Convention. This Scholarship Program helps students connect with the global forest products industry.

The Wood Preservation Fund recognizes and honors a special gift from the American Wood Protection Bureau to the Forest Products Society. This gift creates a lasting legacy to promote international awareness of developments in research in wood and wood-based product protection.

Source: Forest Products Society