SPRING 2024 THE MAGAZINE OF THE OSU COLLEGE OF FORESTRY
Dean Tom DeLuca Senior Director of Development Zak Hansen Director of Marketing and Communications Kevin Lee Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Ann Van Zee Director for Alumni Engagement and Events Jessica Fitzmorris Assistant Art Director Julia Lont Additional Contributions Parker Akkerman Irene Schoppy FOCUS is published by Oregon State University College of Forestry to keep alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students informed about the college and its many events, activities and programs. This publication will be made available in an accessible alternative format upon request. Please contact Julia at 541-737-4270 or email julia.lont@ oregonstate.edu. Want to receive monthly updates? Join our email list at beav.es/SoK. FOCUS SPRING 2024 04 06 08 10 12 14 Roots in Every Continent The college’s network spans the globe The Great Shake Researchers coming together to advance mass timber adoption News + Notes General college and community updates Research Updates The latest research and innovation from the College of Forestry Stories of Global Impact Across countries and continents, our research is changing the world IUFRO 2024 College of Forestry on an international stage 2 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY
3 FOCUS - SPRING 2024 When I was growing up, my dad, a university researcher, had a large lab group with about 75% international students and staff. We interacted with them regularly and got to know many of them well. Dad traveled abroad once a month and visited every continent in the world during his career. He brought back stories, new cuisines and an expanded awareness of diverse worldviews as well as our shared humanity. Dad was the son of southern Italian immigrants who came here with few resources, and accordingly, we lived frugally, and I never traveled abroad with him. My first “international” experience was as a grad student in Iowa, when I made it across the Canadian border to Windsor, Ontario. My first research experience abroad was a trip to Russia in the early ‘90s, an eyeopening experience that accelerated my desire to work internationally. This desire was fulfilled in 1999 when I sent an email to forest ecologists in Sweden and shared with them some techniques we were using to study fire effects on soils and recovery. To my surprise, they flew me to Sweden to initiate a collaboration that lasted 17 years and forever altered my career and the lens through which I viewed the world. More important than the papers or proposals we wrote during this time were the relationships, connections and mentoring that I received from my new colleagues. In 2009, I took a position as professor and chair at Bangor University in North Wales, an unforgettable experience which expanded my work in Sweden and opened new channels in the U.K. and the world. I had the privilege of traveling extensively for research and teaching, and hosted graduate students from across Europe, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Ethiopia, The Gambia and North America. Over the last couple of decades, I’ve been lucky enough to conduct research in multiple countries and host amazing scholars from all over the Tom DeLuca Cheryl Ramberg-Ford and Allyn C. Ford Dean Oregon State University College of Forestry world. Even now, as I write this, I am hosting two visiting scholars from China, who are part of the many international researchers the college hosts every year. These international connections are fostered through a collective desire to learn from and support each other’s research. They can lead to cross-boundary collaborations and scientific proposals, but more importantly, they expand our collective perspective as citizens of a global society. The distressing events and conflicts unfolding all over our world and in our 24/7 news cycle are heartwrenching to watch and experience. Having so many international colleagues, who over the years have turned into close friends, has only deepened my sincere hope for peace. Here in the College of Forestry, we have a diverse faculty representing all continents. These faculty bring a wealth of different experiences into the classroom and help broaden the perspective and outlook of our students with whom they engage. We are exceptionally fortunate to have the International Programs office here in the College of Forestry. The office provides study abroad and exchange opportunities to our students, faculty and staff, opening eyes to what is possible through science and collaboration and giving us the priceless gift of a global lens. In this edition of the Focus, you will learn about just some of these incredible individuals and the research and partnerships they are pursuing to accelerate our impact on a global scale.
4 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY One way to strengthen international collaboration is to join global organizations. Another way? Lead them. Woodam Chung, the Stewart professor of forest operations at the College of Forestry, was recently elected as the vice president for divisions of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). IUFRO is the most prestigious international forestry organization in the world, and since 2014, Chung has been the chair of IUFRO Division 3 Forest Operations Engineering and Management. He will begin his five-year term as vice president in June 2024 at the 26th World Congress held in Stockholm, Sweden. “I am honored to do the work of guiding IUFRO’s nine divisions, and I firmly believe international collaboration and relationship-building are keys to success in our shared future,” said Chung. “Navigating the complexities of our world and finding innovative solutions to global challenges requires our collective effort.” Established in 1892, IUFRO unites about 630 member organizations in more than 115 countries representing over 15,000 scientists. Structured by nine scientific divisions that encompass over 50 research groups, it also has 180 working parties based on research disciplines. IUFRO’s goal is to advance research excellence and knowledge-sharing and promote the development of science-based solutions to forest related challenges to benefit forests and people worldwide. The College of Forestry is a proud member. Besides meeting every five years at Congress, the IUFRO management committee, an executive branch of the IUFRO board, meets twice a year, selecting a location or region where they can help establish or boost the IUFRO network. In the spring of 2023, the management committee met in Dehradun, India, and in the fall of 2023, they met in Accra, Ghana. While in Ghana, IUFRO members visited the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani, the Forest Research Institute of Ghana in Kumasi, the Resource Management Support Center in Kumasi, and the Forestry Commission in Accra—all IUFRO member organizations. As a result of this work, the 27th IUFRO World Congress will be held in Africa for the first time in 2029, in Nairobi, Kenya. “It’s vitally important to meet local forest scientists, build a research and collaboration network, and encourage local scientists to participate in IUFRO activities,” said Chung. “Our international exchanges of knowledge, experiences and even mistakes improve our understanding and foster innovation.” In fact, Chung says, new ideas often emerge from intersections of diverse industries, disciplines and cultures. And he knows this firsthand. Originally from South Korea, Chung has made a conscious decision to live and work far from his home country, learning, teaching and collaborating with a diverse group of international scholars, students and colleagues in the United States. He previously worked at the University of Montana and received his Ph.D. from Oregon State. “Living and working in a global context has been my conscious choice,” Chung said. “In the past, I have had chances to find positions in Korea, but I chose to stay here because I believed it would offer more opportunities for global engagement despite the challenges of language and cultural barriers.” Chung says global challenges such as climate change, deforestation, wildfires, illegal logging and the aging and diminishing workforce in the forest sector are issues not limited to local boundaries. As Chung looks to his new role leading IUFRO, he encourages others to build networks capable of collectively addressing challenges by combining their resources, expertise and experiences. And to those who’ve made the decision to come to Oregon State far from their home countries, Chung applauds their courage and enthusiasm for embracing global collaborations and navigating the challenges that come with it. IUFRO 2024 College of Forestry on an international stage
5 FOCUS - SPRING 2024 JOIN US IN STOCKHOLM The College of Forestry will be at the IUFRO World Congress in June 2024. Find us at our booth in the Expo Hall. For more information, contact rona.bryan@oregonstate.edu. 2024 IUFRO AWARDS Three members of the College of Forestry community will receive awards at the World Congress this June: Learn more about IUFRO awards at beav.es/qjv. IUFRO Management Committee members (including Woodam Chung, second from left) and leadership from University of Energy and Natural Resource in Ghana, September 2023. JOHN SESSIONS OSU Distinguished Professor Emeritus Home country: USA Award: IUFRO Scientific Achievement Award PIPIET LARASATIE Ph.D. Wood Science and Engineering, ‘21 Home country: Indonesia Award: IUFRO Outstanding Doctoral Research Award KAMANA POUDEL Ph.D. Forest Engineering, Resources & Management, ‘24 Home country: Nepal Award: IUFRO International Student Award
UNIVERSIDAD AYSEN UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE CHILE VANCOUVER ISLAND 1 2 ECUADOR PANAMA CANADA BRAZIL PERU OSU COF ROOTS IN EVERY CONTINENT The college’s network spans the globe The College of Forestry established its International Programs Office in 2013 and remains the only college at Oregon State to have its own dedicated program. The office helps break down barriers to the global exploration of ecosystems and landscapes by providing legal and logistical support to students and faculty. This hands-on support makes it easier for researchers to approach their work with a global lens and opens the doors to international collaboration that weaves together multiple perspectives to create a better future for all. Learn more by visiting the International Programs website at beav.es/q9o. Questions? Contact International Programs Assistant Director Rachael Fahrenbach: rachael.fahrenbach@ oregonstate.edu. FACULTY-LED PROGRAMS The Salmon Coast: Forest and Resource Management for Sustainability in Canada Mountains to the Sea: Ecosystems of Chile Land of the Long White Cloud: Ecosystems of New Zealand Oil Palms & Orangutans: Forest Conservation in Malaysian Borneo Tradition & Innovation in the Wood Construction Industry: A Journey in the Italian Alps 1 2 3 4 5 6 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY MAP LEGEND Stories of Global Impact (see articles on page 8) College of Forestry Faculty-led Study Abroad Programs (photos below) International Partners in Branching Borders Program
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA MAKERERE UNIVERSITY OF UGANDA FACHHOCHSCHULE SALZBURG FUJIAN AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY UNIVERSITY NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY MAYLASIA-SABAH SWEDISH UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES ECOLE SUPERIEURE DU BOIS UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA MALAYSIAN BORNEO ITALIAN ALPS NEW ZEALAND 3 4 5 ETHIOPIA UGANDA THAILAND SOUTH KOREA CAMBODIA VIETNAM INDIA BRANCHING BORDERS This summer, the College of Forestry will pilot an intern program, called Branching Borders, where international partner universities nominate undergraduate students to pair with COF faculty for a 3-month summer research internship. The college hopes the program will deepen international collaboration and encourage more international graduate student applications. Photo: Marie Tosa
Mariapaola Riggio Reem Hajjar Jazmin Gonzales Tovar Patricia Vega Gutierrez STORIES OF GLOBAL IMPACT Across countries and continents, our research is changing the world In partnership with United States Agency for International Development and the U.S. Forest Service International programs, Associate Professor Reem Hajjar has been leading a College of Forestry initiative to enhance teaching and research capacity at two Peruvian forestry universities, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, and Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana. The initiative will ultimately graduate 12 Peruvian students from the college’s Master of Natural Resources program. In addition to the MNR degrees, post-doctoral scholar Jazmin Gonzales Tovar led research with the students as co-researchers, working with various Indigenous peoples, on making informal forest institutions and enterprises in the Pervuian Amazon more visible. ECUADOR Building on the success of the Peru project, Hajjar is working with USFS International Programs to have eight Ecuadorian students from various universities and government agencies complete the college’s Forests and Climate Change Certificate, as well as pedagogy and leadership classes, to advance these topics in their home institutions. PANAMA In collaboration with Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Centro de Estudios y Acción Social Panameño, Associate Professor Reem Hajjar is initiating a research collaboration on forest restoration governance in the Indigenous territory in Panama — Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca — to better understand how international forest carbon projects interact with local and traditional customs, institutions and livelihoods. CAMBODIA, THAILAND, VIETNAM Hajjar is also continuing her National Science Foundation funded work on community forestry in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, in collaboration with The Center for People and Forests, a regional NGO, to assess the impacts of community forests on forest cover, forest biodiversity and community livelihoods. PERU Mariapaola Riggio, associate professor, and Patricia Vega, director of the Wood Based Composite Center, recently welcomed a group of distinguished USDA Cochran Fellows from Peru. The fellows, associated with universities across Peru, explored a diverse range of wood products manufacturers, cutting-edge research at laboratories and observed construction practices at various sites in the Pacific Northwest to learn about the U.S. construction industry and softwood products. The visit was made possible through the USDA Cochran Fellowship Program that promotes the utilization of high-quality U.S. softwood products and aligns with the broader vision of fostering a sustainable construction sector in Peru. Special thanks: City of Portland, KPFF Consulting Engineers, Jensen Hughes, Michael Thrailkill, CORRIM, Pacific Northwest Carpenters Institute, Truebeck Construction, Andersen Construction, APA (The Engineered Wood Association), Freres Engineered Wood, Modern Building Systems, Boise Cascade, Roseburg Forest Products, Interfor, Royal Pacific, University of Oregon, TallWood Design Institute and the COF Wood Science and Engineering Department. 8 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY Loren Albert BRAZIL, PANAMA, SOUTHEAST ASIA (PAN-TROPICAL) Assistant Professor Loren Albert and her research group are tackling two international projects. The first, funded by NSF, focuses on the ecohydrology of Amazon forests. The other, funded by NASA, aims to advance
Katy Kavanaugh Ian Munanura Rajat Panwar David Hamilton Woodam Chung SOUTH KOREA At the request of the Korea National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS) — which is establishing landscape level forest management experiments in South Korea in collaboration with the College of Forestry — Associate Dean for Research Katy Kavanaugh and Eric Thompson, CEO of Thompson Timber, traveled to South Korea to give a talk on public and private land management in Oregon. Professor Woodam Chung and Matt Mattioda with Miller Timber Services were also invited to speak at the International Symposium on Forest Engineering Technology for the Establishment of Future Forest Management. The events, held back-to-back in South Korea, included panel discussions as well as visits to timber harvesting and road construction sites in Kangwon Province, providing a detailed look at forest management activities in South Korea. ETHIOPIA The College of Forestry International Programs Office recently hosted delegates from Ethiopian Forestry Development, Amhara Forest Enterprise, Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise, and CIFORICRAF, for a nine-day tour of Oregon. They explored forest and fire ecology, tree seed improvement and genetic conservation, timber industry operations and other critical topics. This visit was to support World Agroforestry (ICRAF) in their responsibility CANADA David Hamilton, a forest engineering Ph.D. student from Vancouver, Canada, is collaborating with Edison Motors of Merrit, Canada, the inventors of the first electric log truck (ELT), to map ELT range. Hamilton has invented multiple tools for mapping ELT range across a forest landscape to help alleviate range anxiety amongst policy makers, truck manufacturers and buyers. Last summer, he collaborated with OSU’s innovation team to develop a patent based on his research. In Fall of 2023, Hamilton and Professor John Sessions were awarded a $15,000 Accelerator Innovation and Development grant from OSU to improve and implement his tool, in collaboration with Edison. UGANDA Associate Professor Ian Munanura collaborated with Pennsylvania State University, Shared Planet (a U.K. based NGO), Makerere University, and wildlife conservation institutions in Uganda to investigate research needs for managing human-wildlife conflicts. This collaborative effort culminated in the establishment of the Network for Human-Wildlife Conflict Research in Africa. The primary goal of this network is to establish an online platform dedicated to fostering collaborative research on wildlife conflict and shared knowledge creation to bridge the gap between research and practice in addressing human-wildlife conflict issues. INDIA When world leaders convened in New Delhi for the 2023 G20 Summit, they were handed policy briefs by Think 20 (T20) engagement group to inform their decisions, including one led by Associate Professor Rajat Panwar. As a lead author of one of the policy briefs produced by a T20 taskforce focused on accelerating sustainable development goals, Panwar worked in partnership with four other experts to produce the policy brief, “Aligning G20 Industrial Policies with Biodiversity Conservation.” Panwar is also lead author for the “Bioeconomy Assessment for Latin America” conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Learn more at beav.es/coS. 9 FOCUS - SPRING 2024 scientists’ ability to estimate flows of carbon between forests and the atmosphere from space with remote sensing, and includes a partnership with Brazilian faculty to lead a field course for Brazilian graduate students to learn more about concepts in tropical forest ecology and physiology. Learn more at beav.es/c4M. for implementing the Provision of Adequate Tree Seed Portfolios in Ethiopia, in coordination with the EFD, the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ethiopia. Special thanks: OSU Extension, U.S. Forest Service, Starker Forests, Sierra Pacific Industries and the Corvallis Sister City Association.
Approaching research with an international lens enables Oregon State University to enter a global dialogue — and take steps towards changing the world. One example? The Converging Design project, a powerful international mass timber research collaboration spearheaded jointly by a team from Oregon State, Colorado State University, Stanford and Penn State University. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and private industry, the project’s aim is to investigate the seismic resilience of mass timber and its strength as a low-carbon structural building material. This is important, as this data is critically needed to help speed along the development and adoption of building codes, showcase the sustainability of the material and increase the manufacturing of modular and prefabricated mass timber structures that will result in widespread U.S. adoption, as seen in other countries around the world. To gather the necessary test data, the research team is conducting a shake-table test on a six-story mass timber building at the national shake-table testing site at the University of California San Diego. Part of the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure, the shake-table is the largest in the world. Originally 10 stories tall, the test building was constructed by the Colorado School of Mines, with the support of international partners including the University College London in the U.K, University of Canterbury in New Zealand, University of Kyoto in Japan, and University of Camerino in Italy. To gather the seismic data needed for this project, the structure only needed to be six stories, so prior to the testing, the OSU teams deconstructed the top four stories of the building. The salvaged components are being repurposed into refugee housing in Tijuana, Mexico, showcasing the potential for mass timber reuse. “It’s exciting to work with such a diverse group of both academic and industry partners,’’ said Andre Barbosa, the Glenn Willis Holcomb professor in structural engineering at the College of | | | THE GREAT SHAKE| | | | | | | | | 10 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY Researchers from six countries are coming together to advance mass timber adoption
Engineering. “This unique project is one of the first demonstrations of mass timber reuse and of mass timber’s seismic resilience.” Barbosa, in collaboration with Arijit Sinha, professor of wood science and engineering and JELD-WEN chair in wood-based composites science at the College of Forestry, originally started investigating the systems using a three-story mass timber structure. The test structure was built inside the Oregon State University A.A. “Red” Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory lab at the TallWood Design Institute. This allowed the team to investigate initial design methods, assumptions and obtain results before refining them for the larger sixstory building seismic testing at UC San Diego. “This work is vitally important to validate the use of mass timber and other technologies as vehicles to make buildings safer and more resistant to earthquake activity while simultaneously storing carbon,” Sinha said. “This creates a synergistic combination for enhanced structural and environmental performance.” The test structure will undergo a three-phase test process (see figure 1), employing different seismic lateral force-resisting systems in each test. These systems employ a variety of vertical elements in the construction of buildings to help transfer lateral loads like heavy winds or earthquake ground motion shaking. They also allow a building to rock, sway and dissipate the energy, and selfcenter after shaking, therefore minimizing damage. In November 2023, the Converging Design team completed Phase 1. They found the mass timber structure experienced virtually no damage after nearly fifty ground motion shakes from the shake-table, demonstrating the resilience of the building system. Phase 2, completed in January 2024, showcased the resilient nature of the post-tensioned mass timber walls with buckling- restrained braces. The remaining phase of testing is expected to be complete by spring 2024. To follow along, find live updates on the TallWood Design Institute website at beav.es/qjt. Figure 1. The project tests different resilient lateral force resisting systems (LFRS) over three phases to advance seismic resiliency. Phase 1 involves testing post-tensioned rocking wall systems (both cross-laminated timber [CLT] and mass plywood panels [MPP]) similar in nature to the LFRS used in the College of Forestry’s Peavy Forest Science Center. This system uses steel U-shaped flexural plates for energy dissipation and tensioned rods for self-centering action. Phase 2 features post-tensioned MPP shear walls reinforced with buckling-restrained braces (BRBs), which are placed at the bottom of the walls instead of along their entire length, such as with U-shaped flexural plates. Phase 3 will explore a hybrid wood-steel system, replacing the mass timber shear walls with a resilient steel moment/braced frame hybrid system, but keeping mass timber floors. Shear Key Post-Tensioned Rods Post-tensioned Mass Timber Walls with UFPs PHASE ONE U-Shaped Flexural Plates (UFPs) PHASE TWO Post-tensioned Mass Timber Walls with BRBs Buckling-Restrained Braces (BRBs) Rocking Wall Toe Resilient Combined Moment-Resisting Frame/Concentrically Braced Frame with Yield-Link Moment and Brace Connection PHASE THREE 11 FOCUS - SPRING 2024
FY2023: a record year for research Bolstered by a big jump in funding from U.S. government agencies, Oregon State University’s research awards in the last fiscal year surged to $480 million, a university record. The College of Forestry also closed out its best-ever year with $25 million in research grants and contracts for FY 2023. Learn more at beav.es/qFC. Cristina Eisenberg named a Beaver Research Champion Cristina Eisenberg, the associate dean for inclusive excellence and Maybelle Clark Macdonald director of Tribal initiatives in natural resources, was named an Oregon State Beaver Research Champion. Eisenberg leads the Indigenous Natural Resource Office, and within it, the Traditional Ecological Knowledge Lab. In partnership with five Sovereign Tribes in Oregon, her team is weaving together Indigenous Knowledge with western science to help the Bureau of Land Management adapt its forests in Oregon to be more resilient to climate change. Eisenberg and Dean Tom DeLuca recently received a $1M grant to work with leaders from the U.S. Forest Service and Tribal Nations to convene a series of Tribal roundtables around the Pacific Northwest. This work is in direct response to President Biden’s Executive Order 14072, which calls for conserving and safeguarding mature and old-growth forests. RESEARCH UPDATES To explore more about Cristina’s recognition as a Beaver Research Champion, visit beav.es/qbF. To read about the COF co-facilitated Tribal roundtables, visit beav.es/qbt. Pacific Northwest’s semiconductor and sustainable timber industries to be strengthened by two tech hubs The White House, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, announced the designation of 31 Tech Hubs. Oregon State is the only university to lead two. The Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub, led by TallWood Design Institute, a collaboration between Oregon State’s College of Forestry, College of Engineering and the University of Oregon, aims to be a global leader in mass timber design and manufacturing manufacturing, with a goal of reducing the construction industry’s carbon footprint and improving housing affordability. Learn more about the Mass Timber Tech Hub at beav.es/qE3. Revision of Pacific Northwest bee ID key to support identification of native pollinators Associate Professor Jim Rivers, in collaboration with OSU Extension, Oregon Department of Agriculture and Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, developed several bee ID keys to support native bee identification in the Pacific Northwest. The last version of the bee key was published in 1969. Given the growing interest in native pollinator conservation, the new bee ID keys will have a strong impact on bee research in the region. Learn more at beav.es/qyK. Left: Faculty research assistant and master’s student Ashley Russell and Associate Dean Cristina Eisenberg. Russell is working with Eisenberg in the Indigenous Natural Resource Office and is a Miluk Coos and Pamunkey descendent, an enrolled citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Coos Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians and assistant director of culture and natural resources for the Tribes. Photo: Karl Maasdam 12 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY
13 FOCUS - SPRING 2024 affectionally known, also celebrated a successful midterm review by the National Science Foundation. Throughout the challenges and celebrations, the H.J. Andrews community continues to make discoveries about the forest and engage with forest managers, teachers, students of all levels, artists, writers, musicians and many other groups. Learn more about the Lookout Fire and the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest and Long-term Ecological Research program at beav.es/qEi. Bridging gaps between forestry and engineering to better understand community resilience to wildfire Wildfire researchers from Oregon State University, including College of Forestry Assistant Professor Chris Dunn, have received $750,000 for multiple projects to advance the science of wildfire risk and resilience. The strategies include embedding a doctoral student in Ashland, Oregon, the site of the largest primarily urban blaze in Oregon history that occurred in 2020; planning a global center for transdisciplinary wildfire research on community resilience; and creating a wildfire risk and resilience graduate program jointly advised by faculty in OSU’s colleges of engineering and forestry. Read more at bws/qEw. Forest modeling shows which harvest rotations lead to maximum carbon sequestration Forest modeling completed on the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest by College of Forestry graduate student Catherine Carlisle and professors Temesgen Hailemariam and Stephen Fitzgerald, shows that a site’s productivity — an indicator of how fast trees grow and how much biomass they accumulate — is the main factor that determines which time period between timber harvests allows for maximum above-ground carbon sequestration. Over a 240year projection timeframe, scientists found that for highly productive stands, 60-year rotations with low-intensity thinning at 40 years led to the greatest carbon storage (in the standing trees plus what was removed from the thinning). For stands on less productive sites, they found carbon storage was maximized by rotation periods of 80 years or 120 years. To read more, visit beav.es/qEU. Update from the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest On August 5, 2023, a lightning strike ignited a wildfire within the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest and Long-term Ecological Research site in Oregon’s Cascade mountains, ultimately burning across 70% of the forest. The fire, dubbed the Lookout Fire because the ignition point was on Lookout Mountain, burned 25,000 acres, incinerating long-term, decades-old research plots and altering study sites. 2023 also marked 75 years of ecological data collection, and 42 years of Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) inquiry. The Andrews, as it’s The Lookout Fire burning in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in September 2023. Photo: Mark Schulze.
In December 2023, the college held its second annual College of Forestry Craft & Art Fair. For two days, Peavy Forest Science Center was filled with shoppers perusing ceramics, fiber arts, woodworking, glass, jewelry, and more, from over 60 local artisans, double the vendors of the previous year. New this year was a holiday tree auction, with trees donated by Starker Forests and decorations by various OSU units. All proceeds from the fair benefit Rootstock, the College of Forestry food pantry. Thanks to a successful show, we were able to raise over $12,000 to support food insecure students. A crowdfunding campaign for Rootstock was held during the month of October and raised over $13,000. Established in January 2022, Rootstock served 675 students in the 20222023 academic year (a 50% increase from the previous year). Thank you to all who donated! Contributions to Rootstock are always welcomed. Contact jessica.fitzmorris@ oregonstate.edu to learn more. Oregon State University’s fall 2023 enrollment reached a record for the 27th consecutive year, topping 36,000, with growth spread across its Corvallis and Bend campuses and its online education unit. Enrollment in the College of Forestry for fall 2023 was 1,313, and we are proud to have welcomed our largest on-campus freshman class ever! Mark Swanson joined the college as Associate Professor of Family Forestry and Starker Chair in the Forest Engineering, Resources and Management department. Mark most recently was at the School of the Environment at Washington State University. Learn more about him at beav.es/qET. Conversations regarding the Elliott State Research Forest continue. Although President Murthy paused conversations with the Board of Trustees and asked to discuss concerns raised by Tribal partners with the Department of State Lands, there is some uncertainty about what the university’s role may be in the future of the forest. Many faculty and staff have worked tirelessly to explore turning the Elliott into a world-class research forest, fulfilling all key deliverables requested of them. The plan delivered in December is one the college is extremely proud of, regardless of the final outcome of the research forest. Learn more at beav.es/qFy. The college would like to recognize the following retirees and express gratitude for their service: Carol Carlson, Steve Fitzgerald, John Sessions and Dave Shaw. Thank you for everything you have done for the college and university. We wish you the very best in retirement. NEWS + NOTES 14 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY
IN MEMORIAM The Oregon State College of Forestry mourns the loss of these alumni, friends of the college and former faculty. We wish peace and comfort to their family and friends. Furthermore, we recognize that many people within the college community have lost loved ones this past year. We offer sincere condolences to all who are grieving during this time. Angeline Cromack Friend of the college Nov. 28, 1940 - Nov. 13, 2023 Robert Griffiths Forest Soils Microbiologist, Forest Science Department June 30, 1938 - Sept. 20, 2023 Robert Krahmer Emeritus professor Dec. 28, 1932 - Oct. 17, 2023 Martha (Marty) Roberts Alumni, retired staff May 22, 1954 - Nov. 11, 2023 Norman Marsh Instructor Aug. 20, 1929 - July 15, 2023 As a former visiting forestry instructor at the college, hundreds of foresters benefitted from Norm’s teaching and enthusiasm for timber cruising during the 55 years he taught the field portion of the Variable Plot Short Course with the late Professor John Bell. A memorial fund has been created in honor of Norm at beav.es/qno. Remembering Darius Adams July 5, 1944 - December 7, 2023 Professor Emeritus Darius Adams died peacefully, surrounded by family, on Dec. 7, 2023. As a top forest economist, he helped establish OSU as a worldleading institution for forest economics study. His tenure at OSU, from 1974 to 1984 and then from 1992 until his retirement in 2009, was marked by significant contributions to forestry and forest economics. Before retiring, he served as the interim department head in Forest Resources and FERM from 2007-2009. In 2023, Darius was awarded the Wallenberg Prize alongside Joseph Buongiorno and Richard W. Haynes. This honor, the highest award in forestry, is a testament to his impact and underscores his legacy. In remembering Darius, we recall a life well-lived, dedicated to advancing forest economics and nurturing future generations of scientists and thinkers. 15 FOCUS - FALL 2023
DEAN’S DINNER – 05.29.24 Join us as we recognize our scholarship recipients, outstanding alumni and donors on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. in the CH2M Hill Alumni Center on the Oregon State University Corvallis campus. COMMENCEMENT – 06.15.24 The 2024 commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 15, at Reser Stadium in Corvallis. Gates open at 9 a.m. Once a year, Beavers from around the globe come together for Dam Proud Day, an annual 24-hour online fundraising event dedicated to building a better, stronger, more influential Oregon State University. This year’s Dam Proud Day will be on April 24, 2024. Donations received during this event directly support funds like our International Programs Fund. For more information about Dam Proud Day and how to donate to the College of Forestry, please visit osufoundation.org. Our tight-knit college hosts the longest established International Programs office at the university, sharing our talent out and attracting talent in. Over the past five years, more than 200 undergraduate and 50 graduate and post-baccalaureate students have traveled abroad through our popular programs. These unrivaled experiences and relationships allow students and faculty from our small but mighty college to experience unprecedented success in securing competitive grants that allow them to represent the College of Forestry on a global scale. As travel and tuition continue to increase in cost, please consider donating to the College of Forestry International Fund on Dam Proud Day (April 24) to help keep our programs the best in the world. FORESTRY.OREGONSTATE.EDU @OSUCOLLEGEOFFORESTRY SUPPORT LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THROUGH THE COLLEGE OF FORESTRY’S INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS! Show up for COF on DAM PROUD DAY!
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