14 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY 14 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY Welcoming Pech-Cardenas: Supporting Indigenouscentered forestry futures Florencia Pech-Cardenas will join the OSU College of Forestry’s Forest Ecosystems and Society Department in fall 2025 as an assistant professor of Indigenous knowledge. An interdisciplinary scholar and scientist, Pech-Cardenas brings deep expertise in Indigenous and Tribal natural resource management. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Minnesota, working with both the Institute on the Environment and the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. Her appointment reflects the college’s commitment to weaving Indigenous perspectives into natural resource education and research. Engineering stability: Leshchinsky honored for geohazard research Ben Leshchinsky, professor and Richardson Chair of Forest Engineering, has received the prestigious Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers. His pioneering work in modeling geohazards, designing stable slopes and analyzing earth-retaining structures has advanced engineering codes and delivered costeffective, resilient infrastructure solutions. The award recognizes researchers whose work has made significant impacts within their discipline and across the field of civil engineering. OSU’s Forestry and Natural Resources Extension program tops the nation in size and impact The OSU Forestry and Natural Resources Extension team continues to lead in both impact and excellence. As the largest Extension program in the nation, these recognitions highlight the quality of contributions employees make to the field and the communities they serve. Recent national awards given to the team, including Yasmeen Hossain, Kara Baylog, Chris Adlam, Lauren Grand, Jacob Putney, Stephen Fitzgerald, Alicia Christiansen and Norma Kline, are a testament to the dedication and quality of their work. Oregon Fire Testing Facility moves ahead Construction for the new Oregon Fire Testing Facility will begin in fall 2025, with anticipated groundbreaking in January 2026 and completion by December 2026. The lab will be adjacent to Emmerson Lab, as part of the TallWood Design Institute, serving as a space for wildfire resilience, building safety and mass timber product development. This work supports OSU’s role in the Mass Timber Tech Hub, a federal designation by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and complements efforts by the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition to grow the state’s capacity in wildfire research, sustainable housing and resilient design. NEWS + NOTES
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