SPRING 2026 THE MAGAZINE OF THE OSU COLLEGE OF FORESTRY
2 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 Fontaine Assistant Art Director Julia Lont FOCUS is published twice a year 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 more frequent updates? Visit our digital newsroom at: beav.es/COFNews FOCUS SPRING 2026 04 08 10 12 14 Guiding a Living Legacy How a new management plan positions the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest for its next century Fire on Purpose Learning, restoration and the Woodpecker Harvest News + Notes College and community updates Research Updates The latest research and innovation from the College of Forestry McDonald Forest History and Timeline 100+ years of discovery
3 FOCUS - SPRING 2026 Dear College of Forestry community, This year, we celebrate a remarkable milestone: 100 years of the McDonald Forest. What began in 1926 with the leadership of George Peavy and T.J. Starker and supported by a generous gift from Mary McDonald, has grown into an 11,500-acre living laboratory that serves as a cornerstone of hands-on learning, research and outreach. For generations, this forest has connected students and scientists to real-world land management challenges, informed sustainable practices across the Pacific Northwest, and welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors who hike, bike, ride and simply find solace among the trees. The forest is the heartbeat of our college. It’s also a defining landscape for our local community. Can you imagine Corvallis without the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest? Instead of a sustainably managed forest brimming with biodiversity, supporting respite and recreation, education, summer camps, research, native grasslands, oak woodlands, meadows, and habitat for multiple species — common and endangered — it’s highly likely this land would have been carved into private lots and developed. The foresight and vision of Peavy remain a gift not only to the entire region, but to the incredibly diverse field of modern forestry. As we reflect on a century of stewardship and discovery, we’re also looking ahead with energy and purpose. A newly finalized forest management plan, collaboratively developed over three years with guidance from Tribes, OSU scientists, research forest staff, an external stakeholder committee and input from the public, is guiding this remarkable forest into its second century. All while balancing biodiversity, climate resilience, education and sustainable timber production. Throughout 2026, we’re honoring the forest’s legacy with lectures, events and updated interpretive signage at Peavy Arboretum. More information can be found throughout this edition of the Focus and online at: beav.es/McDonald100 Although much has changed in 100 years, our dedication to sustainably stewarding the planet’s precious resources is now stronger than ever. We invite you to join us as we honor the past and embrace the next century of discovery. Tom DeLuca Cheryl Ramberg-Ford and Allyn C. Ford Dean Oregon State University College of Forestry
1920 1940 1930 4 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY MCDONALD FOREST Vision and beginnings: 1920s–1940s 1920s: A vision for a living laboratory In 1924, Oregon State purchased 80 acres to create Peavy Arboretum for education and fieldwork. Dean George Peavy and Professor T.J. Starker led the expansion of the college’s forestlands, establishing the McDonald Research Forest in 1926. 1) 1930s era sign marking Peavy Arboretum and McDonald Forest 2) Professor T.J. Starker conducting field tests on utility pole research site 3) CCC members at Camp Arboretum 4) CCC construction of Cronemiller Lake 5) 1950s era sign marking Oregon State University Forest Research Laboratory. Images from Oregon Digital, Historical Images of Oregon State University, OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Oregon State University. 1930s: The CCC at Camp Arboretum During the Great Depression, the federal government established Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp Arboretum at Peavy Arboretum (1933–1942), building roads and trails, expanding nurseries, and supporting reforestation and fire prevention. 1940s: State designates OSU as center for forest research Beginning in 1941, the Oregon Legislature directed funding to Oregon State College (now OSU) to serve as the state’s center for applied forest research, strengthening the McDonald Forest’s role as a living laboratory. 1925: First Forestry Club Cabin built 1928: Long-term utility pole research site established 1949: Forestry Club Cabin burns to the ground following fraternity dance 1926: McDonald Research Forest established 1933-35: CCC creates Camp Arboretum 1 3 2 4 5 1936-37: CCC builds Cronemiller Lake 1941: State designates OSU as center for forest research, elevating the role of McDonald Forest
5 FOCUS - SPRING 2026 Long before her name became part of Oregon State University’s landscape, Mary McDonald (1848–1935) stood in a California pasture overtaken by Russian thistle. In the early 1920s, the California Department of Agriculture hired George W. Peavy, dean of forestry at Oregon Agricultural College (now OSU), to assess the damage. Peavy found overgrazing had weakened native vegetation and recommended changes that allowed the land to recover. Grateful for his science-based approach, McDonald made her first gift to the college in 1926, beginning a lasting relationship rooted in her belief in the power of education. By the time of her death in 1935, McDonald had become a successful businesswoman, managing agricultural, mining and timber interests in California and Oregon. Her generous gifts to OSU enabled the acquisition of nearly 3,000 acres that would become the McDonald Forest. With a keen interest in the arts, she also donated many rare books to the university, which are held in the OSU Valley Library’s McDonald Collection. Read more: beav.es/THC George W. Peavy (1869–1951) was a transformative leader in forestry education and public service whose impact on Oregon State University and Corvallis endures today. As the first dean of the School of Forestry (1910–1940), Peavy helped build the program into one of the most respected in the nation. Under his leadership, the school expanded its academic reach, modernized facilities and established a network of research forests. In 1934, Peavy was appointed president of Oregon State College (now OSU), a role he held until 1940 while continuing as dean. During this period, he helped steer the college through the challenges of the Great Depression and supported key advancements such as introducing the institution’s first doctoral degrees. After retiring, Peavy remained active in civic leadership, serving as mayor of Corvallis (1947–1951) and supporting statewide initiatives including civil defense coordination during World War II. A visionary leader, Peavy exemplified a lifelong commitment to education, conservation and public service. Read more: beav.es/TVn MARY MCDONALD GEORGE PEAVY
1950s 1970s 1980s 1990s 1960s 1940s MCDONALD FOREST Expansion, management and use: 1940s–present 6 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY 1940s–1950s: Postwar growth and expansion In 1947, Dean Paul Dunn pushed to acquire 6,200 acres of former Camp Adair forestland next to the McDonald Forest, despite opposition due to costs and limitations. The land is now known as the Dunn Forest. 1960s–1970s: Changing perspectives on forest science During the 1960s and 1970s, policies like the Endangered Species Act highlighted forests as complex ecosystems, shaping management of the McDonald and Dunn Forests toward stewardship balancing wildlife, water, resilience and timber. 1980s–1990s: Rapid growth in public use Rising interest in outdoor recreation led to a surge in public use of the McDonald-Dunn Forest, creating new opportunities and management challenges. In response, the College of Forestry adopted its first comprehensive forest plan in 1993. 1) Paul Dunn, College of Forestry dean from 1942–1955, namesake of the Dunn Forest 2) Reconstructed Forestry Club Cabin, circa 1950 3) Students engage in hands-on learning, 1979 4) Students help with trail maintenance, 1998 5) Recreational trail in a managed forest stand, 2000s 6) Student engaged in forest research work, 2015. Images from Oregon Digital, Historical Images of OSU, Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Oregon State University. 1947: Adair tract, part of the Adair Military Reservation, was acquired and became Dunn Forest 1960: First annual Mac Forest Day held, involving students in forest maintenance 1950: Forestry Club Cabin rebuilt after the fire 1962: Columbus Day Storm causes seven million board feet of blowdown in McDonald-Dunn forest 1993: First comprehensive McDonald-Dunn forest plan created 1980s: Student Logging Training Program introduced 1980-90s: Recreation use grows rapidly (from 7,500 visits/year in 1980 to 65,000+ by the mid-1990s) 1 2 4 3
2000s 2010s 2020s 7 FOCUS - SPRING 2026 2000–2020s: Managing growing demands In 2005, the College of Forestry adopted a new forest management plan that established a more detailed framework for balancing multiple objectives. The plan reaffirmed the forest’s role as a working research and demonstration forest while emphasizing outcomebased management across research, teaching, timber production and recreation. After the Great Recession exposed financial limits, the plan was suspended in 2009, and the forest was managed through annual work plans until a new collaboratively developed plan was completed in 2025. Read more about the new plan on pages 8–9. Explore a more in-depth timeline of the McDonald Research Forest at: beav.es/McDonald100 ONE FOREST INSPIRED A STATEWIDE NETWORK The McDonald-Dunn Forest is not just a living laboratory and recreation hub — it’s the backbone of Oregon State University’s statewide network of research forests. The College of Forestry stewards 10 research and demonstration forests across the state of Oregon, comprising nearly 18,000 combined acres. This network connects students, researchers, Extension practitioners and communities in shared learning and discovery. The forests vary in size, terrain and location, and not all are equipped to provide public access for recreation. However, each forest is thoughtfully stewarded to balance research, demonstration, harvest and aesthetics as part of the college’s carefully managed sustainable working forest model. A foundational College of Forestry principle is that the research forests must be selfsustaining. Funds required for management of the forests are not provided by the College of Forestry, Oregon State University, the State of Oregon or by taxpayers. Instead, revenue generated through sustainable timber harvest is reinvested in the forests. Virtually all expenses underpin research opportunities, as harvest expenses, staff salaries and forest regeneration activities all contribute to the conditions required for research to occur. With OSU’s recent acquisition of the Tualatin Mountain Forest just north of Portland, the stewardship process is beginning anew. Read more about OSU’s statewide network of research forests at: beav.es/SHc 5 6 2005: Forest Plan updated for McDonald-Dunn 2013: Get Outdoors Day K-12 outreach program created 2009: Great Recession results in suspension of 2005 plan 2018: Lewisburg Saddle entry point expanded to improve access 2020: Collaborative process for new forest plan begins
What’s in the new plan? Average annual timber harvest reduced by nearly 30% Older forest acreage more than tripled Expanded research on climate resilience and carbon storage New opportunities for restoration in partnership with Tribal nations Continued public access for 200,000+ annual visitors “Forestry is one of the only large-scale land management strategies compatible with recreation. We want people to see what a sustainably managed forest that supports both conservation and wood production can look like.” – Holly Ober, associate dean for science outreach 8 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY GUIDING A LIVING LEGACY How a new management plan positions the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest for its next century
9 FOCUS - SPRING 2026 For most people, 100 years is more than a lifetime. For a forest, it is only a moment. In 1926, when Oregon State first acquired the original 80-acre parcel that would later expand into the current McDonald-Dunn Research Forest, the landscape was heavily cut over — a far cry from what visitors see today. A century later, that same landscape has been transformed into the flagship forest of the university’s statewide network, offering a powerful illustration of what long-term, intentional stewardship can achieve. Over the decades, the McDonald-Dunn has grown alongside the College of Forestry itself. Through additional donations and acquisitions, it now spans 11,500 acres in the Coast Range foothills northwest of Corvallis. It is a place where research, education, active forest management and public connection intersect — a living laboratory where students and scientists study sustainable forestry while demonstrating how economic viability, ecological health, and social and cultural values can coexist across a landscape that welcomes more than 200,000 recreational visitors each year. As conditions have changed, so too has the forest’s role. Climate change, evolving research needs and shifting public expectations have reshaped how forests are managed and understood. In response, the College of Forestry launched a comprehensive, collaborative effort in 2020 to update the McDonald-Dunn’s management plan — the first major revision since 2005. Finalized in late 2025 for implementation beginning January 2026, the plan arrives at a symbolic moment: the 100th anniversary of OSU’s first research forest acquisition. “Since the first parcel was acquired as a mostly cutover expanse of land in 1926, the McDonaldDunn Forest has been intentionally shaped by a century of active management, which in turn has informed how we think about sustainable forestry today,” said Holly Ober, associate dean for science outreach and leader of the planning process. “If history has taught us anything, it’s that change is constant — and this plan’s adaptable design helps ensure that, even as conditions shift, the forest can continue advancing its mission.” The plan, developed over three years with input from faculty, students, Tribal partners, community members, recreational users and state and county agencies and nonprofit organizations, provides an adaptive framework to guide decision-making. It reflects an understanding that successful stewardship must be flexible, informed and inclusive of multiple values to support the dynamic nature of forests and all that depends on them. The plan also reaffirms the McDonald-Dunn Forest’s role as an actively managed, financially self-supporting landscape that balances research, hands-on learning, ecological resilience, sustainable wood production and public access. In doing so, the plan aims to expand opportunities to restore sensitive ecosystems and to study climate resilience, older forest conditions and long-term forest management strategies. The plan also looks further back in time, recognizing that OSU’s 100 years of management represent just one chapter in a much longer history of intentional care for the landscape. For generations before Tribes were forcibly removed from the region following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855, the forest was actively tended by Indigenous peoples for many uses. That stewardship was later disrupted by settlement, the exclusion of cultural burning, and increased logging and replanting, including the widespread use of non-dominant species such as Douglas-fir. The new plan calls for expanded partnerships with Tribal nations and a renewed focus on ecological restoration, reconnecting contemporary research and management with Indigenous Knowledge and long-term stewardship. “Managed forests provide far more than wood,” Ober said. “They support biodiversity, store carbon, offer recreation and cultural value, and help communities adapt to climate challenges. This plan ensures the McDonald-Dunn can continue delivering those benefits — and helping shape the future of forestry — for the next 100 years and beyond.” Visit beav.es/SRt to view the full plan.
10 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY FIRE ON PURPOSE Learning, restoration and the Woodpecker Harvest Last October, during the mid-morning hours in the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest, low flames moved deliberately across the forest floor as students from the College of Forestry carried out a prescribed burn just minutes from OSU’s Corvallis campus. Surrounded by nearby homes and communities, the burn required not only ecological analysis, but multi-stakeholder planning and clear communication. Leading the effort was Associate Professor John Punches, an OSU Extension educator with more than 30 years of experience. His fire practicum is an elective course that attracts upper level undergraduate and graduate students who choose to be there, drawn by a desire to understand fire not just as a concept or theory, but as a practical tool. “I want students to have opportunities to actually engage with fire,” Punches said. “Not just learn about it, but do it.” Punches emphasized the need for handson learning and professional advancement opportunities for burn practitioners as well as the value of giving the public firsthand experience with prescribed fire. “Media often teaches us that fire is scary, but with prescribed fire it’s common to see flames only about a foot high,” Punches said. “You can literally stand in the fire and talk to students. Most of the time, fire is fascinating — not frightening.” The burn took place within two small units of the recently completed Woodpecker Harvest on the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest. Mark Swanson, interim director of the OSU Research Forests, identified the sites for their ecological restoration potential. One unit focused on releasing Oregon white oak and Pacific madrone, while another targeted a stand of fire-adapted Willamette Valley ponderosa pine. Historically, much of the Willamette Valley supported oak woodlands and ponderosa pine, maintained by frequent, low-intensity fire purposefully and intentionally set by Indigenous peoples. Decades without fire have allowed dense understory growth and Douglas-fir domination to take hold in the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest and throughout the Willamette Valley. Carefully planned prescribed fire can help reverse those trends, improving wildlife habitat, reducing fuel loads and creating a more diverse, open and resilient forest structure. Students spent the term developing multiple burn plans, learning how to assess fuels, manage fire intensity, and design contingency and emergency response plans. Final approval from the Oregon Department of Forestry came the afternoon before ignition, underscoring how narrow burn windows can be — especially in smoke-sensitive areas like the Willamette Valley. Because the forest is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, communication was as critical as ignition. College of Forestry staff conducted
Active management underpins all aspects of the McDonaldDunn Forest, supporting learning through research, student investigation and real-world demonstrations for landowners and managers. Timber revenue, in turn, funds research and management staff, infrastructure, restoration and recreational access. 11 FOCUS - SPRING 2026 extensive outreach, including mailings, electronic newsletters and door-to-door conversations with nearby residents. “We did our best to be very diligent about notification because trust is so important. We informed neighbors of the process, safety procedures, why we burn and when, and offered a copy of the burn plan,” said Punches. “We even invited neighbors to watch.” The final burn was designed to produce just enough heat to reduce shrubs, weeds and small trees without damaging overstory species. The goal was to have a “Goldilocks fire” — carefully managed to improve wildlife habitat and increase forest diversity. While satisfied with the ultimate results, particularly in the oak habitat, Punches characterized the results as “dirty burns.” “When you return fire to areas that haven’t experienced fire for a while, or under damp conditions, the results can be patchy and scattered because of wet fuels and hard-to-ignite larger fuels,” Punches said. “Just like a fireplace, prescribed burns need ample fine, dry fuels to get larger fuels going.” For students, the burn provided lessons difficult to replicate in the classroom — from writing actionable burn plans and working as a coordinated fire team to navigating state and local approvals and communicating with neighbors about the ecological benefits of prescribed fire. The burn also serves as a strong example of how active management supports the research, teaching and outreach mission of the forest. The Woodpecker Harvest produced marketable timber while providing students with hands-on experience in harvest planning and execution. The treatment benefited the stands by releasing trees for continued health and resilience, and it created the conditions necessary to restore historical ecological communities, such as oak and madrone, which are now sparse across the forest. In addition, the prescribed burn expanded opportunities for education and future research by demonstrating how the reintroduction of fire can support landscape restoration, particularly in south-facing Douglas-fir stands that are increasingly vulnerable to drought and heat stress under a changing climate. “We have to change how we think about fire, and it starts with understanding that our region is shaped by it,” Punches said. “Instead of imagining Smokey Bear preventing all fire, I like to think that after a prescribed burn, he would happily point out the roasted acorns, new regeneration and productive huckleberry patches.” And on a fall morning last October in the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest, College of Forestry students put that perspective into practice — restoring a process long tied to land stewardship in the Willamette Valley and gaining experience that will shape how they manage forests in the decades ahead.
After devastating wildfires, watersheds surprisingly thick with fish and amphibians In the aftermath of Oregon’s historically severe wildfires in 2020, a study of Cascade Range watersheds found that stream vertebrates are doing surprisingly well, highlighted by flourishing fish populations. Led by Oregon State University postdoctoral researcher Allison Swartz, the research examined 30 watersheds in moist conifer forests on the western slope of the Cascades over three years following the Riverside, Beachie Creek and Holiday Farm megafires. Unlike many previous studies that focused mainly on salmon and trout, this research emphasized larger streams hosting non-salmonid fishes such as dace, sculpin and lamprey, as well as salamanders, frogs and crayfish. The watersheds, spanning federal, state and private lands, experienced varying burn severity and post-fire management, including salvage logging and replanting. “Understanding the fire ecology of freshwater ecosystems is critical to our learning to coexist with fire in ways that are socially and ecologically just,” said co-author Meg Krawchuk, an associate professor in the OSU College of Forestry. Researchers found that overall vertebrate, fish and trout densities were higher in streams draining more severely burned watersheds compared to less burned or unburned areas. While sculpin, amphibian and crayfish densities were largely unaffected by burn severity, areas with more intensive salvage RESEARCH UPDATES logging showed lower frog densities and higher numbers of young trout. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining physical habitat and food availability after fire and contribute to understanding how freshwater ecosystems can coexist with increasingly frequent and intense wildfires. Collaborators included Oregon State University, the National Council for Stream Improvement, Inc., the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read more: beav.es/SjL Wildfire risk making timberland less valuable and long harvest rotations less feasible Rising wildfire risk in the Pacific Northwest, combined with volatile timber prices, could reduce forestland values by as much as 50% and push plantation owners to harvest Douglas-fir trees decades earlier than planned, according to new Oregon State University research. Associate Professor Mindy Crandall, Assistant Professor Andres Susaeta, and doctoral student Hsu Kyaw modeled how increasing fire risk influences forest management decisions. Their analysis shows that under worst-case wildfire scenarios, harvesting at 24 years becomes economically optimal, compared with 65 years in the absence of fire risk. “Basically, under high wildfire risk that rises with stand age, every year you wait to harvest you’re rolling the dice,” said Crandall. However, earlier harvesting reduces long-term revenue, carbon storage and wood quality. 12 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY
“Our research highlights that traditional forest valuation methods, often based on fixed timber prices, fail to capture the financial uncertainty caused by fluctuating markets and growing wildfire danger,” said Susaeta. “By integrating both wildfire risk and timber price volatility into forest management models, policymakers can design smarter tax systems, insurance programs and carbon market incentives that adapt to the changing conditions we are seeing and that are expected to worsen.” To improve outcomes, the team recommends fuel reduction strategies, improved salvage logging, wildfire-adjusted insurance programs, adaptive zoning, cooperative fuel management and diversified forest composition. These approaches could help balance economic returns, wildfire resilience and climate goals as fire risks continue to rise. Read more: beav.es/S9c Some carbon projects are actually harmful to climate; study shows how to avoid that A study led by scientists in Oregon State University’s College of Forestry found that about 10% of forest-based carbon credit projects may contribute to net climate warming once changes in Earth’s albedo — the reflection of sunlight — are considered. Led by OSU graduate student Lynn Riley and Assistant Professor Jacob Bukoski, the research analyzed 172 afforestation, revegetation and reforestation projects across five continents funded through the Voluntary Carbon Market. Collaborators included researchers from Clark University and Susan CookPatton from The Nature Conservancy, as well as OSU faculty Loren Albert and Chris Still. While most projects showed relatively small albedo impacts, the study found that albedo changes across the 172 projects reduced climate benefits by a median of 18%, and in some cases completely negated carbon gains. In other projects, albedo benefits were not fully accounted for, suggesting they may deliver greater climate benefits than currently credited. Current carbon crediting protocols largely ignore non–greenhouse gas climate effects, however this research provides recommendations for how to avoid this unintended climate warming. “What’s really exciting is that we have independent, accessible data with global coverage to start preventing this today,” Riley said. “It’s something that actors across the market — project developers, buyers, ratings agencies, policymakers — could begin to relatively simply and transparently incorporate into their workflows. That will help climate financing flow to the most impactful projects.” Carbon crediting projects have taken lots of criticism in recent years, says Bukoski, but one thing they have done well is evolved with the best available science. “It’s encouraging to see opportunities for more holistic accounting of the climate impacts from forestry projects,” Bukoski said. Read more: beav.es/S9A 13 FOCUS - SPRING 2026
14 COLLEGE OF FORESTRY Rooted in Honor: a tribute to service Rooted in Honor is a newly installed memorial sculpture at the College of Forestry honoring past, present and future students and employees who have served in the U.S. military. Created by Navy veteran and College of Forestry Assistant Director of Operations Art (Arthur) Myers, the wood-crafted sculpture is shaped like a tree and built from six distinct wood species, each representing a branch of service and reflecting shared values of strength, resilience and service. Embedded within each species is a challenge coin specific to its corresponding branch. These coins, traditionally exchanged as tokens of respect and camaraderie, serve as a tangible link to the individuals who have served. Located on the first floor of the Peavy Forest Science Center, the memorial honors the dedication, courage and service of the military community — who have comprised nearly ten percent of the college’s students over the past decade. Read the full artist’s statement: beav.es/S3x Forest Machine Management microcredential launches for OSU undergraduates Oregon State University’s College of Forestry is advancing hands-on education with its Forest Machine Management microcredential, a four-course, on-campus program available exclusively to current undergraduate students in Corvallis. The first cohort, which began in 2024, will complete the program in spring 2026. Focused on modern timber harvesting systems, the microcredential blends applied engineering, field-based learning and operational analysis to prepare students for increasingly mechanized forestry careers. “This microcredential gives students real-world exposure to the machines, systems and decisionNEWS + NOTES
15 FOCUS - SPRING 2026 making they’ll encounter right after graduation,” said Kevin Lyons, the Wes Lematta Professor of Forest Engineering and director of the Mechanized Harvesting Laboratory. “It’s about building confidence and competence before they step into leadership roles in the field.” The microcredential was developed with support from the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to help address workforce needs in Oregon’s forest sector. By aligning academic training with industry demand for technically skilled managers, the program aims to strengthen the talent pipeline while ensuring students are prepared to work safely, efficiently and sustainably in an evolving, technologydriven field. Learn more: beav.es/S3G A new digital home for the College of Forestry The College of Forestry has launched a new website designed to improve accessibility, align with Oregon State University’s broader digital experience and make it easier for current and prospective students to find what they need. This launch marks the first phase of the redesign, with additional refinements and updates planned as the site continues to evolve. The redesigned site also features an enhanced newsroom, strengthening our ability to share stories of the College of Forestry’s impact — from innovative research and hands-on learning to the people and partnerships shaping the future of forests, including our extraordinary alumni. Read the latest news at beav.es/ COFNews and sign up to receive monthly updates through our FOCUS e-newsletter at beav.es/S3p. IN MEMORIAM: Dr. Abdullah Emin Akay M.S., Forest Engineering, 1998 Ph.D., Forest Engineering, 2003 Prior to his passing in January 2026, College of Forestry alumnus Abdullah Emin Akay earned both his master’s degree and Ph.D. in forest engineering at Oregon State University. Throughout his career, he remained deeply connected to the university, carrying its values and academic spirit into his work around the world. One of the most influential figures in Turkish forestry over the past quartercentury, Akay was widely recognized for his scholarly contributions and his dedication to students and colleagues alike. He played a pivotal role in strengthening collaborations between Oregon State University and the Turkish forestry community, serving as a key architect of recent partnerships and visiting scholar exchanges that brought many researchers to OSU. His efforts built enduring bridges between institutions and cultures, fostering shared learning and mutual respect. Known for his close mentorship of students and his commitment to academic excellence, Akay’s passing leaves a profound void in the scientific community. Beyond his international research contributions, he consistently represented the values of Oregon State University with professionalism, generosity and integrity. His impact on students, researchers and institutions will be deeply missed.
FORESTRY.OREGONSTATE.EDU @OSUCOLLEGEOFFORESTRY The Alumni Corps serves as a two-way conduit between alumni and the college, creating opportunities for service, mentorship and philanthropy while recognizing alumni for their contributions. APPLY TO JOIN THE CORPS TODAY! beav.es/COFalumnicorps Connect. Mentor. Give Back. DEAN’S DINNER – 05.28.26 Join us as we recognize College of Forestry scholarship recipients, outstanding alumni and donors on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the CH2M Hill Alumni Center at Oregon State. COMMENCEMENT – 06.13.26 Commencement will be held on Saturday, June 13, at Reser Stadium in Corvallis. Save the date to celebrate the class of 2026! JOIN US IN CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE MCDONALD RESEARCH FOREST Learn more, view a full calendar of events, share your McDonald Forest story and make a gift to support the OSU Research Forests at: beav.es/McDonald100 April 29: Roots Run 5K for Dam Proud Day 2026 Forestry Club Cabin, McDonald Forest Open to all, this fun run/walk/stroll led by the College of Forestry Student Ambassadors supports Dam Proud Day fundraising efforts. May 20: 2026 Starker Lecture Series Panel Discussion 4–5 p.m. in PFSC 117 and via Zoom Learning from the Landscape: A Century of Research Forest Discoveries Explore the role of research forests over the past century and how changing knowledge and pressures are shaping their future.
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