The Department of Wood Science and Engineering (WSE) is one of the largest and most diverse departments of its kind in North America. There is a rising need for wood science and renewable materials graduates thanks to the increase in demand for sustainable products, including mass timber buildings. The department's programs are focused on the science, technology, engineering and business practices that help society sustainably meet the world's needs for renewable materials and help ensure the global competitiveness of American business.

EDUCATION

• WSE established an industry partnership for student recruitment, Friends of Renewable Materials. Eight companies/individuals committed $360,000 in scholarships and are assisting with recruiting efforts.
• Every student that graduates from the renewable materials degree program has at least six months of experience through an internship, exchange or summer jobs program.
• In FY 2017 and FY 2018, the department offered three short-term study abroad experiences through the College of Forestry's Office of International Programs: Rainforest, Rangeland and Reef: Exploring Australia’s Coastal Landscapes; Peruvian Amazon: Tropical Woodsand the Fungi That Love Them; and, Alpine Europe: Sustainable Manufacturing and Design.
• WSE completed a major overhaul of the renewable materials curriculum, including finalizing the addition of a new option: advanced wood manufacturing. The department created five courses in direct support of the advanced manufacturing option: WSE 351 Advanced CAD, WSE 352 CAM for the CNC Router & Laser Cutter, WSE450 Entrepreneurial Product Development I, WSE 451 Entrepreneurial Product Development II, and WSE 463 Advanced Manufacturing II. The option opened to students in fall 2018.
• A new woodturning studio was built and stocked for the FY 2018 academic year. Three new courses were developed to utilize this space and were held in the past year (Turning with Science I, Turning with Science II, and Sculptural Turning). All courses were cross-listed in art. The studio was also used by students as part of their senior capstone for the renewable materials art and design option, where they completed a wood mural project for the United Way of Benton and Lincoln Counties. The project created a more welcoming space for visitors to the building while highlighting Oregon’s wood products history.
• The renewable materials program continues its two-term series of specialized coursework focused on the specifics of manufacturing, marketing and distribution of unique renewable materials-based products. These courses give students opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom and produce manufactured products from wood and other renewable materials. In 2018, the courses were offered in close collaboration with the University of Oregon School of Architecture & Allied Arts. As a result, students successfully designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed a line of cheese cutting boards under the Beaver Classic Wood Products brand.

RESEARCH

• WSE, with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Education and Literacy Initiative, offered a 12-week research and extension experience for 10 undergraduate students. Projects included: cross-laminated timber and concrete composite diaphragm, virtual reality in timber construction, use of lesser-known species in mass timber, digital manufacturing, cross-laminated timber in modular construction, and mass plywood panel connections.
• TDI and WSE completed several projects with industry partners to test design elements for new building projects and new products to help drive rural economic development. A partnership with Freres Lumber, led by Associate Professor Arijit Sinha, resulted in commercial production of anew mass plywood panel at their plant in Lyons. These panels are being produced in a brand new $30 million facility capable of manufacturing panels three feet thick, 12 feet wide, and up to 60 feet long for use in large scale commercial buildings.
• Associate Professor Seri Robinson filed a new patent on the use of pigments produced from spalting fungi to make batteries and solar cells. This work could offer a renewable option for solar cell parts currently made out of rare earth metals and also provide a potential revenue stream for small forest landowners who could manage for the fungi, as the pigment produced cannot be synthesized.
• Arijit Sinha, Associate Professor Scott Leavengood and Professor Jeff Morrell’s work on design values resulted in the inclusion of juniper in the National Design Specification, allowing juniper to be used for a multitude of applications. This paves the way for it to be used in non-structural as well as landscaping purposes in government-funded projects. The enhanced utilization of juniper will have direct economic impacts for rural communities in Eastern Oregon.
• Professor Lech Muszynski and Professor Rakesh Gupta conducted a series of large-scale fire performance tests on CLT floor and wall assemblies. One wall assembly passed a 90-minute fire exposure test while five floor and wall assemblies passed a 120-minute fire exposure test. All assemblies were exposed in loaded condition, without any fire protection, and had an unprotected half-lap joint along the loaded direction. The results are great news for CLT manufacturers, architects and engineers interested in building with CLT technology in the United States.

OUTREACH

• Professor Fred Kamke assisted in defining manufacturing requirements for Formology, Inc. to start up a new custom particleboard facility in Hubbard. WSE provided all pilot-plant work and product evaluation. In a project primarily funded by Oregon BEST, he assisted EcoPro Polymers in establishing a relationship with Formology Inc., to exclusively use their adhesive system. The work with EcoPro resulted in development of a formaldehyde-free adhesive system.
• Plywood and LVL companies are facing a wave of retirements, and industry leaders expressed a need for training the next generation of industry leaders. In response, WSE faculty resurrected the Structural Plywood and Veneer-Based Products Workshop. Nearly 70 people attended including a diverse range of experiences – from those that had been in the industry for six decades to those who have been involved in the industry for just a few weeks.
• Scott Leavengood conducted several on-site quality control workshops for Oregon wood products companies. These workshops involve two days in a classroom with a mix of lecture and hands-on exercises. Participants also collect data in the mill followed by an analysis and discussion of the results.