May 2008

Patents, Patents, Patents: The OSU Research Office recently mounted a Hall of Patents display at the LaSells-Stewart Center. Four recent patents from WSE faculty were on display. Kudos to Joe Karchesy ("Pest control compositions and methods for their use" and "Compounds for pest control and methods for their use" ) and Kaichang Li (Modified protein adhesives and lignocellulosic composites made from the adhesives" and "Adhesive compositions and methods of using and making the same."

Cellulose Nanocrystal Toxicity: A study by the OSU Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology has shown cellulose nanocrystals to be benign and non-toxic. Specifically, CNXL’s did not cause statistically significant increases in the incidence of malformations, developmental delays, behavioral abnormalities or mortality in zebrafish when compared to control animals. Good news for those zebrafish living on the first floor of Richardson.
 
American Wood Protection Association Meeting in Portland: OSU was well represented at the 104th Annual meeting of the American Wood Protection Association meeting in Portland. Eric Hansen organized a marketing session, Fred Kamke presented an overview of composite durability, and Camille Freitag presented a talk on fungi colonizing wood in Hilo Hawaii. Graduate students June Mitsuhashi, Cheney Vidrine, and Christoph Schauwecker all presented papers or posters. Even OSU alumni were well-represented- with J. Chowdhury (Ph.D.), Guy Helsing (MS), Stan Lebow (Ph.D.), Jon Thomas (MS), Phil Schneider (Ph.D.), and Jerry Winandy (Ph.D.) all making presentations. Fully 25 % of the papers involved OSU.

Cover Feature!!   You won't find it on the newsstands or at Borders, but Leslie McDaniel graces the cover of the May issue of The Oregon Science Teacher the official publication of the Oregon Science Teachers Association for her extraordinary work on the Oregon Wood Magic Road Show. Supported by OFRI, the Road Show is completing its third year of bringing the wonders of wood to schools too far away from our on-campus and Forest Discovery Center events. This year alone, Leslie will have visited almost every corner of the state, bringing the wonders of wood to almost 20,000 third and fourth graders and helping to ensure that future Oregonians understand the role of natural resources in our State.

Forestry Innovation Summit: The Oregon Wood Innovation Center (OWIC) hosted the Portland Wholesale Lumber Association (PWLA) on May 15 to an overview of WS&E programs and OWIC, Twenty-one members and guests heard presentations on the research and outreach efforts of WS&E, especially Jim Reeb, Chris Knowles, and Barb Lachenbruch. They toured Richardson Hall, and engaged in open dialogue about needs and opportunities. PWLA left a donation of $500 to support OWIC and a promise to return next year with more members and continued interest in the success of the OWIC mission.

Wood Magic PDX 2008 was a success for the over 800 third and fourth graders plus 143 teachers and chaperones that journeyed to the World Forestry Center in Portland to learned about bubbling bazookas, fire, wood strength, plywood, sawing, bending wood, and becoming mini-wood scientists. They also saw a new intro by Dean Hal Salwasser - who now has a second career as a Wood Magician. Thanks to Margie York - who organized the masses and made sure they all made it to the stations and to the Wood Magicians: Fred Kamke, Barb Lachenbruch, Scott Leavengood (and the family), Connie Love, Leslie McDaniel, Jim Reeb, John Simonsen, and George Swanson. The World Forestry Center again did a great job as hosts.

Other Notable Events:  Charles Brunner and Jim Reeb presented an all-day workshop on plywood and laminated veneer lumber manufacturing to 16 employees of Pacific Wood Laminates in Brookings, OR.  Rakesh Gupta served on a Civil Engineering search committee to find a faculty member to work on and teach about innovative materials. Eric Hansen, Fred Kamke and Barb Lachenbruch were invited speakers at a Wood Quality & Forest Management Workshop held in Vancouver WA.  Kate McCulloh attended a meeting at the Biosphere 2 in Tucson, Arizona to discuss approaches to assessing differences in mechanical and hydraulic needs of different wood types and plant forms. Lech Muszyński gave three papers at the International Conference on Progress in Biofibre Plastic Composites, May 12-13, Toronto.

KUDOS!! Joe Karchesy and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) colleagues were nominated for the 2008 Charles C. Shepard Science Award for their manuscript on “Biocidal Activity of Three Wood Essential Oils Against Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), and Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)". The CDC presents this award annually to authors of the most outstanding peer-reviewed research paper published by CDC scientists during the proceeding year.

DEPARTMENT OF WOOD SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

What is this? A monthly capsule summary of selected project updates, new ventures, new grants/ contracts/ testing programs, major papers, accomplishments, awards and kudos, other stuff you are proud of, or activities that your colleagues (and DH) might find interesting. The goal is better awareness of the professional activities of faculty, staff and students in Wood Science & Engineering.