Wood Products Masters Student Earns StormStruck Scholarship

Posted on April 4, 2012 by

Jonathan Aycock

Jonathan Aycock, a Wood Products masters candidate in the NC State Department of Forest Biomaterials, has been named StormStruck Simpson Strong-Tie Structural Engineering & Construction Scholarship recipient for 2012-2013.

This national scholarship is awarded to master and doctoral-degree students in areas related to disaster mitigation. Aycock, who also earned an undergraduate degree in wood products from NC State in 2008, researches the flood resistance of wood products with Dr. Dave Tilotta, an associate professor of wood products, chemist, and housing expert who leads NC State’s partnership with the national Resilient Home Program.

Aycock will accept the award at the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) Annual Meeting this coming November.

Venditti Named TAPPI Fellow for 2012

Posted on March 2, 2012 by

Dr. Richard Venditti

Dr. Richard Venditti has been named a 2012 TAPPI Fellow by the nation’s leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging and converting industries, TAPPI. He is currently on the faculty of the Department of Forest Biomaterials in North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources.

According to TAPPI, Fellow is an honorary title bestowed upon a very small percentage of TAPPI’s membership. It is given to individuals who have made extraordinary technical or service contributions to the industry and/or the Association. The new Fellows will be honored at the TAPPI Fellows Luncheon on Sunday, April 22, 2012 held in conjunction with the 2012 PaperCon meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

“As an outstanding educator Dr. Venditti has made major contributions to the pulp and paper industry by training and educating many technical and engineering graduates who now work and hold key positions in our industry,” said Larry N. Montague, president and CEO of TAPPI. “In addition, he’s conducted top level research in areas such as recycling and more recently into bio-based materials and biofuels. He’s an outstanding choice for this prestigious award.”

Currently Venditti teaches Chemical Process Control, Unit Operations of Pulp and Paper, and Life Cycle Analysis at NCSU and he’s also director of the Hands-on Workshop for Pulp and Paper Basics co-sponsored by NCSU and TAPPI.

His research group’s goal at NCSU is to develop and understand systems for the effective utilization of renewable resources to produce sustainable products, including polymeric materials and biofuels.

In addition to TAPPI he is a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment. In 2001 he was awarded The Investigator of the Year Award by the AF&PA Containerboard Group Technical Division for his research in paper recycling. In 2009 he received a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Environmental Science for travel to South Africa and in 2010 was awarded the Association for the Concerns of African American Graduate Students Advocacy Award at NCSU.

Venditti received a Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering at Princeton University and B.S. degrees in Pulp and Paper Technology and Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University.

About TAPPI:
TAPPI is the leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging and converting industries and publisher of Paper360° and TAPPI JOURNAL. Through information exchange, events, trusted content and networking opportunities, TAPPI helps members elevate their performance by providing solutions that lead to better, faster and more cost-effective ways of doing business. It has provided management training and networking to the industry’s leaders for more than 97 years. Visit www.tappi.org.
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Media Contacts:
Deborah Chafin, TAPPI Marketing, dchafin@tappi.org, 770-209-7216
Tilla Fearn, NCSU College of Natural Resources, tilla_fearn@ncsu.edu, 919,513-4644

Natural Resources Dean Paddles for Hope

Posted on February 15, 2012 by

Dr. Bob Brown, Dean of the College of Natural Resources at NC State University, will be one of nine kayakers participating in the Hope Floats 9-day, 225 mile kayak trip this April.

The group will paddle from Raleigh to Beaufort down the Neuse River. Hope Floats is part of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life campaign, which raises funds through walks, runs, bike trips and kayak trips. The group is limited to 9 paddlers for the entire trip, but others are invited to join this group for one-day trips. The group has set a fund-raising goal of $ 5,000, but hopes to raise much more. Each paddler has an individual fund-raising goal.

Along the way, a “Reserve Team” will follow along by car, helping to establish camps each night and prepare meals. Each paddler pays $ 150 to cover the expenses – in addition to the fund raising.

Brown has done kayaking and canoe trips before. When he came to NCSU in 2006, his photo was taken with a kayak – and he in suit and tie. Brown got started in canoeing as a Scoutmaster and Boy Scout Venturing Crew Leader, twice taking groups to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota.

He later got into marathon canoe and kayak racing, participating in both a solo kayak and a tandem canoe in several 40 – 60 mile races – the “Colorado 100” mile race in Texas three times, and the grueling 260-mile “Texas Water Safari” five times. The later race has to be completed in 100 hours, which involves paddling at night, portaging around or over fallen trees and broken dams at night, and little sleep. “I had to drop out of that race twice, once for utter exhaustion and once for dehydration, “Brown said.

“No one in my family has had cancer, fortunately, and by raising funds for cancer research I hope to keep it that way,” Brown said. Anyone interested in learning more about the trip or contributing to the fund can do so at hopefloatscn.org .

Showing Their Teachers Some Love

Posted on February 8, 2012 by

Everyone who has ever attended school has memories of one or more teachers who really made a difference in your life. Maybe he or she sparked your creativity, helped you over a difficult academic hurtle, forced you to question your assumptions, or took an interest and let you know that you and your success mattered.

Every year, NC State University gives our students an opportunity to honor teachers who have made a difference in student’s lives with the “Thank A Teacher” program.

The College of Natural Resources is excited that students have honored 14 of our faculty this year. Our students expressed appreciation for – “Unwavering loyalty to students, Professionalism, Going beyond the call to ensure that students are successful, Making a difficult course as fun as possible, A good attitude, approachability and fairness, Enthusiasm and dedication, Taking the time as an advisor to get to know what I’m looking for in terms of college goals and post-graduation activities, Keeping me motivated, Making learning easy and fulfilling, Ready response to all our questions and emails,” and more. One student wrapped up his comments with, “Thanks a million for everything that it is you do, keep giving, it makes a difference.”

Our congratulations to:
Gary Blank, Forestry & Environmental Resources
Kim Bush, Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management
Heather Cheshire, Forestry & Environmental Resources
Chris Deperno, Forestry & Environmental Resources
Thomas Easley, Dean’s Office/Community for Diversity
Ryan Emanuel, Forestry & Environmental Resources
Richard Lemaster, Forest Biomaterials
Terrie Litzenberger, Forestry & Environmental Resources
Melissa Mchale, Forestry & Environmental Resources
Annette Moore, Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management
Janell Moretz, Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management
Stacy A.C. Nelson, Forestry & Environmental Resources
Larry Nielsen, Forestry & Environmental Resources
David Tilotta, Forest Biomaterials

“We are proud of our tradition of teaching excellence and the welcoming and supportive environment engendered by the faculty and staff of our college. On behalf of our whole faculty, staff, students and alumni, I thank these teachers for their excellent effort.”
– Dean Bob Brown

“Thank A Teacher” recipients receive a letter of congratulations from the University Provost which includes one or more quote from student letters of appreciation, and recognition at the Office of Faculty Development’s Teaching and Learning Symposium during Spring Semester.

Learn more about NC State’s commitment to teaching excellence at the Office of Faculty Development website.

Learn more about the College of Natural Resources at NC State University

Foamy Filters Prove Cheap and Effective

Posted on February 7, 2012 by

Researchers in the College of Natural Resources at NC State Univeristy have isolated a new biomaterial for filter use. This foam material made from the byproducts of both the forest and seafood industry may just solve quite a few problems with water contamination. Drs. Joel Pawlak and Richard Venditti are faculty in the NC State Department of Forest Biomaterials.

Read the Full Story by Daniel Weikel, Correspondent, The TechnicianOnline, NC State University’s Student Newspaper