Dr. Eric McConnell Joins Wood Products Extension at NC State

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Eric McConnell to the Wood Products Extension team in the Department of Forest Biomaterials. Eric will start at NC State in September as an Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor, and he will be part of our eight-person Sustainable Materials and Technology program.  Eric is coming to us from Ohio State University (OSU) where he was an Assistant Professor and Forest Products Specialist in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. He was also OSU’s Extension Coordinator for the School.

Eric received his BS degree from Louisiana Tech University in Forest Management and his MS and PhD degrees from Mississippi State University in Forest Products and Forest Resources, respectively. His research activities recently have been focused on input-output modeling of the forest products industry, price trend analyses, and production forestry clientele typologies. His Extension work has involved collecting and providing information on the forest economies of Ohio’s counties in collaboration with Extension Educators.  He has also been active in delivering programming to forest industries and landowners. Dr. McConnell has had leadership roles in the Ohio Society of American Foresters, the Ohio Valley Lumber Drying Association, the Forest Products Society, and the Society of Wood Science and Technology.

At NC State, Eric will be providing innovative extension programming for the wood products industry in certification, business entrepreneurship, and related areas.  He will also be teaching one class per year.  He and his wife, Lynn, are excited to be joining the NC State community.