Teaching Responsibilities

• FOR 2414 Field Experiences in Forest Resources
• FOR 3324 Silviculture Principles and Applications
• FOR 4364 Advanced Silviculture
• FOR 4354 Forest Soils & Hydrology

Selected Research Activities

• NCSU/VPI&SU Forest Nutrition Research Cooperative. This is a research partnership among Virginia Tech, North Carolina State University and forest industry in the United States and South America. Currently there are 25 forest industry organizations participating in the Cooperative which has an annual budget in excess of $500,000. The mission of the Cooperative is to integrate research, education and technology transfer to provide innovative solutions to enhance and sustain forest productivity through management of soil and site resources. http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsfnc
• Restoring Sustainable Forests on Appalachian Strip Mined Lands. We are working to restore productive forests to lands that were strip mined for coal in Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio. Prior to mining, most of these lands supported stands of mixed hardwoods. We are comparing site preparation, planting and subsequent management practices required to successfully reestablish white pine, hybrid poplar and mixed stands of native hardwoods on reclaimed strip mines.
• Impact of Weed Control and Fertilization on Growth of Pine Plantations. This project is evaluating the effect of intensive management on the growth of White pine, shortleaf pine, Virginia pine and Loblolly pine plantains in the Virginia Piedmont. A factorial combination of weed control and annual fertilization is being applied to these stands.
• Performance of Pitch x Loblolly Pine Hybrids Hybrids between pitch pine and loblolly pine were developed to create a softwood timber species that combined the fast growth of loblolly pine with the cold hardiness of pitch pine. We are evaluating the growth these hybrids in Virginia and their response to silvicultural treatments.
• The Effects of Alternative Regeneration Methods on Hardwood Regeneration in Natural Hardwood Stands the Appalachian Region. We are evaluating the effects of clearcuting, light shelterwood, heavy shelterwood, deferment shelterwood, understory control and group selection on species composition and growth of upland hardwoods in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and West Virginia . This is part of a large project to develop sustainable forest management practices for the region.
• Use of Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizers in Forestry. We are investigating the efficacy of slow release nitrogen formulations compared to conventional soluble nitrogen sources such as urea in southern pine plantations.
• Application of Biosolids to Forests. We are working with the Washington DC Council of Governments to evaluate the impacts of biosolids applications on forest growth, nutrient dynamics and water quality.

Professional Achievements

• 18 years of industrial forestry experience in New England, the Pacific Northwest and The South
• Registered Professional Forester in Georgia and Maine
• Certified Professional Soil Scientist
• Recipient of Florida SAF Stephen Spurr Award for Forestry Research
• Associate Editor for Silviculture of Southern Journal of Applied Forestry (1993-1998)
• Chair of Southern Industrial Forest Research Council (1999-2000)
• Co-Chair of National Council for Air and Stream Improvement Forest Sustainability Task Group (1995-2000)
• Chair SAF Forest Soils Working Group
• Chair Suwannee Chapter of Florida SAF
• Forest Science and Technology Chair for Appalachian SAF
• Authored or co-author over 75 technical forestry publications
• SAF Certified Forester
• Associate Editor - Soil Science Society of America Journal (2000 - present)