Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]


Forest Resources



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The School of Forest Resources, in the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture, offers graduate study leading to a non-thesis Master of Forestry, a Master of Science in Forest Resources and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources. Several faculty in the School participate in interdepartmental degrees offered through the Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program. As of May 2018, the Master of Science and Ph.D. programs offered by the School may be in one of the following concentrations: Forest Ecosystem Science, Forest Policy and Economics, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Bioproducts Engineering and Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

Students may choose from a wide range of specialties, including forest biological sciences (forest ecology, silviculture, forest genetics, soils, entomology, physiology, and pathology), forest biometrics (inventory, modeling, remote sensing, GIS and spatial analysis), forest economics and policy, forest business administration,  forest management and planning, forest operations science, wood science and technology (bioenergy, wood composites, wood engineering, renewable nanomaterials), and forest-based parks, recreation, and tourism.

The forestry program at The University of Maine is one of the oldest in the United States with undergraduate degrees accredited since the early years of professional forestry in the United States. All graduate forestry degrees are offered under full University accreditation and, in addition, the Master of Forestry degree is accredited by the Society of American Foresters, meeting the educational requirements for professional licensure.

The School of Forest Resources is housed in Nutting Hall, with well equipped laboratories for both basic and applied graduate research, greenhouse facilities on campus, and several field research stations throughout the state.

Maine, the most heavily forested state in the United States, sets the context for SFR research, though projects reach beyond state and national boundaries.  Much of the research in the SFR is field oriented, and there are a variety of ecosystems and socioeconomic conditions available for investigation. The College is responsible for the management of the Dwight B. Demeritt Forest, a 1,700-acre tract adjoining the campus, the 4,000-acre Penobscot Experimental Forest, and nearly 4,000 acres of other forest properties in Maine. In addition, Maine contains millions of acres of forest land that are under diverse management by large ownerships, forest industries, small ownership parcels, state and federal forests, and Acadia National Park. Through the cooperation of these diverse landowners, opportunities exist for silvicultural, on-site wood processing, and ecological studies. Maine’s systems of land use regulation and forest taxation and the state’s long-standing reputation as a “vacationland” for forest recreation provide other categories of potential research interest.

The Barbara Wheatland Geospatial Analysis Laboratory provides a center of excellence for geospatial analysis in graduate student and faculty research, along with undergraduate education and professional development. The lab houses computer workstations equipped with image processing and GIS software, and research leverages a data acquisition and image analysis program using manned and unmanned aircraft. The program supports numerous basic and applied research projects with the primary focus on exploring innovative ways to leverage remote sensing and geospatial technology for forest and natural resource management, environmental monitoring and conservation, forest ecosystem science and climate change.

Forestry graduate study opportunities are strengthened by association with strong research programs within the SFR College of Natural Sciences Forestry and Agriculture, elsewhere on the Orono campus, and in the region. The Center for Research on Sustainable Forests was established in 2006. The Center brings together all University of Maine researchers working in the interdisciplinary areas of forest resources. The Center is a resource for the public regarding Maine forest research and the sustainability of Maine’s forests. The Cooperative Forestry Research Unit is funded by Maine landowners to conduct research on the intensive management of northeastern forest types. Graduate students studying in wood science & technology have access to world class equipment and researchers through strong ties to two research units on campus.  The Advanced Structures and Composites Center (https://composites.umaine.edu/) houses a 100,000 ft^2 state of the art facility for materials and wood engineering research. The Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (www.forestbioproducts.umaine.edu) mission is to advance understanding of the scientific underpinnings, system behavior and policy implications for the production of forest-based bioproducts. A federally funded Acadian Forest Ecosystem Research Program carries on long-term research on the nearby Penobscot Experimental Forest. The USDA Forest Service research program in Orono (a branch of the Northern Forest Experiment Station) employs scientists who hold appointments among the College’s graduate faculty. A scientist from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) is also stationed at UMaine facilitating scientific and research interactions with FPL scientists. Cooperative relationships also are common between the School of Forest Resources and several other University of Maine departments.

 

Admissions

Students are admitted to the graduate programs in the School of Forest Resources on the basis of academic records, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, experience, and recommendations. All applicants requesting financial aid will be considered for the several teaching and research assistantships available each year; no additional forms are required. Several private or government funded research assistantships secured by individual faculty are also available on a competitive basis. Applications for admission in the fall semester should be submitted by January 15, especially if the applicant is seeking financial aid. Undergraduate students in the School of Forest Resources may opt for continuing their studies to earn the non-thesis Master of Forestry degree, providing certain academic requirements are met (see the SFR website). The SFR 4+1 MF option permits undergraduate students to take up to nine credits of graduate-level course work during their senior year which will apply to both BS and MF degrees. Undergraduates should apply to the SFR 4+1 program during their junior year.


Degree Requirements

In addition to meeting all of the requirements of the Graduate School, graduate students in the School of Forest Resources must select an advisory committee, develop a program of study, and prepare a thesis or project proposal as early in their programs as possible. Other course requirements are established by the student and her or his advisory committee. Master of Science students must pass a thesis defense upon completing their thesis without a dissenting vote of the advisory committee. Ph.D. students must take a mandatory comprehensive examination, consisting of both written and oral sections, usually administered after most of the student’s course work has been completed. Both this comprehensive examination, the passage of which is a prerequisite to further study, and the final examination at the end of a Ph.D. program may be passed with no more than one dissenting vote of the examining committee. 


Further Information

For details about specific aspects of the School of Forest Resources graduate programs, visit our web sites or contact the Graduate Coordinator, School of Forest Resources, via Cindy Paschal, Administrative Support Supervisor, Telephone: (207) 581-2841; e-mail: cpaschal@maine.edu.

 

Graduate Faculty

 

Mindy S. Crandall, Ph.D. (Oregon State University, 2014), Assistant Professor of Forest Landscape Management.  Forest products industry, forest management, and rural communities.

John J. Daigle, Ph.D. (Massachusetts, 1997),Professor of Forest Recreation Management. Recreation planning and management, social research methods for natural resource professionals, human dimensions of natural resources management.

Adam J. Daigneault, Ph.D. (Ohio State University, 2006), Assistant Professor of Forest, Conservation, and Recreation Policy.  Climate change impacts and implications; catchment-level sedimentation mitigation; sustainable energy pathways.

Sandra De Urioste-Stone, Ph.D. (University of Idaho, 2008), Assistant Professor of Nature-based Tourism. Sustainable tourism development.

Ivan J. Fernandez, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 1981), Professor of Soil Science. Biogeochemistry of forested ecosystems in a changing chemical and physical climate.

Shawn Fraver, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 2004).  Assistant Professor of Forest Ecosystem Science (Carbon & Climate Dynamics). Forest ecosystems science, climate change.

Douglas J. Gardner, Ph.D. (Mississippi State, 1985), Professor of Wood Science and Technology. Wood surface chemistry, phenolic-adhesive chemistry, wood anatomy, wood composites, wood adhesion.

Daniel J. Hayes, Ph.D. (Oregon State University, 2006), Barbara Wheatland Assistant Professor of Geospatial Analysis and Remote Sensing.

Keith Kanoti,, M.S. (University of Maine, 2005), University Forest Manager.

Laura S. Kenefic, Ph.D. (Maine, 2000), Assistant Research Professor of Forest Resources. Silviculture, leaf area relationships, effects of exploitative cutting.

Anil Raj Kizha, Ph.D. (Louisiana State University A&M, 2012), Assistant Professor of Forest Operations.   Forest operations and engineering; forest management; wood biomass energy; geospatial science; environmental science.

Christian Kuehne, Ph.D. (Institute of Silviculture, 2004).  

Jessica Leahy, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota, 2005),  Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. Forest recreation, parks and tourism, community perceptions of forest recreation, quantitative survey methods, human dimensions.

William H. Livingston, Ph.D. (Minnesota, 1985), Associate Professor of Forest Resources. Cold tolerance of conifers, forest pathology, forest diebacks and declines.

Parinaz Rahimzadeh Bajgiran, Ph.D. (University of Tokyo), Assistant Research Professor. Forest productivity and site index mapping in Acadian forests using MODIS satellite data.

Amber Roth, Ph.D. (Michigan Technological University, 2012), Assistant Professor of Forest Wildlife Management. Forest-wildlife interactions in temperate and tropica forests, forest management practices to improve declining wildlife species, migratory bird ecology, wildlife habitat best management practices, conservation planning.

Brian E. Roth, Ph.D. (University of Florida, 2010). Associate Director, Cooperative Forestry Research Unit (CFRU). Silviculture, production ecology, stand dynamics, resource use efficiency.

Stephen M. Shaler, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University, 1986). Director, School of Forest Resources, Professor of Wood Science and Technology, and Associate Director, Advanced Structures and Composites Center. Wood composites and wood engineering.

Erin Simons-Legaard, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 2009). Assistant Research Professor. Wildlife habitat ecology, applied landscape ecology, ecological modeling, conservation biology, geospatial analysis.

Mehdi Tajvidi, Ph.D. (University of Tehran, 2003). Assistant Professor of Renewable Nanomaterials. Lignocellulosic materials, composite materials, bio-based composite materials.

Aaron R. Weiskittel, Ph.D. (Oregon State, 2006), Associate Professor of Forest Biometrics and Modeling. Empirical and process-based growth models, regional variation in forest productivity, crown structure and dynamics, quantitative silviculture.


 

External Graduate Faculty:

Mark Ashton, Ph.D. (Yale University), External Graduate Faculty in Forest Resources.

Mohammad Bataineh, Ph.D. (Stephen F. Austin State University, 2006), Assistant Research Professor. Silviculture; established regeneration in the northern conifer forest.

Jeffrey G. Benjamin, Ph.D. (University of New Brunswick, 2006) Associate Professor of Forest Operations. Supply chain management within forest industry, forest / stand production and final product quality, analysis of transportation systems, harvesting system selection.

Steven Bick, Ph.D. (Virginia Tech, 1996), External Graduate Faculty.

Arun Bose, Ph.D. (University of Quebec, Canada, 2014).

John C. Brissette, Ph.D. (Louisiana State University, 1990).   U.S. Forest Service. Silviculture of northern conifer ecosystems, ecophysiology of conifer regeneration.

Zhiyong Cai, Ph.D. (Purdue University, 1997). Historical ecology, old-growth forests, reserve design, and land management

Bruce Cook, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota, 2008).  External Graduate Faculty in Forest Resources.

Katherine Crowley, Ph.D. (Cornell University, 2009).

Anthony D’Amato, Ph.D. (University of Massachusetts, 2007).   Environmental impacts of forest-derived biomass feedstock harvests, adaptation and mitigation strategies for managed forests in the face of global change.

Mark Ducey, Ph.D. (Yale University, 1996).

Marla R. Emery, Ph.D. (Rutgers University, 1998), External Graduate Faculty in Forest Resources.

Nicholas Fisichelli, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota, 2012).  Natural resource dynamics and protected area management in a continuously changing world.

David Foster, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota, 1983).   Forest Ecology, Paleoecology and Conservation

Rene Germain, Ph.D. (State University of New York, 1997).

Tian Guo, Ph.D. (North Carolina State University, 2016).

Yousoo Han, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin, 2002).   Environment-friendly thermoplastic composites, wood polymer composites, chemical modification of natural polymers.

Sean Healey, Ph.D. (University of Washington. 2002).

David Hollinger, Ph.D. (Stanford University, 1984).

Emily Silver Huff, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 2015).  Gender differences among family forest owners; intersection of farming and woodland ownership, urban landowners.

Lloyd C. Irland, Ph.D. (Yale, 1973). Forest economics.

Tora Johnson, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 2015).  Best practices in community engagement & GIS to support sustainable development.

Laura S. Kenefic, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 2000).

John Kershaw, Ph.D. (University of Washington, 1993).

David Kittredge, Ph.D. (Yale University, 1986).  Conservation awareness index for private woodland owners, social network analysis of private woodland owners.

Erin Lane, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 2004).

Donald MacKay, PhD. (University of Minnesota).  Economics, policy and administration, marketing.

David MacLean, Ph.D. (University of New Brunswick, 1978).  CO2 emissions in forest operations, landscape pattern of naturally disturbed forest, high resolution mapping of biophysical indicators for growth and yield prediction.

Kevin T. McCarthy, (M.S., University of New Hampshire, 1977).

Kathryn Miller, (M.S., University of Maine, 2006). NPS inventory and monitoring.

Isabel Munck, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2008). External Graduate Faculty in Forest Resources.  Forest health management.

Bethany Munoz, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 2017).

Marla O’Bryne, M.A. (University of Maine, 1990).

Kristin Peet, M.F. (University of Maine, 2013).

Peter Pekins, Ph.D. (Utah State University, 1988).

Jean-Claude Ruel, Ph.D. (Universite Laval, 1987).  External Graduate Faculty in Forest Resources.  Management of northern white cedar, Windthrow modeling in irregular stands, Use of Lidar for the planning of partial cuts in boreal stands.

Todd S. Rushing, Ph.D. (University of Southern Mississippi, 2004).   Enhancement of high strength, high density cement based composites via nanocements, nanocarbon, nano and micro cellulose and other additives.

Lindsey Rustad, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 1988).

Erin Seekamp, Ph.D. (University of Idaho, 2006).

Santosh Serchan, M.S. (Pokhara University).

Nathan Siegert, Ph.D. (Michigan State University, 2004).  External Graduate Faculty in Forest Resources.  Behavior and ecology of forest insects to maintain healthy productive forests and better manage forest ecosystems.

Stephanie Snyder, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University, 1996).  External Graduate Faculty in Forest Resources.  Family forest landowner behaviors, attitudes and values, Non-market valuation applications, Optimization decision tools, Environmental systems analysis.

William Carter Stone, M.S. (Florida State University, 2003).

Crista Straub, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 2012).  External Graduate Faculty in Forest Resources.  Human Dimensions of natural resources, Pro-environmental behavior change, Sustainability science, Social network analysis.

David B. Struble, M.S. (University of Maine, 1974). The onset of radial growth reduction caused by balsam woolly adelgid damage on balsam fir in relation to climate using dendroecological methods.

Neil Thompson, Ph.D. (University of Northern British Columbia, 2017).

Bret P. Vicary, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 1986).  Forest economics, financial analysis, forest appraisal.

Jinwu Wang, Ph.D. (Washington State University, 2007).

Jeremy S. Wilson, Ph.D. (University of Washington, 1988). Silviculture; integration of GIS technology, growth and yield models, stand and landscape visualization, and analysis tools to evaluate future landscape conditions under a variety of management scenarios, forest development patterns.

Stephen Wyatt, Ph.D. (Universite Laval, 2003).  Aboriginal forestry, forest management, forest policy, forest certification.

 

Emeritus Graduate Faculty:

Alan J. Kimball, M.S. (University of Maine, 1978), Emeritus Forest Manager and Emeritus Associate Professor of Forest Resources.

Robert W. Rice, Ph.D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1988), Emeritus Professor of Wood Science and Technology.

Robert S. Seymour, Ph.D. (Yale University, 1980). Emeritus Professor of Forest Resources.

Alan S. White, Ph.D. (Minnesota, 1981), Emeritus Professor of Forest Ecology.

G. Bruce Wiersma, Ph.D. (SUNY, 1968), Emeritus Professor of Forest Resources.

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