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Dr. Paul Y. Burns, Director of the School 1955-1976, has been retired from LSU since 1986, and is now Professor Emeritus, age 87. He has an office in the RNR Building on campus, where he sees visiting alumni from time to time and advises teachers and students. His longtime hobby is tennis, and in recent years he has been competing in Senior Olympics in other sports as well as tennis. This spring in the Greater Baton Rouge Senior Games he has won the following medals in the 85-89-years age class (not much competition when you're that old, he says!): Gold in tennis singles, Gold in badminton singles, Gold in table tennis singles, and Silver in billiards. His final event, May 31, will be track, where he has entered the 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m dashes.

Thomas J. Dean has received a seed grant from the Managed Ecosystem Program of the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program to develop methods and preliminary data to test the collective effect of hydraulic architecture of individual trees on the self-thinning trajectory of loblolly pine plantations. The coprincipal investigator in Dr. Volker Stiller of Southeastern Louisiana University. The total value of the seed grant is $99,959 for 24 months. The grant was possible through EPSCOR, the Experimental Program for Stimulating Competitive Research. The greenhouse portion of the study will be conducted at SLU, and the field aspect of the research will be conducted at the School of Renewable Natural Resources’ Lee Memorial Forest.

Feral Hog Survey

Dr. Michael Kaller, Assistant Professor with the School of Renewable Natural Resources, Dr. Don Reed, Associate Professor Bob R. Jones - Idlewild Research Station, and Dr. Nan Huff, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, presented the results of a state-wide landowner survey on feral hog abundance and property damage on April 14, 2008 at the National Conference on Feral Hogs: Bar the Gate in 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri.  A summary of the survey will appear in Dr. Reed’s next issue of Wildlife News.

Louisiana Forest Products Development Center Receives 2008 CSREES Grant

Louisiana companies that produce and market wood products now have an accredited testing facility available to them in the state.  >> full story

The Louisiana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society was recently awarded the "Outstanding Large Chapter" award at the 2008 AFS Southern Division Spring Meeting in Wheeling, West Virginia.  The chapter was commended for promoting professionalism among its members and enhancing fisheries in their region.  Our own Jill Jenkins, Glenn Thomas, Michael Kaller, and Kristi Butler from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries worked extremely hard on the nomination package.  Congratulations on receiving this award! 

Dr. Richard Vlosky, Director, Professor & Extension Specialist with the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center, School of Renewable Natural Resources, LSU AgCenter, received two Silver Awards for Excellence on February 6th from Southern Regional Extension Forestry. The first award is in the area of "Computer Software & Web Sites" for his work on developing the Louisiana Forest Industries Web Site (www.lsuagcenter.com/forestindustries).  The second award is in the area of "Journal Publications" for his article in the Journal of Extension titled "Web-based Communities as a Tool for Extension and Outreach."  The Article was co-authored by Dr. Sanna M. Kallioranta, Consultant with Pöyry Forest Industry Consulting in New York, and Scott Leavengood, Wood Products Extension Agent, Dept. of Wood Science & Engineering, Oregon State University.