Dr. Thomas L. Eberhardt, Research Scientist with the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station in Pineville, LA was recently honored as the third speaker in the Elvin T. Choong Memorial Lecture Series at the School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA.  Dr. Eberhardt presented a lecture on May 13 entitled “Southern Pine Bark Quality: Impact on the Living Tree and the Utilization of Available Biomass Resources."   The presentation was well received by the diverse audience due to its many applications to both forestry and forest products.    For the past six years, Dr. Eberhardt has led a research program encompassing the chemistry of extractives and the relationships between wood chemistry, wood quality and forest health.  His applied research involves the development of new applications and processing technologies for forest biomass utilization. According to Dr. Todd Shupe, coordinator of the Lecture Series, “Tom was selected as this year’s honoree because his research program emphasizes the relationship between forest management and wood quality and forest health, which were very important to the late Dr. Choong.  Also, Tom is an outstanding scientist and person and I wanted our students in the School to be exposed to him both on a professional and personal level.”   Elvin Choong was a long-time professor of wood science at LSU and is for whom the lecture series is named.  He was strongly dedicated to forest conservation, students, and academics.