Wood is the nation’s most important renewable resource for construction, furniture, paper, packaging, and a multitude of other products. Most Americans take the presence of wood products in their lives for granted. Few give any thought to the necessity of an economic and sustainable source for these products. Use of the nation’s natural resources to obtain these wood products can provide positive environmental benefits to the American people. Wood requires less energy and less environmental disturbance to extract, manufacture, use, and recycle or dispose of than nonrenewable resources such as steel, aluminum, or plastics. To meet the needs of the American people, the wood products industry must harvest timber in an environmentally sound manner and must make more efficient use of the harvested forest resource. This requires development of new and innovative approaches to harvesting, manufacturing, using, and recycling wood products. The wood industry employs about 1.6 million people nationwide, yet only 22 American universities offer programs specifically designed to educate professionals to manage and provide technical expertise to the industry. Of these, only nine programs are accredited by the Society of Wood Science Technology—West Virginia University is one of them. Majors in the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences Agribusiness Management & Rural Development B Agricultural & Extension Education B, M Agricultural & Resource Economics M Agriculture Education M Agriculture, Forestry, & Consumer Sciences M Agronomy B, M Animal & Food Sciences D Animal & Veterinary Sciences B, M Basic Sciences B Biochemistry B Child Development & Family Studies B, M Entomology M Environmental Microbiology M Environmental & Natural Resource Economics B Environmental Protection B Family & Consumer Sciences M Forest Resources Management B Forest Resources Science D Forestry M Genetics & Developmental Biology M, D Horticulture B, M Human Nutrition & Foods B Interior Design B Landscape Architecture B Natural Resource Economics D Plant Pathology M Plant & Soil Sciences D Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Resources B, M Reproductive Physiology M, D Textiles, Apparel & Merchandising B Wildlife & Fisheries Resources B, M Wood Science & Technology B B = Bachelor's; M = Master's; D = Doctorate For more information, contact the Wood Science and Technology program at 304-293-2941, forestry@wvu.edu Or visit the Web site at: www.forestry.caf.wvu.edu/ wvu%5Fwoodscience/

The WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences
The Davis College has 18 undergraduate major fields of study that are divided into five academic divisions: Animal and Veterinary Sciences; Family and Consumer Sciences; Forestry; Plant and Soil Sciences; and Resource Management. The excellent instructional facilities of the Davis College offer many learning opportunities. The Agricultural Sciences Building contains most offices, classrooms, and laboratories for agricultural programs. Percival Hall houses the Division of Forestry’s offices, classrooms, and laboratories, including the wood processing facilities. In Allen Hall, Family and Consumer Science classes are held, and the laboratory nursery school is located on the Evansdale Campus. Maintaining eight farms, two campus greenhouses, and more than 8,000 acres of forest land for teaching and research, the Davis College offers students a variety of educational opportunities with hands-on experiences.

Students are offered fields of study that complement various careers. The study of ecology is interwoven throughout courses to offer students the education necessary for careers emphasizing the protection of environmental quality and the management, utilization, and conservation of our soil, water, forests, wildlife, domestic animals, food, and fiber.

Admission
Students who meet University admission requirements may be accepted directly into the Davis College as Wood Science and Technology majors.

Curriculum
The great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright stated, “We may use wood with intelligence only if we understand wood.” Wright’s statement best describes the goals and objectives of the Wood Science and Technology Program. The program prepares students for professional careers in the wood products industry by providing a strong education in basic and applied sciences, with special focus on the properties and uses of wood.

Class sizes in Wood Science and Technology are small (generally 12 to 18 students), allowing faculty to give personal attention to individuals. The faculty shares a wealth of experience in teaching, research, industry, and government. Students are advised by faculty members, and graduate students do not teach Wood Science and Technology courses.

The Wood Science and Technology Program was named a Program of Excellence by the West Virginia University System Board of Trustees in 1996 and again in 2001.

The program offers two options: Wood Processing and Forest Utilization.

The Wood Processing option prepares graduates for careers in the production of wood products, including primary products, architectural woodwork, furniture and cabinets, and composite materials. Students also may enter careers in marketing wood products.

The Forest Utilization option prepares graduates for careers in timber management and sale administration, forest engineering, primary processing of wood products, and timber procurement.

Course Work

Accreditation
The Wood Science and Technology Program is accredited by the Society of Wood Science and Technology. It was first accredited in 1989 and received reaccreditation in 1999.

Career Opportunities
Opportunities for employment of Wood Science and Technology graduates are excellent, with a current placement rate of approximately 95%. Nationwide, it is estimated that there are more than two job openings for every graduate.

The industry is diverse, with job titles ranging from quality assurance supervisor, technical director, procurement forester, and estimator, to sales representative and production manager. Jobs are available in all 50 states, overseas, and in both rural and urban settings. More than half of our graduates from 1991 to 2001 found employment in West Virginia.

Excellent summer and part-time employment opportunities exist for Wood Science and Technology students, including internship opportunities with the forest products industry.