LAURENT M. MATUANA

Assistant Professor

Department of Forestry

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 48824

Tel. (517) 353-4616

Fax. (517) 432-1143

EDUCATION:

·         Ph.D.    Wood Science, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada (1997)

·         M.S.     Wood Science, Université Laval, Québec, Canada (1991)

·         B.S.      Wood Science, Université Laval, Québec, Canada (1989)

SPECIAL COURSES:

• Teaching in Higher Education (THE500H)  Course designed to support Ph.D. students at the University of Toronto in their professional preparation for academic careers.

•  Total Quality by Coopers and Lybrand Consulting  Workshop designed to acquaint participants with the principles and techniques of developing good group dynamics, creating processes which generate ideas and enhance decision making, support a team in applying the process improvement methodology and in continuously implementing improvements.

• Response Surface Methods (RSM) for Process Optimization by Stat-Ease Inc. (Minneapolis, Feb 10-13, 1998)  Advanced techniques in Design of Experiments and their analysis (Design Expert software), simulation and process optimization.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Michigan State University: Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry (Jan 2002 – Present)

• Michigan Technological University: Assistant Professor, School of Forestry and Wood Products (1998-Present) and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (August 2000-Present)

• Noranda Technology Centre: Associate Scientist (Wood Composites), Forest Division-Building Materials Program (Norbord), Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada (1997-1998)

• University of Toronto: Research Associate/Research Assistant, Faculty of Forestry and Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ontario, Canada (1993-1997)

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

• Engineered wood-based composites

• Wood adhesives

• Microcellular and conventional foaming of wood/plastic composites

• Surface science

HONORS AND AWARDS:

• Listed in the First Edition of Who's Who in Plastics and Polymers, James P. Harrington, Editor in Chief, Society of Plastics Engineers, Technomic Publishing Company Inc., Lancaster, Pennsylvania, p 343 (2000)

• Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE, Vinyl Division), Advisor Recognition Adward for the Best Student Paper (May 2001)

• 5^Th Pacific Rim Bio-Based Composites Symposium, The Australian National University, Canberra, December 10-13, 2000, Award for Best Poster Runner-Up

• School of Forestry and Wood Products (Michigan Tech. University), Distinguished Wood Science Teaching Award (Best Professor of the Year 2000)

• Recipient of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE)- Vinyl Division’s best paper award (2000 and 1997)

• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC): Industrial Research Fellowship (IRF) (1998-2000 declined)

• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (‘96-‘97)

• University of Toronto Doctoral Open Fellowship (‘96-‘97)

• Fonds FCAR B-2 (Quebec government-‘95-‘96)

• Fonds FCAR C-1 (Quebec government-‘95-‘96)

• University of Toronto Doctoral Open Fellowship (‘95-96)

• Edward Elsworth Johnson Postgraduate Forestry Award (University of Toronto) (‘94-95)

 PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

• Forest Product Society (FPS)

• Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST)

• Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE)

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND REVIEWER FOR:

• Polymer Engineering and Science

• Macromolecule - Materials and Engineering

• Journal of Vinyl and Additive Technology

• Cellular Polymers

• Polymer Recycling

• Panelist, USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, 2000