Glasser Appointed Visiting Scientist At Weyerhaeuser Company

Wolfgang G. Glasser,professor emeritus in the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, will be a visiting scientist in the Chemically Enhanced Materials Department of the Weyerhaeuser Company in Tacoma, Washington. Glasser will spend eight months at the Weyerhaeuser Technology Center in Federal Way, Washington.

"My main goals at Weyerhaeuser will be to help with the adoption and implementation of new technology that involves the modification of wood and wood fiber by chemical means," said Glasser. "I expect to help with the adoption of selected conversion technologies that are perceived as holding great promise for the future of wood utilization."

The world-renowned wood scientist has devoted most of his career of 32 years at Virginia Tech to the task of enhancing the value of wood by chemical means. He has published more than 200 articles and 14 patents on the topic, and he supervised nearly 50 graduate students and post-doctoral research associates. He has been a pioneer in the field of wood composites.

In 1987, he founded the Biobased Materials Center with a grant from the Center of Innovative Technology of Virginia. The center charted new ground for enhancing the value of low-grade biomass from forest and agricultural resources by chemical techniques. Glasser will return to Virginia Tech to resume teaching and research activities in the fall of 2004.

Written by Hilary Fussell, Public Affairs Assistant