Biosketch
I held the positions of Distinguished University Professor and Edwin F. Conger Professor of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University (NCSU) until my retirement in 2017. I was the founder and Co-Director of the Forest Biotechnology Group at NCSU from 1988 to 2014. In 1995 I was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, one of only two current members in forestry related sciences. I have been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Forest Sciences from the Swedish Agricultural University. I am a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the International Association of Wood Scientists. Until retirement, I received continuous competitive federal grant funding for 48 years. I published more than 200 articles in international professional journals, coauthored a textbook on Plant Cell Walls, contributed to seven Reports for the National Academy?s National Research Council and served as an advisor for national and international government agencies, universities and industry. I have been an Associate Editor for six international journals. I trained about 50 graduate students and postdoctoral scientists. In 2017, I received the Marcus Wallenberg Prize from the King of Sweden for pioneering work in molecular genetics of forest trees.
Research Interests
Lignin. Biosynthesis. Use of lignin for carbon sequestration.
Membership Type
Member
Election Year
1995
Primary Section
Section 62: Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences