In this issue:

3 Alumni News andOutreach

5 Family Ties: Bob andFerdinand Lundberg

8 The Diversity of theGreat SmokyMountains

9 Kurt and MariaPregitzer Head Off toTheir Next GreatAdventure

10 Three HonorAcademy MembersPass Away

Calendar ofEventsAlumni ReunionAugust 2–4

SFRES reunion event:All-Class Lunch at Pilgrim RiverSteakhouseAugust 4

The Wildlife SocietyAnnual Conference inTucson, ArizonaSeptember 22–26

SAF NationalConvention, in Portland, OregonOctober 23–27

Michigan Technological University1400 Townsend DriveHoughton, MI 49931-1295

Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer.Printed on 10% recycled (post-consumer fiber) paper. DPS 31979/06-07

M i c h i g a n T e c h n o l o g i c a l U n i v e r s i t y

S C H O O L O F Forest Resources A N D

Environmental Science

S U M M E R 2 0 0 7The pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) is commonly foundin bogs throughout the Copper Country.

Create the Future through Planned Givingby Stacy Cotey, Director of Development and Outreach

When most people hear Michigan Tech’s mission, “We prepare studentsto create the future,” they think that it inspires our current and futurestudents to be active participants in developing their careers. However,Tech’s mission also applies to alumni and friends. They also have theopportunity to create the future by including the School of Forest Resourcesand Environmental Science in their estate planning.

There are many forms of giving that allow the donor to shape the future ofthe School, even after life. All gifts can be designated for general operationsof the School or for more specific programs. Below are some of the more

common types of planned giving. Each has its own benefits to the donor and his or her heirs.For more detailed information, contact Stacy Cotey at 906-487-2417 or consult with MichiganTech’s Office of Gift Planning, 906-487-3325.

A bequest is the simplest form of charitable gift. It designates an asset, amount of money,or part of an estate to the School.

Retirement assets from 401(k) plans or other retirement plans can be transferred to theSchool at death.

A Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT) allows donors to collect a percentage ofthe annual income from the trust for the rest of their lives. At the end of the donor’s lifetime,the remainder of the trust is given to the School.

The Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) is similar to the CRAT, but instead ofreceiving a percentage of the income, the donor is paid a fixed dollar amount each year untilhis or her death. The remainder of the trust is then given to the School.

A Charitable Lead Trust (CLT) provides for the School as well as the donor’s heirs. TheSchool uses the income from the CLT for a designated period of time, and when the term iscomplete, the assets are transferred back to the donor or to heirs.

2 email: forest@mtu.edu

School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

www.forest.mtu.edu 3

Greetings Alumni and Friends!Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, who won the Nobel

Prize in Physiology in 1937, said, “Discoveryconsists of seeing what everybody has seenand thinking what nobody has thought.” Thisstatement embodies how we offer oureducation at Michigan Tech. In the past fiftyyears, there has been so much informationdeveloped in our field; yet, choosing thesubjects to cover in courses can bechallenging because we want students to “seewhat everybody has seen,” and we also wantthem to “discover what nobody has thought,”exciting them about the possibilities of newthings being discovered so that they cancreate their future.

So how do we do this? By first teachingstudents the theoretical foundations: forestsuccession, soils, forest productivity, woodanatomy, tree physiology, populationdynamics, genetics, mammalogy, growth andyield, and economics and finance, to name afew. We do this by making them “see” theforests and experience the forests andorganisms, both plants and animals, in theirnatural habitats. Most of you know that seeingand experiencing how our natural andmanaged world functions not only reinforceswhat is learned in the classroom but alsoopens a student’s eyes to what still needs tobe discovered.

New technologies, such as globalpositioning systems, advanced geographicinformation systems, advanced models, andbiotechnologies, to name a few, reinforce thefoundation. This helps students visualizeinformation in creative ways.

Yet, new discoveries and issues are comingover the horizon everyday. As teachers we areconstantly assessing the information weprovide to students to determine if it willprepare them for their future.

But our approaches are not just about thebase knowledge and new technologies we aresharing with them, but also about how wecapture their minds, so that their learningexperiences can be at the highest level. Withthe fast-paced world of the internet and thequick responses expected of today’s students,our approach to how and what we deliver inour classes is changing; it has to be engaging.

Global issues are key to their future, andwhile we still provide our students with know-ledge of the inner workings of forest eco-systems and populations, we are expandingtheir horizons to the next level of information inorder for them to solve societal issues.

As summer approaches and our students gooff to work, gaining life experiences in theirfield, raising funds for college, and becomingcontributing citizens of society, we look forwardto new ways of nurturing our students’ learningabilities to capture their minds.

This newsletter emphasizes the qualityeducation we are offering at Michigan Tech.

I would love to hear from you about what weshould be teaching our students and what youthink our students need to know for the future.We will continue to provide the highest qualityeducation for discovering!

Margaret R. Gale, Dean

Something New!You can now find a link to theSchool’s group atwww.alumnicommunity.mtu.edu.This is our spot to share memories,post messages, show pictures, andmore. Thanks to Norm Remington(1961) for starting the firstdiscussion group and giving us theidea to use this forum to keep intouch with you.

Message fromthe Dean

Carrie Richards (1984) anddaughter Helen visit the“Spectacular Canyon.”

For spring break this year, my family and Ivisited the Grand Canyon, which is, in myopinion, under-named. It should be more likethe Spectacular Canyon. But anyway, we weredoing the tourist thing there when a womansays, “My sister went to Michigan Tech.”

“Huh?” I think. “Where did that commentcome from?”

She explains that she saw the Michigan TechAlumni Association lug tag on my husbandBob’s camera bag. We decided that it waspretty cool that she spotted the MTU logo andstruck up a conversation with us, especiallyconsidering Bob was wearing a University ofMichigan T-shirt and had been receiving “GoBlue” shout-outs from random strangers all day.

When people recognize the Tech logo andcomment, you know they have a solidassociation with Tech. It’s always a more personal connection than just liking Big 10

football. They want to talk to you, not just hailyour shirt. How cool is that?

Has that ever happened to you? You’reshowing your Tech pride and someonerecognizes it? It’s happened to me before onairplanes, but never so far from home. It mademe think of alumnus Chris Hoeft (2004)wearing his Tech sweatshirt in Egypt. I wonderif anyone recognized us there. Read his storyon page 9.

And it made me want to hear if you haveever been Tech-recognized. Please! Send meyour story at carrie@mtu.edu! Or better yet,send me a photo of yourself at an interestinglocation wearing your Tech colors. Chris got itstarted, and I convinced my daughter Helen toput on a Tech shirt at the Grand Canyon toshow you all how it is done (see photo at left).Now it’s your turn! Where have you shownyour Tech pride?

—Carrie Richards ’84

Class NotesAlumni Sightings

Greetings fromHoughton

Peg Gale ’77

Stacy Cotey

Awards and RecognitionsRecent Funding

Assistant Professor Victor Busov received the second increment of a two-year award of$19,179 from the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research, Inc., for his project“Modification of Gibberellin Metabolism to Enhance Productivity, Wood Quality, and Biosafety.”

Assistant Professor David Flaspohler received $43,000 from a total of $106,000 from theWisconsin Department of Natural Resources for “Measuring the Value of Fish and WildlifeHabitat Restoration on Northern Wisconsin Lakes: The Wisconsin Lakeshore RestorationProject.”

Visiting Assistant Professor Rodney Chimner received $17,500 from the USDA ForestService, San Juan National Forest, for a thirty-four-month project, “Developing Methods forRestoring Fens in the San Juan National Forest, Colorado.”

In the News“A Ground-Breaking Lab,” an article on the rhizotron at the USDA Forest Service Forestry

Science Lab, appears in the December edition of The Scientist. Written by Ivan Oransky, itfeatures Professor Kurt Pregitzer and USDA Forest Service ecologist Alex Friend, whooversees the rhizotron. More information can be found at www.forest.mtu.edu/news.

Andrew Storer, associate professor, and Erik Lilleskov, a research ecologist at the USDAForest Service Northern Research Station in Houghton, have received a grant from the USDepartment of Agriculture to study the effect of red wriggler earthworms on ecosystemfunction, forest health, and biodiversity in northern hardwood and hemlock forests. A link tothe Tech Today article can be found at www.forest.mtu.edu/news.

“Green Menace: Invasive Plant Species Can Damage Local Ecosystems,” an article oninvasive species in the Copper Country, appeared in the Daily Mining Gazette on April 7. Thearticle features Linda Nagel, assistant professor of silviculture. A link to the article can befound at www.forest.mtu.edu/news.

In September, a soil quality groupmet in Moscow, Idaho; this crew with“Tech Ties” was snapped enjoying aget-together afterward. From left toright are Deb (Paige) Dumroese (MS1985), Carl Trettin (1976, MS 1980),Kas Dumroese (1984), NiklaasDumroese, Professor MartyJurgensen, and Joanne Tirocke(1998, MS 2001). Niklaas is wearinghis MTU sweatshirt like a good futureHusky.

In November 2006, Tom Gelb (1957)caught the largest Wisconsin muskyreported since 1989. Its certifiedweight was 51 pounds, 2 ounces. Tomis pictured here with the whopper.

Bruce Lindsay (1979) visited theSchool recently. He has moved toYork, Maine, and will be gettingmarried next spring. He has twodaughters, Katie who will be a juniorat Grand Valley State University, andMorgan, who will attend MichiganState in the fall. Bruce enjoys alloutdoor activities, such as hiking,biking, birding, kayaking, and sailing,as well as reading and travel.

School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Awards and Recognitions continued from page 3 Alumni News Keeping Connected1950 Donald L. Martindale graduated fifty-seven years ago. Upon request, hesummarized his career path: Isle Royalefire-tower man in 1948, seasonal rangerin 1950, US Forest Service managementon Quachita National Forest, then on tothe SE Forest Experiment Station at theUniversity of Georgia. He became aforestry consultant in Georgia, SouthCarolina, Alabama, and Florida. He wasthen hired to acquire land, minerals,and right-of-ways. He returned to theForest Service doing land appraisal andacquisition. He acquired by purchase orland exchange several thousand acresfor the Mt. Rogers National RecreationArea in Virginia and worked on land titleissues.

1956Don Scott told us that during his timeat Michigan Tech, then known as theMichigan College of Mining andTechnology, the Otter River cabin wasgiven to the School. He remembers hisclassmate Pauli Haarala set the poststhat held the gates, which were installedlater. Using the cabin as a deer campinvolved backpacking everything in onsnowshoes because the road was notplowed from the top of the hill down tothe camp. The only heat was fromfireplaces, and the “facilities” was aone-holer back in the brush. Don asks,“Can someone tell me why I miss it so?”

1959Walt Cook is busy designing, building,maintaining, and hiking on trails inGeorgia and South Carolina andvolunteering as stewardship person forthe Oconee River Land Trust.

1964Bill Botti, along with coauthor Michael D. Moore, has published abook, Michigan’s State Forests, A Century of Stewardship(www.msupress.msu.edu). He hasalso been doing a little consulting andgrowing a few Christmas trees. He andhis wife are both active with LionsInternational, and in March took theirfifth trip to Honduras with an eye-caremission team. For the past twentyyears, the Bottis have directed a one-week summer camp for the UnitedMethodist Church. He also is busy withother groups around town—schoolboard, hospital board, Chamber ofCommerce—and has no plans to retire.

1968Alan G. Newman retired in January2006 from the USDA Forest Serviceafter thirty-two years. His last position,which he held for ten years, was asforest supervisor of the OuachitaNational Forest in Arkansas andOklahoma. Before joining the ForestService, he served as a pilot in the AirForce for five years after graduatingfrom Tech and completing the ROTCprogram. (continued on page 6)

On the Job: Family TiesBob and Ferdinand Lundberg were destined to be foresters; the industry is in their blood.

These brothers are from Trout Creek, Michigan, where most of their immediate family wereinvolved in the forest industry. Bob and Ferdinand’s father was a logger, their mother worked at theUSFS tree nursery in Watersmeet, and their uncles were lumber graders and log-truck drivers. Theirgrandparents had a small dairy farm.

While they both earned forestry degrees from Michigan Tech, and their lives sometimes tookparallel paths, the Lundberg brothers ultimately settled into very different careers, illustrating thevalue and flexibility of their Tech forestry education.

Fond Memories of TechBy Bob Lundberg, Class of 1975

I attended Gogebic Community College for oneyear before transferring to Michigan Tech in fall 1969,where I did so well that I entered the US Army via thefirst draft lottery in fall 1970. After serving elevenmonths in Vietnam, I was discharged from activeduty.

In 1972, I returned to Michigan Tech, where Iroomed at Mr. McGinty’s house on College Avenue.With some other Yoopers, we created the OCF(Ontonagon County Finlanders) who competed inintramural sports and, if memory serves me right, didvery well. A number of the folks (me excluded) werevery good athletes.

In 1975 I graduated with a BS in Forestry. My mainmemory of my time at Tech is of the outstanding faculty. They all were able to teach not only theorybut also the practical nature of forestry. This was a huge benefit when it came time to enter the jobmarket. As we progressed through school, it was neat to see that the professors were not only goodteachers but also pretty nice guys. I was going to mention my favorite professor, but after thinkingabout them, they were all special, and each had a very positive effect on my education.

I was a member of the Michigan Tech Vets’ Club, and I believe we were the first Vet Clubmembers to finish a snow statue for Winter Carnival. The previous groups usually becamedistracted . . .

I started my forestry career with Continental Can Company in 1976, working as a procurementforester in North Carolina. I left Continental and moved to Hayward, Wisconsin, as an area foresterwith Louisiana Pacific. I was hired by Jack Noblet, the son of Bert Noblet—founder of Tech’s forestryschool.

I went back to Continental in fall 1980 as an area manager for the Hopewell, Virginia, paper mill.Through several acquisitions and mergers, Continental became Smurfit-Stone ContainerCorporation. I am now southern regional woodlands manager and have direct responsibility foroverseeing the wood procurement activities for SSCC’s five southern paper mills. In addition, Ioversee the procurement and operation of a small sawmill in Homerville, Georgia.

I have served as president of both the Virginia and Florida Forestry Associations.My wife, Gayla (another Yooper, from Bruce Crossing), and I and have two children. My hobbies

include hunting and a tree farm located northeast of Panama City, Florida. I managed to convincemy wife that a tree farm was a great investment and the timber would generate revenue equal tothe farm’s expenses. Well, after planting food plots and feeding deer, quail, turkey, and other formsof wildlife that manage to relocate to the farm, she doesn’t believe me anymore!

From Forester to EngineerBy Ferdinand Lundberg, Class of 1969

In my youth, summers consisted of hand-peeling aspen, working the hay field, and hand-milkingcows. Dairy farming was quickly crossed off my list of future occupations.

I graduated from Trout Creek High School in 1961. TCHS had fewer than sixty students, and ithad a pretty good basketball team, which won a couple state class E championships. I warmed the pines. (continued on page 6)

Michigan Tech Forestry PhD Program Ranked Fourth in the US

Michigan Tech’s forestry doctoral program is among the top ten in the nation. The School ofForest Resources and Environmental Science ranked fourth in the US based on scholarlyproductivity, a measure of research activity. Academic Analytics developed the rankings byanalyzing 2005 data on faculty publications, which it compiles in its Faculty ScholarlyProductivity Index.

“We’re very pleased with the results of the study,” said David Reed, vice president forresearch. “However, I’m not completely surprised. The forestry faculty are exceptionallyproductive, and they deserve this recognition.”

“We have worked very hard to create an intense and exciting scholarly atmosphere thatsignificantly influences all our educational programs,” said Peg Gale, dean of the School. “Butmost of all, we have a very creative group of faculty, staff, and student scholars, and we areextremely proud that their scholarly efforts are being recognized nationally.” More informationcan be found at www.forest.mtu.edu/news.

Professor Karnosky Receives Honorary DoctorateDavid F. Karnosky, professor of forest genetics and biotechnology, received an honorary

doctorate in December from the University of Tartu, in Estonia. “This was a real honor,” said Karnosky. “Probably the highlight of the trip was meeting

Estonia’s President Veljo Tormis, who attended the ceremony, and chatting with him about hisvisit earlier the same week with President Bush.”

The ceremony was held as part of the university’s anniversary celebration. Founded in1632, the university has strengths in ecology and biology. Several scientists from theuniversity have collaborated in his research on the effects of elevated carbon dioxide andozone on forest trees. “I have had continuous collaboration with the University of Tartu facultyand students for the past fifteen years,” said Karnosky.

Be Part of Your School’s SuccessWe often need your assistance to support the School. Here are some of the funds and

scholarships that help us provide quality programs for our students.Just select a program that matches your interest and return this form with your gift in

the attached envelope to the Michigan Tech Fund, Michigan Technological University, 1400Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-9989.

Or, you may donate online at www.mtf.mtu.edu. If none of these match your interests,contact Stacy Cotey at 906-487-2417 or srcotey@mtu.edu. We will help you make a difference!

Amount of gift

nn $50 nn $100 nn $200 nn $500 nn $1,000

nn Other __________

Form of payment

nn Visa nn MasterCard nn American Express nn Discover

nn Check (made out to the Michigan Tech Fund)

Credit card number __________________________________

Expiration date ______________________________________

Name as it appears on the card

___________________________________________________

nn Please send me more information about the School.

!We’d love to

hear from you!Please enclose the latest

news about yourself (new additions to your family, marriage, a new job,

promotion, etc.). Or drop us a line atwww.forest.mtu.edu/alumni/update.

nn Operations Fund—for the School’s general expenses

nn Ford Center—for improvements and operations at the home ofFall Camp

nn Alumni Memorial Scholarships—established by alumnus DennisTeegarden (1953) to honor former professors, staff, and students.

nn Undergraduate Scholarships—for students; awards are basedon merit and/or financial need

nn Peace Corps Scholarships—for graduate students enrolled inthe Loret Ruppe Master’s International Program in Forestry

nn Hammer Equipment Fund—for equipment needed in theclassroom and in the field

nn Master of Forestry Fellowship Fund—for graduate students inour professional forestry master’s program

nn Graduate Student Assistantship Fund—for graduate studentsupport

nn Professional Meetings Scholarships—for student support toattend professional meetings

4 email: forest@mtu.edu

David Karnosky accepts anhonorary doctorate in Tartu,Estonia in December.

Dean Peg Gale visits Bob Lundberg atSSCC’s southern procurement operation.

www.forest.mtu.edu 5

Tom Pypker joined the faculty in theSchool as an assistant professor of foresthydrology in February. Tom and his partner,Catherine Tarasoff, moved from OregonState University (OSU), where theycompleted their PhDs in Forest Science andWeed Science, respectively.

Tom and Catherine are quickly settling intolife in Houghton, as they are no strangers towinter weather. They both hail from Canadaand have spent many cold winters in theinterior of British Columbia. Since arriving,they have enjoyed cross-country skiing onthe local trails. And this summer, they arelooking forward to setting up their garden andraising some chickens for eggs. Tom says,“Any tips on how to fend off deer from thevegetable garden are very welcome.”

Tom completed his BS in Geography andEnvironmental Science at McMasterUniversity in Hamilton, Ontario. He thenmoved to Prince George, British Columbia,where he completed a master’s in naturalresource management at the University ofNorthern British Columbia.

While at UNBC, Tom became fascinatedwith micrometeorology, the study of weatherconditions on a small scale, as in the areaimmediately around a forest stand, ananimal, or a mountain. While working on hisPhD at OSU, Tom climbed sixty-meterDouglas fir trees to investigate the effect ofepiphytic lichens and bryophytes on forestcanopy hydrology and micrometeorology.

Tom completed a two-year postdoc in theCollege of Oceanography and AtmosphericSciences at OSU, where he investigated cold-air drainage patterns in mountainous terrain.

He has worked as a weather balloonist forEnvironment Canada, a research assistantfor J. O. Thomas and Associates, and aresearch assistant for the University ofNorthern British Columbia.

Using tools in hydrology andmicrometeorology, Tom investigates theexchange of matter and energy between thesoils, plants, and the atmosphere. Inparticular, he is interested in the how waterand carbon move through ecosystems. He iscollaborating on research projects on theeffect of invasive earthworms on northernhardwood forest hydrology; the impact ofnonnative tree species on the hydrology offorest ecosystems in Argentina; and newmethods for quantifying ecosystemmetabolism in mountainous terrain.

Tom’s teaching responsibilities includeforest hydrology and forestmicrometeorology.

6 email: forest@mtu.edu

School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

www.forest.mtu.edu 7

Reunite at ReunionAlumni Reunion is a wonderful time to reunite with classmates and reminisce about your

time at Michigan Tech. This year’s Alumni Reunion is scheduled for August 2–4. Make plans toattend. The University will be honoring the Golden “M” Club (all classes that have previouslycelebrated their fiftieth reunion), the classes of 1957, 1967, 1977, 1982, 1987, and 1997.

It’s no coincidence that the best week of the summer is also the week of Michigan Tech’sannual Alumni Reunion. The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science isalways anxious to welcome back our graduates and friends during this time.

This year, on Saturday, August 4, the School will hold a luncheon at the Pilgrim RiverSteakhouse, in Houghton. We will be honoring the classes of 1982 and 1957, who will becelebrating their twenty-fifth and fiftieth reunions. We will also hold our Honor Academyinduction and present the 2007 Outstanding Alumnus Award.

We hope that you can attend. You can get more information by atwww.forest.mtu.edu/alumni/reunion. To see the entire University’s activities, go towww.alumni.mtu.edu/reunion.

Tom’s Favorite Linkswww.forest.mtu.edu/faculty/pypker

http://feel.forestry.oregonstate.edu/airshed

www.cbc.ca

www.torontomapleleafs.com

Faculty FocusThomas Pypker: New to Houghton, but Not Its Cold Weather

I attended Gogebic Community College before transferring to Tech. Tech was willing to acceptstudents from small, unaccredited Upper Peninsula schools, which gave many farm boysopportunities for good careers.

I spent the summer of 1965 in summer camp at Alberta. Hammer Steinhilb and his wife, Charlie,were the chaperones. To protect the innocent, I will limit my comments to only mentioning George’s,“The Working Man’s Bar.”

I was mostly self-supporting, working with my dad in the woods and skidding logs with a horse toearn money. I had to take a quarter off every now and then to replenish the bank account. My timeoff got the attention of the US Draft Board. I served in Vietnam as a surveyor for field artillery andam still serving as a member of the American Legion, where I have held the position of committeechairman at the state level.

Service in the military allowed me to come back with a monthly check from Uncle Sam, and Irestarted at Tech in 1968. I was a charter member of the Vets’ Club, which created the unofficial ruleof no tests on Tuesdays. Club meetings were on Monday nights in the other Library.

I married Mary, who was from Munising, Michigan, in 1969, and we have three children—twodaughters and a son—and four grandchildren. Both daughters graduated from the North CarolinaState University College of Textiles.

After graduating in 1969, I went to work for the American Pulpwood Association HarvestingResearch Project in Atlanta, which involved the computer simulation of harvesting using newmechanized machines. This was a very exciting time, with all the new automated harvesters and thestart of the computer era.

When my copycat younger bro came to the South, he would complain that when he introducedhimself, the person would ask, “Are you related to Ferdinand?” When my project ended, I went towork for Weyerhaeuser in raw material procurement—the same racket as my brother! I was theoperations manager, exporting the first wood chips from the southern US (Morehead City, NorthCarolina) to Sweden.

I settled my family in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area, where I began work with Allied Chemical in atire cord/seat belt yarn plant. I became an engineer in training and learned the world of poly(ethyleneterephthalate)—PET, or polyester. Although it was tough at the time, the Michigan Tech course work inchemistry and other areas paid off, allowing this career change.

This on-the-job training enabled me to become a researcherin synthetic and organic fiber formation at North Carolina StateUniversity, in the Textile Chemistry and Engineering Department.I have been named in seven patents covering the high-speedspinning of PET and other thermoplastic polymers. I havementored approximately twenty PhD and a few MS fiber andpolymer science students over the years. Probably the mostinteresting research project I was involved in was the spinning ofspider silk from goat’s milk.

Since retiring, I work part time using wood cellulose in a wetspinning process. My work centers on poly(ethylene2,6-naphalene dicarboxylate) PEN and the wet spinning project,forming fibers that are about ten microns in diameter, but mileslong.

Some of my hobbies are amateur radio (I love Morse code),horseshoes (I attend ten or twelve tournaments a year),gardening (I vine ripen tomatoes before the Fourth of July), troutfishing, deer hunting, walking in the woods, and woodworking.My goals? Get back to full-time retirement.

From Forester to Engineer (continued from page 5)

1971Gene Mills has recently retired from theinsurance business. He sent in a greataccount of his time at Michigan Techand of his career. Read more at AlumniStories on the web atwww.forest.mtu.edu/alumni.

1977John Hirschfeld is still at theConnecticut Department ofEnvironmental Protection, where he isnow with the Enforcement Unit of theInland Water Resources Division. Heworks with wetlands and watercourses,dam safety, water diversion, stream lineencroachment, and flood zones. He hasbrushed up on his soil classification andmapping because wetlands aredelineated by soil drainage rather thanvegetation. He says, “I cheat. I look atthe vegetation too.” He says it is nice tobe back in natural resourcemanagement. John also commentedthat he “just loves the old yearbooksnow online; Glenn and Marty in the ‘70sare wearing some very cool threads.”The yearbooks are atwww.forest.mtu.edu/yearbook

1978Daniel M. Iverson works for MantheiVeneer in Petoskey, Michigan.

1979Jan Beveridge finished his master’sdegree in engineering at SouthernMethodist University in December. Jansays, “I may soon be a PhD candidate.”Jan indicated some indecision aboutthis next step and summed it up bysaying, “I’m too old to do this now!” Hisdaughter Rachel is in medical school,and his son Peter is a United StatesMarine. He says, “Do you think I amproud of them both? Maybe just a little.”He works for Lockheed MartinAeronautics in the Software EngineeringProcesses Group.

1983 Cynthia K. (Richardson) Unangstmoved from Pennsylvania to Marylandlast summer with her husband anddaughter. In fall 2006, she beganworking as the town planner and zoningadministrator for two towns, Myersvilleand Middletown, in Frederick County,Maryland. She and her family live in aplanned community in Urbana, andCynthia says, “I love it here!”

Erich Tiefenbacher (MS) and AnitaRisch (MS 2000) celebrated the first-ever School of Forest Resources andEnvironmental Science Swiss Alumniget-together over a good meal, somebeer, and good wine. Anita reports,“More alumni meetings of the Swissmembers of FRES to follow, and we aresure not to lose track of the members (n = 2) when out and about in downtownZurich.” (continued on page 7)

Alumni NewsKeeping Connectedcontinued from page 5

Alumni NewsKeeping Connectedcontinued from page 6

Ferdinand Lundberg holdsmaterial spun by a melt extrusionand spin-draw process.

The School welcomes Tom Pypker as itsnewest faculty member.

1987Ron Sumanik (MS) has been marriedto Inge for twenty-three years and livesin Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Theyhave two children. Caitlyn is a freshmanat the University of Alberta inEdmonton, and Spencer is asophomore in high school. Ron beganworking for the Yukon government as ahabitat biologist. In 1992, Ron becamea land claim negotiator for the Yukongovernment. Then in 2001, Ronbecame manager of the oil and gasbusiness development and pipelinesbranch of the Department of Energy,Mines, and Resources for the Yukongovernment. He promotes thedevelopment of two major natural gaspipeline projects that will supplysubstantial amounts of natural gasenergy to the United States, keepingmany Americans warm and electrified.

1988Kevin Fox (MS 1991) is the newregional aviation manager and will bebased in Anchorage, Alaska, working forthe US Fish and Wildlife Service of theUS Department of Interior.

1990Meral Jackson has relocated back toMichigan. She is working as a researchservices specialist at NorthwesternMichigan College in Traverse City. Herdepartment is part of the for-profitdivision of the college involved witheconomic development. Meral says,“This is a bit of a career change;although my research experience andstatistical skills are the key ingredients,my main focus is survey research.”

1993Ralph Sheffer was promoted to fireoperations specialist for the WisconsinDNR, Division of Forestry, where hehandles prescribed burn issues for thestate, working on agreements withagencies such as the US ForestService, the US Fish and WildlifeService, and FEMA. He coordinates theDNR’s nine Incident ManagementTeams, handling out-of-state emergencymobilization. (continued on page 8)

School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science www.forest.mtu.edu

In the FieldThe Diversity of the Great Smoky Mountains

Chris Webster’s interests are as diverse as the populations and communities he studies.An assistant professor of quantitative ecology at the School, he focuses on disturbanceecology and the relationships between diversity, productivity, and stability in natural andhuman-altered systems. A few years back, Chris’s interests and a little luck collided, vaultinghim into the rain-drenched valleys of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

It started when he received a Faculty Scholarship Grant in his first year at Michigan Tech.The grant supported a trip to the park to meet with researchers and brainstorm about potentialcollaborations. That visit spawned two graduate student projects and five peer-reviewedpapers (three others are in review), not to mention some exciting adventures in research forChris and his students. But first, what is so extraordinary about this natural laboratory?

At 815 square miles, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the largest protectedareas in the eastern United States and the most-visited national park. It is also among themost ecologically diverse places on earth, with over 10,000 known species of plants andanimals living within its boundaries. The park contains one of the largest blocks of temperateold-growth forest in North America, as well as a mosaic of historic human land use thatpredates the creation of the park. This backdrop of disturbance and diversity has provided anideal environment for some of Chris’s current research.

One of his first studies in cooperation with National Park Service researchers was on thelong-term consequences of deer overabundance on forest plant communities in Cades Cove,which contains a mosaic of old fields and woodlots. With no hunting, no predators, and anabundant food supply, the deer population exploded and at its peak reached approximately112 deer per square mile. The research team has gained great insights into how plantcommunities respond to both intense and chronic grazing. One of the more interestingfindings involves a diminutive trillium species seldom seen outside of the southernAppalachians, Catesby’s trillium (Trillium catesbaei).

The team noted that one of the few trillium species still found in the Cove was Catesby’strillium. Deer relish all trilliums, and while the large colonies of several species noted by thepark’s first naturalist were gone, this species seemed to be holding its own. This observationprompted a study of the age structure of Catesby’s trillium. The team found that the plant wasable to hang on by flowering when smaller and at a younger age under chronic browsing thanin undisturbed populations. Unfortunately, this plasticity may only serve as a stalling tactic,since smaller plants produce fewer seeds, and the mortality of older plants is high.

Intrigued, Chris has been delving deeper into the mysterious world of long-lived forest herbsin old-growth forests. One study looked at the age structure of trillium populations. Aninteresting finding was that trilliums don’t mingle much. Rather, they form stable, single-species, multi-aged patches that can persist for several decades.

In addition, Chris and one of his graduate students are embarking on a study this spring tolook at the effect of acid deposition (e.g., acid rain) on plant communities in forests that havebeen ravaged by the exotic balsam woolly adelgid, a tree-killing insect that has causedwidespread mortality in Fraser fir stands.

This summer, Chris and his students will work on projects that touch on plants in thesouthern Appalachians, bird and plant communities in Wisconsin grasslands, and deer in thehemlock groves of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Chris credits his success to excellentstudents and collaborators who share his enthusiasm and curiosity about the natural world.

Around the WorldBy Christopher J. Hoeft, Class of 2004

8 email: forest@mtu.edu www.forest.mtu.edu 9

1997Fatih Mengeloglu (MS, PhD 2001)became a proud father of twins, a boyand a girl, in October. The babies areIsmail Akad and Emine Naz. Fatih andhis family live in Kahramanmaras,Turkey, where he is an assistantprofessor at Kahramanmaras SutcuImam University.

Around the School Kurt and Maria Pregitzer Head Off to Their Next Great Adventure

Alumni NewsKeeping Connectedcontinued from page 7 After graduating with a BS in Applied

Ecology and Environmental Sciences, I took a job with Praxair Inc., running a gaschromatograph and performing leak detection on oil refinery pipelines and storage tanks.

In September 2005, I took a position withEcology and Environment Inc./EnvironmentalProtection Agency working on environmentalremediation in New Orleans after hurricanesKatrina and Rita. The job was hectic, and thework changed from minute to minute. Itranged from retrieving and categorizingbarrels of industrial chemicals orphaned bylocal companies or offshore oil rigs, toremediation of contaminated areas, tomanaging emergency landfills. I wasimmensely dedicated to the project for theseven months I was in New Orleans, notonce leaving the city.

In March 2006 I took a position with theDepartment of Defense on militaryinstallations in Kuwait. I’m currently workingin the Middle East as an environmentalcompliance specialist. Primarily, I perform

audits to ensure that the US military complieswith its own environmental guidelines.

As you can see, I fell into the industrialside of environmental work, but I still findmuch of my ecology degree surprisinglyapplicable. In addition to my currentcompliance/audit work, I have designed andimplemented a remediation project for soilcontaminated by petroleum products and acomposting project using leftover green andbrown matter from the dining facilities as anutrient source for microorganisms, whichspeeds up remediation. I have also aided inair and water quality assessments, such asstudies on how US military bases affect thelocal flora and fauna.

The best advice I can offer students is togain as much real-world experience aspossible in your field of choice throughinternships. Also, diversify your educationand use every credit to your advantage tobecome a well-rounded environmentalscientist, ecologist, or forester, because younever know where your career path will lead. Chris Hoeft (2004) shows his

Tech pride.

Maria Pregitzer instructs studentsduring a lab on the vegetation ofNorth America.

Kurt and Maria Pregitzer

Kurt and Maria Pregitzer look forward tonew challenges in their work and exploring anew part of the country. Their three childrenhave moved out of the house, and they feelthis is a great time for a new challenge.Maria, a lecturer in the School, says, “Youget to a certain age and either you commit tostaying put—or go for a change.” They’veopted for the change. Kurt says, “I like a newchallenge.”

Kurt, a professor in the School, is movingon to be the chair of the Department ofNatural Resources and EnvironmentalScience in the College of Agriculture,Biotechnology, and Natural Resources at theUniversity of Nevada, Reno. He will continueto teach and do research, as well asadminister the department.

Within the same College, Maria will be thecoordinator of student affairs and outreach. Inher new position, she will be working fulltime. Having summers off is just one of thethings she’ll miss. She will also miss thesmall-town life and the awesome beauty ofthe Upper Peninsula.

Kurt says he too will miss the area, butmostly in the summer. He said, “In summer,I’ll miss the long days and beautiful evenings

along the Portage.” He joked, “In April, I’llmiss pushing a full grocery cart through afoot of snow in the parking lot.”

Both agree that they will miss the students.Maria will miss teaching and advising, andKurt says he will miss the strong emphasison field studies our students get.

Both Kurt and Maria are excited about thenew terrain, weather, and amenities that theirnew location offers. The Sierras, Lake Tahoe,and the Great Basin will be great to explore.The alpine skiing around Lake Tahoe isworld-class. The weather is really nice inReno: sunny and warm, but not too hot, withlow humidity. And there is lots of city life thatyou can’t get in Houghton, such as lots ofgreat restaurants, entertainment (shows,theater, exhibitions), and sixty-five flights aday.

Kurt sums it up by saying, “I’m excited tolearn about a new set of ecosystems.” Also,“Life is short. Have fun and follow yourinstincts!”

Maria commented, “I’ve learned a lot. TheSchool has a great program, and I will lookforward to hearing about all the futuresuccesses of the alumni and faculty.”

1998Tonya (Treichel) Albers and herhusband, Scott, had a beautiful babygirl, Nora Catherine, in September.Tonya quit her job after over sevenyears at Hurd Windows & Doors to be astay-at-home mom. At three months old,Nora already loves trees and pictures ofleaves—look out, class of 2029!

Kevin Swanson (MS) works for theMichigan DNR as a habitat biologist andbefore that was employed by theMichigan DEQ for over seven years.Kevin sent a note that expressed hisgratitude for his education. He says,“The knowledge acquired at MTU isused and expanded upon everyday inmy challenging career.”

2000Sheila Madahbee placed fourth inwomen’s 3D target archery at the NorthAmerican Indigenous Games in Denver.Sheila is also the two-time defendingwomen’s 3D target champion in Ontarioand will be competing in the Canadianchampionships this summer. At acompetition in Barrie, Ontario, Sheila“robin-hooded” an arrow (she split anarrow with a subsequent arrow)—a featrarer than a hole-in-one in golf.

Anita Risch (MS) and ErichTiefenbacher (MS 1986) celebrated thefirst-ever School of Forest Resourcesand Environmental Science SwissAlumni get-together over a good meal,some beer and good wine. Anitareports, “More alumni meetings of theSwiss members of FRES to follow, andwe are sure not to lose track of themembers (n=2) when out and about indowntown Zurich.”

Radley Watkins (MS) has taken a newjob with Oneida County, Wisconsin, asits new aquatic invasive speciescoordinator. There are more than 1,100lakes in Oneida County, so invasivespecies are a concern. (continued on page 10)

Ismail Akad Emine Naz

Chris Hoeft (2004) visits Egypt.

School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science www.forest.mtu.edu

Welcome Two New Faces Students Get a New Advisor and Lecturer Spring Banquet

The School’s annual spring banquet was held in April, honoring ourseniors, alumni, and friends. Senior Brandon Bal, who chairs thestudent chapter of the Society of American Foresters/Forestry Club,emceed the evening.

Two Outstanding Senior Awards were presented, to Brandon Bal(Forestry) and Molly Cypher (Applied Ecology and EnvironmentalSciences). Brandon also won the School’s Student Leadership Award.

On behalf of Xi Sigma Pi, the School’s honor fraternity, ForesterMaria Janowiak made several award presentations. AssistantProfessor Robert Froese received the School’s DistinguishedTeaching Award. Director of Development and Outreach Stacy Coteyreceived the Distinguished Staff Award, and graduate student LaceyMason was given the Graduate Student Teaching Award.

Several student awards were presented for outstanding workduring the academic year. Brandon Bal, Rob Benson, RobinConklin, Marcy Erickson, and Chad Fortin were named theCapstone Team of the Year for their work on the the Little GratiotRiver Tract. Tim Gebuhr was named Capstone Student of the Year.

Visiting Assistant Professor Rod Chimner presented the WetlandAssessment Team Member of the Year Award to Elsa Jensen for herwork in wetland ecology.

www.forest.mtu.edu 1110 email: forest@mtu.edu

2001Kristen (Rahn) Thrall (MS) and herhusband, Matt, had a baby girl inNovember. Kristen reports that JorgaSequoia Thrall, who weighed 6 pounds,12 ounces and was 20 inches long, isvery happy and healthy.

2002Don Churchill is employed by WestMichigan Tree Services in GrandRapids, Michigan.

2003Jennifer L. Papillo is working as anaturalist and program coordinator atWhite Clay Creek State Park in Newark,Delaware. She is trying to figure outhow to move back to the UP!

2004Buck Willoughby works in timber salepreparation at the Ketchikan MistyFiords Ranger District in the TongassNational Forest, in Alaska. He and KerriRoepke (MS EEN 2006) were marriedlast summer in Ketchikan.

Josh Shields (MS 2006) representedMichigan Tech at the MidwesternAssociation of Graduate Schoolscompetition. Josh was among threeMichigan Tech finalists in the annualDistinguished Master’s ThesisCompetition. He was nominated by hisadvisor, Assistant Professor ChrisWebster, for his thesis, “Initial Effects ofGroup-Selection Harvesting with YellowBirch (Betula alleghaniensis) Retentionof Biodiversity in Northern Hardwoods.”He received an Honorable Mention inthe 2007 MAGS Competition.Congratulations to Joshua on thisoutstanding achievement! Competitionwas very stiff; fifty-one theses werenominated.

2005Erin (Taylor) Lizotte was married lastyear and now lives in East Lansing. She will finish her master’s degree inDecember.

2006Molly Cypher is working as anenvironmental scientist/field scientistdoing site assessment, NEPAassessments, and property conditionassessments. Cypher is based inTraverse City (and loving it) and travelsa lot.

Alumni NewsKeeping Connectedcontinued from page 8 Matt Weeg has joined the School’s

teaching staff as a lecturer andundergraduate advisor. Matt will be teachingVegetation of North America in the fall andFreshman Seminar in the spring. He iscurrently teaching physiological psychologyand will also advise first-year students andmentor the learning community students.

Matt came from the University of Idaho,where he got his BS in Biology. He receivedhis PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior fromCornell University.

He is looking forward togetting outside with thestudents on the field tripsand introducing them toecosystems.

The biggest challengehe’ll face? “The preparationrequired for teaching a new class and theheavy lab base of the vegetation class.” ButMatt feels he is up to the challenge. Hiswebpage is at www.forest.mtu.edu/weeg.

New Member of the Forest Service/School Team

Chris Swanston has joined theBelowground Ecosystem Processes unit atthe US Forest Service Lab in Houghton as aresearch ecologist and will participate in theNorthern Institute for Applied Carbon Scienceand our School.

Chris uses radiocarbon isotope analysisand organic matter fractionation methods tocharacterize the processes controlling organiccarbon dynamics in forest soils. Soil carbon isfundamental to forest productivity andstructure, strongly influencing soil fertility,water storage and yield, and resistance toerosion and compaction. Soil carbon alsoplays a large role in global fluxes of carbondioxide (two-thirds of forest carbon is in soils).

Chris received a BS in Forest Ecology andSoils from Humboldt State University,

California, and an MS andPhD in Forest Sciencefrom Oregon StateUniversity. After a shortpostdoc with the INRAForest BiogeochemistryUnit in Nancy, France, hesettled into the Center forAccelerator MassSpectrometry at LawrenceLivermore National Laboratory, California.Chris arrived in Houghton with his wife, LizGerson, who also studies forest ecology (butaboveground). Chris and Liz enjoy spendingtime outdoors skiing, bicycling, and kayaking(snowblowing has been a new experience)and are enjoying the community andsurroundings of Houghton.

2007 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows Named Four students from the School were awarded Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships by Michigan Tech’s vice

president for research. The fellowship provides up to $2,800 to support the recipient’s work with a faculty mentor. Fiftyundergraduates applied, and those from the School were among the twenty-three who received awards. They include the following:• Chad Fortin, “Measuring Arthropod Densities,” with Associate Professor David Flaspohler• Elsa Jensen, “Ecohydrological Conditions of a Bete Grise Coastal Dune and Swale Wetland,” with Visiting Assistant

Professor Rodney Chimner• Stuart Kramer, “Social Effects of Lignocellulose Biofuel Production in the Upper Midwest,” with Associate Professor

Kathleen Halvorsen• Sarah Molitoris, “Understory Plant Diversity in Relation to Legacy Trees in Aspen Forests,” with Assistant Professor

Christopher Webster

Brandon Ball, left, and Maria Janowiak, right, present Stacy Cotey, leftcenter, with the Distinguished Staff Award and Assistant ProfessorRobert Froese, right center, with the Distinguished Faculty Award.

Tim Gebuhr receives his Student of the Year Award from Dean Peg Gale, left, and Assistant Professor Chris Webster, right.

Three Honor Academy Members Pass AwayThe School has recently suffered the loss of three members of its Honor Academy. They

were also former faculty members and an Outstanding Alumnus.Charles “Chuck” Hein graduated with a bachelor’s degree in forestry in 1953, and in 1973

he received his MS in Forestry, also from Michigan Tech. He taught forestry and surveying atTech for twenty-three years and served as acting head of the School in 1981. He played a keyrole in the surveying program and was surveying coordinator in the School of Technology.Chuck was inducted into the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science’s HonorAcademy in 1996. Chuck passed away on January 17.

John “Jack” Hornick graduated in 1950 with a BS in Forestry. Jack’s career as a foresterincluded over thirty years with the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, from1957 until his retirement. In his retirement, Jack was an active advocate for the AlbertaVillage Museum and Sawmill at the Ford Center. In 2000, Jack was named the School’sOutstanding Alumnus, and in 2001, he was inducted into the School’s Honor Academy. Jackpassed away on March 5.

After earning BS and MS degrees in Forestry in 1944 and 1947 from the University ofMichigan, James “Jim” Meteer Sr. came to Michigan Tech in 1965 as a professor of forestresearch and forestry at the Ford Center. He moved to the main campus in 1980, where hehelped establish the School’s first microcomputer teaching lab. He earned professor emeritusstatus in 1984, and in 1998 he was named to the School’s Honor Academy. Jim passed awayon March 6.

“We feel these losses deeply,” said Dean Peg Gale. “All three of these gentle men were anintegral part of the School. They are of the generation that melded our traditional forestryeducation with the integrated programs we enjoy today.”

Go to www.forest.mtu.edu/news for a link to more information.

The University administration joined in congratulating Brandon Bal as a 2007 Outstanding Senior and for winning the StudentLeadership Award. Pictured, left to right, are Michigan TechPresident Glenn Mroz, Brandon Bal, Dean Peg Gale, and VicePresident for Research David Reed.

Matt Weeg

Chris Swanston