M i c h i g a n
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI 49931-1295
In this issue:
3
5
8
9
10
Alumni News and
Outreach
Family Ties: Bob and
Ferdinand Lundberg
The Diversity of the
Great Smoky
Mountains
Kurt and Maria
Pregitzer Head Off to
Their Next Great
Adventure
Three Honor
Academy Members
Pass Away
S C H O O L
O F
T e c h n o l o g i c a l
U n i v e r s i t y
Forest Resources
Environmental Science
A N D
Calendar of
Events
Alumni Reunion
August 2–4
SFRES reunion event:
All-Class Lunch
at Pilgrim River
Steakhouse
August 4
The Wildlife Society
Annual Conference in
Tucson, Arizona
September 22–26
SAF National
Convention, in
Portland, Oregon
October 23–27
Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer.
Printed on 10% recycled (post-consumer fiber) paper. DPS 31979/06-07
The pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) is commonly found
in bogs throughout the Copper Country.
SUMMER 2007
School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Message from
the Dean
Peg Gale ’77
Something New!
You can now find a link to the
School’s group at
www.alumnicommunity.mtu.edu.
This is our spot to share memories,
post messages, show pictures, and
more. Thanks to Norm Remington
(1961) for starting the first
discussion group and giving us the
idea to use this forum to keep in
touch with you.
Greetings from
Houghton
Carrie Richards (1984) and
daughter Helen visit the
“Spectacular Canyon.”
2
email: forest@mtu.edu
Greetings Alumni and Friends!
Create the Future through Planned Giving
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, who won the Nobel
Prize in Physiology in 1937, said, “Discovery
consists of seeing what everybody has seen
and thinking what nobody has thought.” This
statement embodies how we offer our
education at Michigan Tech. In the past fifty
years, there has been so much information
developed in our field; yet, choosing the
subjects to cover in courses can be
challenging because we want students to “see
what everybody has seen,” and we also want
them to “discover what nobody has thought,”
exciting them about the possibilities of new
things being discovered so that they can
create their future.
So how do we do this? By first teaching
students the theoretical foundations: forest
succession, soils, forest productivity, wood
anatomy, tree physiology, population
dynamics, genetics, mammalogy, growth and
yield, and economics and finance, to name a
few. We do this by making them “see” the
forests and experience the forests and
organisms, both plants and animals, in their
natural habitats. Most of you know that seeing
and experiencing how our natural and
managed world functions not only reinforces
what is learned in the classroom but also
opens a student’s eyes to what still needs to
be discovered.
New technologies, such as global
positioning systems, advanced geographic
information systems, advanced models, and
biotechnologies, to name a few, reinforce the
foundation. This helps students visualize
information in creative ways.
Yet, new discoveries and issues are coming
over the horizon everyday. As teachers we are
constantly assessing the information we
provide to students to determine if it will
prepare them for their future.
But our approaches are not just about the
base knowledge and new technologies we are
sharing with them, but also about how we
capture their minds, so that their learning
experiences can be at the highest level. With
the fast-paced world of the internet and the
quick responses expected of today’s students,
our approach to how and what we deliver in
our classes is changing; it has to be engaging.
Global issues are key to their future, and
while we still provide our students with knowledge of the inner workings of forest ecosystems and populations, we are expanding
their horizons to the next level of information in
order for them to solve societal issues.
As summer approaches and our students go
off to work, gaining life experiences in their
field, raising funds for college, and becoming
contributing citizens of society, we look forward
to new ways of nurturing our students’ learning
abilities to capture their minds.
This newsletter emphasizes the quality
education we are offering at Michigan Tech.
I would love to hear from you about what we
should be teaching our students and what you
think our students need to know for the future.
We will continue to provide the highest quality
education for discovering!
by Stacy Cotey, Director of Development and Outreach
For spring break this year, my family and I
visited the Grand Canyon, which is, in my
opinion, under-named. It should be more like
the Spectacular Canyon. But anyway, we were
doing the tourist thing there when a woman
says, “My sister went to Michigan Tech.”
“Huh?” I think. “Where did that comment
come from?”
She explains that she saw the Michigan Tech
Alumni Association lug tag on my husband
Bob’s camera bag. We decided that it was
pretty cool that she spotted the MTU logo and
struck up a conversation with us, especially
considering Bob was wearing a University of
Michigan T-shirt and had been receiving “Go
Blue” shout-outs from random strangers all day.
When people recognize the Tech logo and
comment, you know they have a solid
association with Tech. It’s always a more
personal connection than just liking Big 10
football. They want to talk to you, not just hail
your shirt. How cool is that?
Has that ever happened to you? You’re
showing your Tech pride and someone
recognizes it? It’s happened to me before on
airplanes, but never so far from home. It made
me think of alumnus Chris Hoeft (2004)
wearing his Tech sweatshirt in Egypt. I wonder
if anyone recognized us there. Read his story
on page 9.
And it made me want to hear if you have
ever been Tech-recognized. Please! Send me
your story at carrie@mtu.edu! Or better yet,
send me a photo of yourself at an interesting
location wearing your Tech colors. Chris got it
started, and I convinced my daughter Helen to
put on a Tech shirt at the Grand Canyon to
show you all how it is done (see photo at left).
Now it’s your turn! Where have you shown
your Tech pride?
—Carrie Richards ’84
Margaret R. Gale, Dean
When most people hear Michigan Tech’s mission, “We prepare students
to create the future,” they think that it inspires our current and future
students to be active participants in developing their careers. However,
Tech’s mission also applies to alumni and friends. They also have the
opportunity to create the future by including the School of Forest Resources
and Environmental Science in their estate planning.
There are many forms of giving that allow the donor to shape the future of
the School, even after life. All gifts can be designated for general operations
Stacy Cotey
of 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 Michigan
Tech’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 the
School at death.
A Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT) allows donors to collect a percentage of
the 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 of
receiving a percentage of the income, the donor is paid a fixed dollar amount each year until
his 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. The
School uses the income from the CLT for a designated period of time, and when the term is
complete, the assets are transferred back to the donor or to heirs.
Class Notes
Alumni Sightings
In September, a soil quality group
met in Moscow, Idaho; this crew with
“Tech Ties” was snapped enjoying a
get-together afterward. From left to
right are Deb (Paige) Dumroese (MS
1985), Carl Trettin (1976, MS 1980),
Kas Dumroese (1984), Niklaas
Dumroese, Professor Marty
Jurgensen, and Joanne Tirocke
(1998, MS 2001). Niklaas is wearing
his MTU sweatshirt like a good future
Husky.
Awards and Recognitions
Recent 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 the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for “Measuring the Value of Fish and Wildlife
Habitat Restoration on Northern Wisconsin Lakes: The Wisconsin Lakeshore Restoration
Project.”
Visiting Assistant Professor Rodney Chimner received $17,500 from the USDA Forest
Service, San Juan National Forest, for a thirty-four-month project, “Developing Methods for
Restoring Fens in the San Juan National Forest, Colorado.”
In November 2006, Tom Gelb (1957)
caught the largest Wisconsin musky
reported since 1989. Its certified
weight was 51 pounds, 2 ounces. Tom
is pictured here with the whopper.
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, it
features Professor Kurt Pregitzer and USDA Forest Service ecologist Alex Friend, who
oversees 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 USDA
Forest Service Northern Research Station in Houghton, have received a grant from the US
Department of Agriculture to study the effect of red wriggler earthworms on ecosystem
function, forest health, and biodiversity in northern hardwood and hemlock forests. A link to
the Tech Today article can be found at www.forest.mtu.edu/news.
“Green Menace: Invasive Plant Species Can Damage Local Ecosystems,” an article on
invasive species in the Copper Country, appeared in the Daily Mining Gazette on April 7. The
article features Linda Nagel, assistant professor of silviculture. A link to the article can be
found at www.forest.mtu.edu/news.
Bruce Lindsay (1979) visited the
School recently. He has moved to
York, Maine, and will be getting
married next spring. He has two
daughters, Katie who will be a junior
at Grand Valley State University, and
Morgan, who will attend Michigan
State in the fall. Bruce enjoys all
outdoor activities, such as hiking,
biking, birding, kayaking, and sailing,
as well as reading and travel.
www.forest.mtu.edu
3
School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Awards and Recognitions
On the Job: Family Ties
continued from page 3
Bob and Ferdinand Lundberg were destined to be foresters;
the industry is in their blood.
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 of
Forest Resources and Environmental Science ranked fourth in the US based on scholarly
productivity, a measure of research activity. Academic Analytics developed the rankings by
analyzing 2005 data on faculty publications, which it compiles in its Faculty Scholarly
Productivity Index.
“We’re very pleased with the results of the study,” said David Reed, vice president for
research. “However, I’m not completely surprised. The forestry faculty are exceptionally
productive, and they deserve this recognition.”
“We have worked very hard to create an intense and exciting scholarly atmosphere that
significantly influences all our educational programs,” said Peg Gale, dean of the School. “But
most of all, we have a very creative group of faculty, staff, and student scholars, and we are
extremely proud that their scholarly efforts are being recognized nationally.” More information
can be found at www.forest.mtu.edu/news.
Professor Karnosky Receives Honorary Doctorate
David Karnosky accepts an
honorary doctorate in Tartu,
Estonia in December.
David 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 his
visit earlier the same week with President Bush.”
The ceremony was held as part of the university’s anniversary celebration. Founded in
1632, the university has strengths in ecology and biology. Several scientists from the
university have collaborated in his research on the effects of elevated carbon dioxide and
ozone on forest trees. “I have had continuous collaboration with the University of Tartu faculty
and students for the past fifteen years,” said Karnosky.
Be Part of Your School’s Success
We’d love to
hear from you!
We 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, 1400
Townsend 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!
n Operations Fund—for the School’s general expenses
n Ford Center—for improvements and operations at the home of
Fall Camp
n Alumni Memorial Scholarships—established by alumnus Dennis
Teegarden (1953) to honor former professors, staff, and students.
n Undergraduate Scholarships—for students; awards are based
on merit and/or financial need
n Peace Corps Scholarships—for graduate students enrolled in
the Loret Ruppe Master’s International Program in Forestry
n Hammer Equipment Fund—for equipment needed in the
classroom and in the field
n Master of Forestry Fellowship Fund—for graduate students in
our professional forestry master’s program
n Graduate Student Assistantship Fund—for graduate student
support
n Professional Meetings Scholarships—for student support to
attend professional meetings
4
email: forest@mtu.edu
Amount of gift
n $50
n $100
n Other __________
Form of payment
n Visa
!
Please enclose the latest
news about yourself (new additions
to your family, marriage, a new job,
promotion, etc.). Or drop us a line at
www.forest.mtu.edu/alumni/update.
n $200
n MasterCard
n $500
n $1,000
n American Express
n Check (made out to the Michigan Tech Fund)
n Discover
Credit card number __________________________________
Expiration date ______________________________________
Name as it appears on the card
___________________________________________________
n Please send me more information about the School.
These brothers are from Trout Creek, Michigan, where most of their immediate family were
involved in the forest industry. Bob and Ferdinand’s father was a logger, their mother worked at the
USFS tree nursery in Watersmeet, and their uncles were lumber graders and log-truck drivers. Their
grandparents had a small dairy farm.
While they both earned forestry degrees from Michigan Tech, and their lives sometimes took
parallel paths, the Lundberg brothers ultimately settled into very different careers, illustrating the
value and flexibility of their Tech forestry education.
Fond Memories of Tech
By Bob Lundberg, Class of 1975
I attended Gogebic Community College for one
year before transferring to Michigan Tech in fall 1969,
where I did so well that I entered the US Army via the
first draft lottery in fall 1970. After serving eleven
months in Vietnam, I was discharged from active
duty.
In 1972, I returned to Michigan Tech, where I
roomed at Mr. McGinty’s house on College Avenue.
With some other Yoopers, we created the OCF
(Ontonagon County Finlanders) who competed in
intramural sports and, if memory serves me right, did
very well. A number of the folks (me excluded) were
Dean Peg Gale visits Bob Lundberg at
SSCC’s southern procurement operation.
very good athletes.
In 1975 I graduated with a BS in Forestry. My main
memory of my time at Tech is of the outstanding faculty. They all were able to teach not only theory
but also the practical nature of forestry. This was a huge benefit when it came time to enter the job
market. As we progressed through school, it was neat to see that the professors were not only good
teachers but also pretty nice guys. I was going to mention my favorite professor, but after thinking
about 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 Club
members to finish a snow statue for Winter Carnival. The previous groups usually became
distracted . . .
I started my forestry career with Continental Can Company in 1976, working as a procurement
forester in North Carolina. I left Continental and moved to Hayward, Wisconsin, as an area forester
with Louisiana Pacific. I was hired by Jack Noblet, the son of Bert Noblet—founder of Tech’s forestry
school.
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 Container
Corporation. I am now southern regional woodlands manager and have direct responsibility for
overseeing the wood procurement activities for SSCC’s five southern paper mills. In addition, I
oversee 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 convince
my wife that a tree farm was a great investment and the timber would generate revenue equal to
the farm’s expenses. Well, after planting food plots and feeding deer, quail, turkey, and other forms
of wildlife that manage to relocate to the farm, she doesn’t believe me anymore!
From Forester to Engineer
By Ferdinand Lundberg, Class of 1969
In my youth, summers consisted of hand-peeling aspen, working the hay field, and hand-milking
cows. 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 it
had a pretty good basketball team, which won a couple state class E championships. I warmed
the pines. (continued on page 6)
Alumni
News
Keeping Connected
1950
Donald L. Martindale graduated fiftyseven years ago. Upon request, he
summarized his career path: Isle Royale
fire-tower man in 1948, seasonal ranger
in 1950, US Forest Service management
on Quachita National Forest, then on to
the SE Forest Experiment Station at the
University of Georgia. He became a
forestry consultant in Georgia, South
Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. He was
then hired to acquire land, minerals,
and right-of-ways. He returned to the
Forest Service doing land appraisal and
acquisition. He acquired by purchase or
land exchange several thousand acres
for the Mt. Rogers National Recreation
Area in Virginia and worked on land title
issues.
1956
Don Scott told us that during his time
at Michigan Tech, then known as the
Michigan College of Mining and
Technology, the Otter River cabin was
given to the School. He remembers his
classmate Pauli Haarala set the posts
that held the gates, which were installed
later. Using the cabin as a deer camp
involved backpacking everything in on
snowshoes because the road was not
plowed from the top of the hill down to
the camp. The only heat was from
fireplaces, and the “facilities” was a
one-holer back in the brush. Don asks,
“Can someone tell me why I miss it so?”
1959
Walt Cook is busy designing, building,
maintaining, and hiking on trails in
Georgia and South Carolina and
volunteering as stewardship person for
the Oconee River Land Trust.
1964
Bill Botti, along with coauthor
Michael D. Moore, has published a
book, Michigan’s State Forests,
A Century of Stewardship
(www.msupress.msu.edu). He has
also been doing a little consulting and
growing a few Christmas trees. He and
his wife are both active with Lions
International, and in March took their
fifth trip to Honduras with an eye-care
mission team. For the past twenty
years, the Bottis have directed a oneweek summer camp for the United
Methodist Church. He also is busy with
other groups around town—school
board, hospital board, Chamber of
Commerce—and has no plans to retire.
1968
Alan G. Newman retired in January
2006 from the USDA Forest Service
after thirty-two years. His last position,
which he held for ten years, was as
forest supervisor of the Ouachita
National Forest in Arkansas and
Oklahoma. Before joining the Forest
Service, he served as a pilot in the Air
Force for five years after graduating
from Tech and completing the ROTC
program. (continued on page 6)
www.forest.mtu.edu
5
School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Alumni News
Keeping Connected
continued from page 5
1971
Gene Mills has recently retired from the
insurance business. He sent in a great
account of his time at Michigan Tech
and of his career. Read more at Alumni
Stories on the web at
www.forest.mtu.edu/alumni.
1977
John Hirschfeld is still at the
Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection, where he is
now with the Enforcement Unit of the
Inland Water Resources Division. He
works with wetlands and watercourses,
dam safety, water diversion, stream line
encroachment, and flood zones. He has
brushed up on his soil classification and
mapping because wetlands are
delineated by soil drainage rather than
vegetation. He says, “I cheat. I look at
the vegetation too.” He says it is nice to
be back in natural resource
management. John also commented
that he “just loves the old yearbooks
now online; Glenn and Marty in the ‘70s
are wearing some very cool threads.”
The yearbooks are at
www.forest.mtu.edu/yearbook
1978
Daniel M. Iverson works for Manthei
Veneer in Petoskey, Michigan.
1979
Jan Beveridge finished his master’s
degree in engineering at Southern
Methodist University in December. Jan
says, “I may soon be a PhD candidate.”
Jan indicated some indecision about
this next step and summed it up by
saying, “I’m too old to do this now!” His
daughter Rachel is in medical school,
and his son Peter is a United States
Marine. He says, “Do you think I am
proud of them both? Maybe just a little.”
He works for Lockheed Martin
Aeronautics in the Software Engineering
Processes Group.
1983
Cynthia K. (Richardson) Unangst
moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland
last summer with her husband and
daughter. In fall 2006, she began
working as the town planner and zoning
administrator for two towns, Myersville
and Middletown, in Frederick County,
Maryland. She and her family live in a
planned community in Urbana, and
Cynthia says, “I love it here!”
Erich Tiefenbacher (MS) and Anita
Risch (MS 2000) celebrated the firstever School of Forest Resources and
Environmental Science Swiss Alumni
get-together over a good meal, some
beer, and good wine. Anita reports,
“More alumni meetings of the Swiss
members of FRES to follow, and we are
sure not to lose track of the members
(n = 2) when out and about in downtown
Zurich.” (continued on page 7)
6
email: forest@mtu.edu
From Forester to Engineer (continued from page 5)
I attended Gogebic Community College before transferring to Tech. Tech was willing to accept
students from small, unaccredited Upper Peninsula schools, which gave many farm boys
opportunities 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 to
earn money. I had to take a quarter off every now and then to replenish the bank account. My time
off got the attention of the US Draft Board. I served in Vietnam as a surveyor for field artillery and
am still serving as a member of the American Legion, where I have held the position of committee
chairman at the state level.
Service in the military allowed me to come back with a monthly check from Uncle Sam, and I
restarted at Tech in 1968. I was a charter member of the Vets’ Club, which created the unofficial rule
of 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—two
daughters and a son—and four grandchildren. Both daughters graduated from the North Carolina
State University College of Textiles.
After graduating in 1969, I went to work for the American Pulpwood Association Harvesting
Research Project in Atlanta, which involved the computer simulation of harvesting using new
mechanized machines. This was a very exciting time, with all the new automated harvesters and the
start of the computer era.
When my copycat younger bro came to the South, he would complain that when he introduced
himself, the person would ask, “Are you related to Ferdinand?” When my project ended, I went to
work for Weyerhaeuser in raw material procurement—the same racket as my brother! I was the
operations manager, exporting the first wood chips from the southern US (Morehead City, North
Carolina) to Sweden.
I settled my family in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area, where I began work with Allied Chemical in a
tire cord/seat belt yarn plant. I became an engineer in training and learned the world of poly(ethylene
terephthalate)—PET, or polyester. Although it was tough at the time, the Michigan Tech course work in
chemistry and other areas paid off, allowing this career change.
This on-the-job training enabled me to become a researcher
in synthetic and organic fiber formation at North Carolina State
University, in the Textile Chemistry and Engineering Department.
I have been named in seven patents covering the high-speed
spinning of PET and other thermoplastic polymers. I have
mentored approximately twenty PhD and a few MS fiber and
polymer science students over the years. Probably the most
interesting research project I was involved in was the spinning of
spider silk from goat’s milk.
Since retiring, I work part time using wood cellulose in a wet
spinning process. My work centers on poly(ethylene2,6naphalene dicarboxylate) PEN and the wet spinning project,
forming fibers that are about ten microns in diameter, but miles
long.
Some of my hobbies are amateur radio (I love Morse code),
horseshoes
(I attend ten or twelve tournaments a year),
Ferdinand Lundberg holds
gardening (I vine ripen tomatoes before the Fourth of July), trout
material spun by a melt extrusion
and spin-draw process.
fishing, deer hunting, walking in the woods, and woodworking.
My goals? Get back to full-time retirement.
Faculty Focus
Thomas Pypker: New to Houghton,
but Not Its Cold Weather
Tom Pypker joined the faculty in the
School as an assistant professor of forest
hydrology in February. Tom and his partner,
Catherine Tarasoff, moved from Oregon
State University (OSU), where they
completed their PhDs in Forest Science and
Weed Science, respectively.
Tom and Catherine are quickly settling into
life in Houghton, as they are no strangers to
winter weather. They both hail from Canada
and have spent many cold winters in the
interior of British Columbia. Since arriving,
they have enjoyed cross-country skiing on
the local trails. And this summer, they are
looking forward to setting up their garden and
raising some chickens for eggs. Tom says,
“Any tips on how to fend off deer from the
vegetable garden are very welcome.”
Tom completed his BS in Geography and
Environmental Science at McMaster
University in Hamilton, Ontario. He then
moved to Prince George, British Columbia,
where he completed a master’s in natural
resource management at the University of
Northern British Columbia.
While at UNBC, Tom became fascinated
with micrometeorology, the study of weather
conditions on a small scale, as in the area
immediately around a forest stand, an
animal, or a mountain. While working on his
PhD at OSU, Tom climbed sixty-meter
Douglas fir trees to investigate the effect of
epiphytic lichens and bryophytes on forest
canopy hydrology and micrometeorology.
Tom completed a two-year postdoc in the
College of Oceanography and Atmospheric
Sciences at OSU, where he investigated coldair drainage patterns in mountainous terrain.
Tom’s Favorite Links
www.forest.mtu.edu/faculty/pypker
http://feel.forestry.oregonstate.edu
/airshed
www.cbc.ca
www.torontomapleleafs.com
Alumni
News
Keeping Connected
continued from page 6
The School welcomes Tom Pypker as its
newest faculty member.
He has worked as a weather balloonist for
Environment Canada, a research assistant
for J. O. Thomas and Associates, and a
research assistant for the University of
Northern British Columbia.
Using tools in hydrology and
micrometeorology, Tom investigates the
exchange of matter and energy between the
soils, plants, and the atmosphere. In
particular, he is interested in the how water
and carbon move through ecosystems. He is
collaborating on research projects on the
effect of invasive earthworms on northern
hardwood forest hydrology; the impact of
nonnative tree species on the hydrology of
forest ecosystems in Argentina; and new
methods for quantifying ecosystem
metabolism in mountainous terrain.
Tom’s teaching responsibilities include
forest hydrology and forest
micrometeorology.
Reunite at Reunion
Alumni 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 to
attend. The University will be honoring the Golden “M” Club (all classes that have previously
celebrated 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’s
annual Alumni Reunion. The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science is
always 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 River
Steakhouse, in Houghton. We will be honoring the classes of 1982 and 1957, who will be
celebrating their twenty-fifth and fiftieth reunions. We will also hold our Honor Academy
induction and present the 2007 Outstanding Alumnus Award.
We hope that you can attend. You can get more information by at
www.forest.mtu.edu/alumni/reunion. To see the entire University’s activities, go to
www.alumni.mtu.edu/reunion.
1987
Ron Sumanik (MS) has been married
to Inge for twenty-three years and lives
in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. They
have two children. Caitlyn is a freshman
at the University of Alberta in
Edmonton, and Spencer is a
sophomore in high school. Ron began
working for the Yukon government as a
habitat biologist. In 1992, Ron became
a land claim negotiator for the Yukon
government. Then in 2001, Ron
became manager of the oil and gas
business development and pipelines
branch of the Department of Energy,
Mines, and Resources for the Yukon
government. He promotes the
development of two major natural gas
pipeline projects that will supply
substantial amounts of natural gas
energy to the United States, keeping
many Americans warm and electrified.
1988
Kevin Fox (MS 1991) is the new
regional aviation manager and will be
based in Anchorage, Alaska, working for
the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the
US Department of Interior.
1990
Meral Jackson has relocated back to
Michigan. She is working as a research
services specialist at Northwestern
Michigan College in Traverse City. Her
department is part of the for-profit
division of the college involved with
economic development. Meral says,
“This is a bit of a career change;
although my research experience and
statistical skills are the key ingredients,
my main focus is survey research.”
1993
Ralph Sheffer was promoted to fire
operations specialist for the Wisconsin
DNR, Division of Forestry, where he
handles prescribed burn issues for the
state, working on agreements with
agencies such as the US Forest
Service, the US Fish and Wildlife
Service, and FEMA. He coordinates the
DNR’s nine Incident Management
Teams, handling out-of-state emergency
mobilization. (continued on page 8)
www.forest.mtu.edu
7
School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
www.forest.mtu.edu
Alumni
News
Keeping Connected
Around the World
continued from page 7
After graduating with a BS in Applied
Ecology and Environmental Sciences,
I took a job with Praxair Inc., running a gas
chromatograph and performing leak
detection on oil refinery pipelines and
storage tanks.
In September 2005, I took a position with
Ecology and Environment Inc./Environmental
Protection Agency working on environmental
remediation in New Orleans after hurricanes
Katrina and Rita. The job was hectic, and the
work changed from minute to minute. It
ranged from retrieving and categorizing
barrels of industrial chemicals orphaned by
local companies or offshore oil rigs, to
remediation of contaminated areas, to
managing emergency landfills. I was
immensely dedicated to the project for the
seven months I was in New Orleans, not
once leaving the city.
In March 2006 I took a position with the
Department of Defense on military
installations in Kuwait. I’m currently working
in the Middle East as an environmental
compliance specialist. Primarily, I perform
By Christopher J. Hoeft, Class of 2004
1997
Fatih Mengeloglu (MS, PhD 2001)
became a proud father of twins, a boy
and a girl, in October. The babies are
Ismail Akad and Emine Naz. Fatih and
his family live in Kahramanmaras,
Turkey, where he is an assistant
professor at Kahramanmaras Sutcu
Imam University.
In the Field
The Diversity of the Great Smoky Mountains
Emine Naz
Ismail Akad
1998
Tonya (Treichel) Albers and her
husband, Scott, had a beautiful baby
girl, Nora Catherine, in September.
Tonya quit her job after over seven
years at Hurd Windows & Doors to be a
stay-at-home mom. At three months old,
Nora already loves trees and pictures of
leaves—look out, class of 2029!
Kevin Swanson (MS) works for the
Michigan DNR as a habitat biologist and
before that was employed by the
Michigan DEQ for over seven years.
Kevin sent a note that expressed his
gratitude for his education. He says,
“The knowledge acquired at MTU is
used and expanded upon everyday in
my challenging career.”
2000
Sheila Madahbee placed fourth in
women’s 3D target archery at the North
American Indigenous Games in Denver.
Sheila is also the two-time defending
women’s 3D target champion in Ontario
and will be competing in the Canadian
championships this summer. At a
competition in Barrie, Ontario, Sheila
“robin-hooded” an arrow (she split an
arrow with a subsequent arrow)—a feat
rarer than a hole-in-one in golf.
Anita Risch (MS) and Erich
Tiefenbacher (MS 1986) celebrated the
first-ever School of Forest Resources
and Environmental Science Swiss
Alumni get-together over a good meal,
some beer and good wine. Anita
reports, “More alumni meetings of the
Swiss members of FRES to follow, and
we are sure not to lose track of the
members (n=2) when out and about in
downtown Zurich.”
Radley Watkins (MS) has taken a new
job with Oneida County, Wisconsin, as
its new aquatic invasive species
coordinator. There are more than 1,100
lakes in Oneida County, so invasive
species are a concern.
(continued on page 10)
8
email: forest@mtu.edu
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 disturbance
ecology and the relationships between diversity, productivity, and stability in natural and
human-altered systems. A few years back, Chris’s interests and a little luck collided, vaulting
him 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 potential
collaborations. That visit spawned two graduate student projects and five peer-reviewed
papers (three others are in review), not to mention some exciting adventures in research for
Chris 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 protected
areas in the eastern United States and the most-visited national park. It is also among the
most ecologically diverse places on earth, with over 10,000 known species of plants and
animals living within its boundaries. The park contains one of the largest blocks of temperate
old-growth forest in North America, as well as a mosaic of historic human land use that
predates the creation of the park. This backdrop of disturbance and diversity has provided an
ideal environment for some of Chris’s current research.
One of his first studies in cooperation with National Park Service researchers was on the
long-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 an
abundant food supply, the deer population exploded and at its peak reached approximately
112 deer per square mile. The research team has gained great insights into how plant
communities respond to both intense and chronic grazing. One of the more interesting
findings involves a diminutive trillium species seldom seen outside of the southern
Appalachians, Catesby’s trillium (Trillium catesbaei).
The team noted that one of the few trillium species still found in the Cove was Catesby’s
trillium. Deer relish all trilliums, and while the large colonies of several species noted by the
park’s first naturalist were gone, this species seemed to be holding its own. This observation
prompted a study of the age structure of Catesby’s trillium. The team found that the plant was
able to hang on by flowering when smaller and at a younger age under chronic browsing than
in 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 herbs
in old-growth forests. One study looked at the age structure of trillium populations. An
interesting finding was that trilliums don’t mingle much. Rather, they form stable, singlespecies, 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 to
look at the effect of acid deposition (e.g., acid rain) on plant communities in forests that have
been ravaged by the exotic balsam woolly adelgid, a tree-killing insect that has caused
widespread mortality in Fraser fir stands.
This summer, Chris and his students will work on projects that touch on plants in the
southern Appalachians, bird and plant communities in Wisconsin grasslands, and deer in the
hemlock groves of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Chris credits his success to excellent
students and collaborators who share his enthusiasm and curiosity about the natural world.
audits to ensure that the US military complies
with its own environmental guidelines.
As you can see, I fell into the industrial
side of environmental work, but I still find
much of my ecology degree surprisingly
applicable. In addition to my current
compliance/audit work, I have designed and
implemented a remediation project for soil
contaminated by petroleum products and a
composting project using leftover green and
brown matter from the dining facilities as a
nutrient source for microorganisms, which
speeds up remediation. I have also aided in
air and water quality assessments, such as
studies on how US military bases affect the
local flora and fauna.
The best advice I can offer students is to
gain as much real-world experience as
possible in your field of choice through
internships. Also, diversify your education
and use every credit to your advantage to
become a well-rounded environmental
scientist, ecologist, or forester, because you
never know where your career path will lead.
Chris Hoeft (2004) visits Egypt.
Chris Hoeft (2004) shows his
Tech pride.
Around the School
Kurt and Maria Pregitzer Head Off to Their Next Great Adventure
Kurt and Maria Pregitzer look forward to
new challenges in their work and exploring a
new part of the country. Their three children
have moved out of the house, and they feel
this is a great time for a new challenge.
Maria, a lecturer in the School, says, “You
get to a certain age and either you commit to
staying put—or go for a change.” They’ve
opted for the change. Kurt says, “I like a new
challenge.”
Kurt, a professor in the School, is moving
on to be the chair of the Department of
Natural Resources and Environmental
Science in the College of Agriculture,
Biotechnology, and Natural Resources at the
University of Nevada, Reno. He will continue
to teach and do research, as well as
administer the department.
Within the same College, Maria will be the
coordinator of student affairs and outreach. In
her new position, she will be working full
time. Having summers off is just one of the
things she’ll miss. She will also miss the
small-town life and the awesome beauty of
the Upper Peninsula.
Kurt says he too will miss the area, but
mostly in the summer. He said, “In summer,
I’ll miss the long days and beautiful evenings
along the Portage.” He joked, “In April, I’ll
miss pushing a full grocery cart through a
foot of snow in the parking lot.”
Both agree that they will miss the students.
Maria will miss teaching and advising, and
Kurt says he will miss the strong emphasis
on field studies our students get.
Both Kurt and Maria are excited about the
new terrain, weather, and amenities that their
new location offers. The Sierras, Lake Tahoe,
and the Great Basin will be great to explore.
The alpine skiing around Lake Tahoe is
world-class. The weather is really nice in
Reno: sunny and warm, but not too hot, with
low humidity. And there is lots of city life that
you can’t get in Houghton, such as lots of
great restaurants, entertainment (shows,
theater, exhibitions), and sixty-five flights a
day.
Kurt sums it up by saying, “I’m excited to
learn about a new set of ecosystems.” Also,
“Life is short. Have fun and follow your
instincts!”
Maria commented, “I’ve learned a lot. The
School has a great program, and I will look
forward to hearing about all the future
successes of the alumni and faculty.”
Kurt and Maria Pregitzer
Maria Pregitzer instructs students
during a lab on the vegetation of
North America.
www.forest.mtu.edu
9
School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Alumni
News
Keeping Connected
continued from page 8
2001
Kristen (Rahn) Thrall (MS) and her
husband, Matt, had a baby girl in
November. Kristen reports that Jorga
Sequoia Thrall, who weighed 6 pounds,
12 ounces and was 20 inches long, is
very happy and healthy.
2002
Don Churchill is employed by West
Michigan Tree Services in Grand
Rapids, Michigan.
2003
Jennifer L. Papillo is working as a
naturalist and program coordinator at
White Clay Creek State Park in Newark,
Delaware. She is trying to figure out
how to move back to the UP!
2004
Buck Willoughby works in timber sale
preparation at the Ketchikan Misty
Fiords Ranger District in the Tongass
National Forest, in Alaska. He and Kerri
Roepke (MS EEN 2006) were married
last summer in Ketchikan.
Josh Shields (MS 2006) represented
Michigan Tech at the Midwestern
Association of Graduate Schools
competition. Josh was among three
Michigan Tech finalists in the annual
Distinguished Master’s Thesis
Competition. He was nominated by his
advisor, Assistant Professor Chris
Webster, for his thesis, “Initial Effects of
Group-Selection Harvesting with Yellow
Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) Retention
of Biodiversity in Northern Hardwoods.”
He received an Honorable Mention in
the 2007 MAGS Competition.
Congratulations to Joshua on this
outstanding achievement! Competition
was very stiff; fifty-one theses were
nominated.
2005
Erin (Taylor) Lizotte was married last
year and now lives in East Lansing.
She will finish her master’s degree in
December.
2006
Molly Cypher is working as an
environmental scientist/field scientist
doing site assessment, NEPA
assessments, and property condition
assessments. Cypher is based in
Traverse City (and loving it) and travels
a lot.
10
email: forest@mtu.edu
www.forest.mtu.edu
Welcome Two New Faces
Students Get a New Advisor and Lecturer
Matt Weeg has joined the School’s
teaching staff as a lecturer and
undergraduate advisor. Matt will be teaching
Vegetation of North America in the fall and
Freshman Seminar in the spring. He is
currently teaching physiological psychology
and will also advise first-year students and
mentor the learning community students.
Matt came from the University of Idaho,
where he got his BS in Biology. He received
his PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior from
Cornell University.
He is looking forward to
getting outside with the
students on the field trips
and introducing them to
ecosystems.
Matt Weeg
The biggest challenge
he’ll face? “The preparation
required for teaching a new class and the
heavy lab base of the vegetation class.” But
Matt feels he is up to the challenge. His
webpage is at www.forest.mtu.edu/weeg.
New Member of the Forest Service/School Team
Chris Swanston has joined the
Belowground Ecosystem Processes unit at
the US Forest Service Lab in Houghton as a
research ecologist and will participate in the
Northern Institute for Applied Carbon Science
and our School.
Chris uses radiocarbon isotope analysis
and organic matter fractionation methods to
characterize the processes controlling organic
carbon dynamics in forest soils. Soil carbon is
fundamental to forest productivity and
structure, strongly influencing soil fertility,
water storage and yield, and resistance to
erosion and compaction. Soil carbon also
plays a large role in global fluxes of carbon
dioxide (two-thirds of forest carbon is in soils).
Chris received a BS in Forest Ecology and
Soils from Humboldt State University,
California, and an MS and
PhD in Forest Science
from Oregon State
University. After a short
postdoc with the INRA
Forest Biogeochemistry
Unit in Nancy, France, he
settled into the Center for
Accelerator Mass
Chris Swanston
Spectrometry at Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory, California.
Chris arrived in Houghton with his wife, Liz
Gerson, who also studies forest ecology (but
aboveground). Chris and Liz enjoy spending
time outdoors skiing, bicycling, and kayaking
(snowblowing has been a new experience)
and are enjoying the community and
surroundings of Houghton.
Spring Banquet
The School’s annual spring banquet was held in April, honoring our
seniors, alumni, and friends. Senior Brandon Bal, who chairs the
student 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 Environmental
Sciences). Brandon also won the School’s Student Leadership Award.
On behalf of Xi Sigma Pi, the School’s honor fraternity, Forester
Maria Janowiak made several award presentations. Assistant
Professor Robert Froese received the School’s Distinguished
Teaching Award. Director of Development and Outreach Stacy Cotey
received the Distinguished Staff Award, and graduate student Lacey
Mason was given the Graduate Student Teaching Award.
Several student awards were presented for outstanding work
during the academic year. Brandon Bal, Rob Benson, Robin
Conklin, Marcy Erickson, and Chad Fortin were named the
Capstone Team of the Year for their work on the the Little Gratiot
River Tract. Tim Gebuhr was named Capstone Student of the Year.
Visiting Assistant Professor Rod Chimner presented the Wetland
Assessment Team Member of the Year Award to Elsa Jensen for her
work in wetland ecology.
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 Away
The 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 at
Tech for twenty-three years and served as acting head of the School in 1981. He played a key
role 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 Honor
Academy in 1996. Chuck passed away on January 17.
John “Jack” Hornick graduated in 1950 with a BS in Forestry. Jack’s career as a forester
included over thirty years with the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, from
1957 until his retirement. In his retirement, Jack was an active advocate for the Alberta
Village Museum and Sawmill at the Ford Center. In 2000, Jack was named the School’s
Outstanding Alumnus, and in 2001, he was inducted into the School’s Honor Academy. Jack
passed away on March 5.
After earning BS and MS degrees in Forestry in 1944 and 1947 from the University of
Michigan, James “Jim” Meteer Sr. came to Michigan Tech in 1965 as a professor of forest
research and forestry at the Ford Center. He moved to the main campus in 1980, where he
helped establish the School’s first microcomputer teaching lab. He earned professor emeritus
status in 1984, and in 1998 he was named to the School’s Honor Academy. Jim passed away
on March 6.
“We feel these losses deeply,” said Dean Peg Gale. “All three of these gentle men were an
integral part of the School. They are of the generation that melded our traditional forestry
education with the integrated programs we enjoy today.”
Go to www.forest.mtu.edu/news for a link to more information.
Brandon Ball, left, and Maria Janowiak, right, present Stacy Cotey, left
center, with the Distinguished Staff Award and Assistant Professor
Robert Froese, right center, with the Distinguished Faculty Award.
The University administration joined in congratulating Brandon Bal
as a 2007 Outstanding Senior and for winning the Student
Leadership Award. Pictured, left to right, are Michigan Tech
President Glenn Mroz, Brandon Bal, Dean Peg Gale, and Vice
President for Research David Reed.
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. Fifty
undergraduates 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
www.forest.mtu.edu
11