Our People Are Our Greatest Asset

Our people are recognized worldwide for their cutting-edge research in advanced manufacturing, novel forest-based biomaterials, paper science and processes, renewable chemicals and energy, business processes and innovation, and sustainable materials and technology. We are a research powerhouse with an ecosystem built for achievement and collaboration. Our research teams are cross-disciplinary and are often comprised of experts from a variety of fields within Forest Biomaterials, the broader College of Natural Resources, other colleges at NC State and representatives from government agencies, the private sector, industry or other universities.

Meet Our Faculty Experts

Faculty in the Department of Forest Biomaterials bring expertise in sustainable materials, paper science, manufacturing, engineering and the bioeconomy. Explore their research interests and areas of specialization.

• Med Byrd — Specializes in mechanical, chemical and nonwood pulping and bleaching, as well as agricultural residue processing.
• Ronalds Gonzalez — Specializes in conversion economics and the analysis of financial and supply chain processes.
• Martin Hubbe — Specializes in chemical paper additives, colloidal chemistry affecting dewatering, the charged nature of cellulosic materials and dry strength development.
• Frederik Laleicke — Specializes in wood physics and durability, mass timber products and wood recycling.
• Nathalie Lavoine — Specializes in nanocellulose-based advanced materials, active and intelligent packaging, and sustainable materials processing.
• Lucian Lucia — Specializes in green chemistry, fiber and polymer science, environmental sciences, materials science, renewable polymers and chemical modification of cellulosics for biomedical applications.
• Lokendra Pal — Specializes in sustainable materials science and engineering, functional coatings, digital printing, printed electronics, 3D printing and Lean Six Sigma processes.
• Sunkyu Park — Specializes in lignocellulosic biomass reactivity, hemicellulose chemistry and cellulose crystalline structures for dissolving pulp applications.
• Melissa Pasquinelli — Specializes in fibrous and biopolymeric materials, environmental chemistry, interfacial engineering and molecular modeling.
• Joel Pawlak — Specializes in engineering multiphase materials, including porous fibrous web structures, foams, natural superabsorbents, enzymatic manipulation of material structure, nanoscale fiber composites and novel applications of rheological phenomena.
• Perry Peralta — Specializes in wood physical properties, wood mechanics, statistical process control and the development of novel forest biomaterials through nonwoven technologies.
• Ilona Peszlen — Specializes in wood anatomy and properties, environmental effects on wood and fiber properties, genetic improvement of wood quality and properties, and utilization of plantation wood.
• Richard Phillips — Specializes in strategic business practices, leadership and critical thinking in the pulp, paper and forest products industries.
• Rico Ruffino — Specializes in industrial and product design, including design thinking, development and prototyping with a focus on sustainability.
• Daniel Saloni — Specializes in process improvement, supply chains, biomass and bioenergy conversion.
• Richard Venditti — Specializes in processing and utilizing natural polymers in new products and fuels, separation science in fiber processing and environmental life cycle analysis of products.