Wood Science Essentials | National Association of Floor Covering Technicians

Wood Science Essentials is now availabale On-Demand

Wood Science Essentials includes presentations from leading university wood scientist including, Frank Owens, Ph.D., Rubin Shmulsky, Ph.D.,Tâmara França, Ph.D., and Frederico França, Ph.D.

Six interesting courses that you won’t want to miss:

Wood Anatomy and Properties – Wood is a biological material, so we will start with some basics on the gross and microscopic structure of wood. We will also explain how that structure causes wood to behave the way it does. Presented by Frank Owens, Ph.D.

Wood Identification – This session teaches participants how to identify wood by recognizing anatomical feature patterns on the end grain with a magnifying glass. Presented by Frank Owens, Ph.D.

Wood and Water Relations – This session will cover the relationship between water and wood, and its effects on wood processing and products. Presented by Frederico França, Ph.D.

Bio Degradation and Preservation of Wood – This session will cover biological and non-biological agents that degrade wood and the best management practices to protect wood and wood products. Presented by Tâmara “Tammy” França, Ph.D.

Kiln Drying and Defects – Discussion of why and how kiln drying is accomplished along with defects and downgrade that can occur when drying goes awry. Presented by Rubin Shmulsky, Ph.D.

Engineered Wood and Subfloors – Discussion of grade stamps, span ratings, exposure ratings, yield, strength and stiffness with particular reference to engineered wood joists and subfloors. Presented by Rubin Shmulsky, Ph.D.

Get Access to All Six Wood Science Essential Presentations

Now Available On-Demand

Access when you have time and resume where you left off

Registration:

NAFCT Members $150
Non-members $200

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Frederico José Nistal França, PhD

Frederico José Nistal França is an Assistant Research Professor at Mississippi State University, USA. Originally from Brazil, he holds a PhD degree in Sustainable Bioproducts from Mississippi State University (2017), a Master degree in Forest Science (2014) and a Wood Industry Engineering degree (2012) from the Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Dr. França is the instructor of “Physics of Biomaterials” and “Materials and Processing of Structural Bioproducts”. His research areas of interest are physical and mechanical properties of wood, nondestructive evaluation of wood (NDE), modeling, heat and mass transfer during wood drying and currently, he is investigating advanced vibrational measurements as an indicator of lumber strength. In 2013 and 2016 Fred did internships at the Forest Product Laboratory, Madison, WI USA, where he received a Certificate of Appreciation from USDA Forest Service (2013) for his research contribution to the USDS Forest Product Laboratory. His research goals are to develop a better understanding of the relationship between elastic waves and wood mechanical properties to predict strength, improve lumber grading, and quality of biomaterials.

Tâmara “Tammy” França, PhD

Tâmara França is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, Mississippi State University. She holds a PhD in Forest Resources from the Mississippi State University, a M.Sc. degree in Forest Science from the Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil, and two bachelor degrees, one in Wood Technology (Para State University, Brazil) and Business Administration (Metropolitana College). Dr. França teaches three courses, “Introduction to Sustainable Bioproducts” which is a freshman level course, a split level for undergraduate and graduate students “Deterioration and Preservation of Biomaterials”, and a graduate level course “Advanced Wood Science and Technology”. She is currently serving as Executive Director of Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST) and board member of the Forest Products Society (FPS) and she is the SWST/FPS Student Chapter advisor. Her research areas include durability and protection of wood and wood products and its effect on physical and mechanical properties of wood. She is actively investigating durability and preservation issues associated with cross-laminated timber in the southern climate. In addition, she is investigating the effect of fungi decay on mechanical properties of wood, and assessment of early decay stages on wood. Her research has been presented orally in a number of national and international conferences and has been published and served as a reviewer in several peer reviewed journals such as Wood Fiber Science, Holzforschung, Forest Products Journal, and BioResources.

Frank Owens, PhD

Since 2001, Frank Owens has been involved in the global marketing and sourcing of wood products. He holds a doctoral degree in forest resources from Mississippi State University, where he currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts. He teaches courses in wood anatomy and forest products marketing and conducts research on lumber properties, nondestructive testing, and computer vision applications for wood identification. He currently serves on the Council of the International Association of Wood Anatomists (IAWA) and the Board of Directors of the National Association of Floor Covering Technicians (NAFCT).

Rubin Shmulsky, PhD

Rubin Shmulsky is professor and department head of Sustainable Bioproducts at Mississippi State University. His program focuses on manufacturing and performance of solid and engineered wood products. He’s an active member of the Forest Products Society, Society of Wood Science and Technology, American Society of Civil Engineers, and an elected Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science.