College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Category: News

Rolf Peterson receives Certificate of Distinction

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Research Professor – Robbins Chair, Rolf Peterson has received the  2012 Certificate of Distinction from the Purdue Ag Alumni Association.  The Certificate is the highest recognition conferred by the Association.

Rob Swihart, Professor and Head of the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources said, “Notably, in my 20 years at Purdue, this is the first occasion of which I’m aware in which an alumnus in wildlife has been recognized!  By any measure, your achievements certainly warrant such recognition, and I know that our faculty, staff, and students will be thrilled with the news. ”

Congratulations to Rolf!

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Excellent Teachers

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Congratulations to Michael Falkowski, Shekhar Joshi, Linda Nagel, and Tom Pypker for ranking in the top 10% of the student evaluations for the question: “Taking everything into account, I consider this instructor to be an excellent teacher.”
They received scores from 4.89-5.00 on these evaluations for spring semester, 2011. Great job!!

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Joe Kovach – 1987 (MS)

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The School of Forest Resources is saddened to learn of the recent passing of our alumnus  Joe Kovach (1958 – 2011)

This obituary and picture was published in the Wausau Daily Herald on November 1, 2011

Joseph A. Kovach

Joseph A. Kovach, 53, Wausau, died Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, at Aspirus Hospice House in Wausau.

He was born Jan. 19, 1958, in Livorno, Italy, to Alexander and Virginia (Beatty) Kovach. Joseph’s father was a military man and, therefore, Joseph was able to travel the world as an army child. He was a graduate of both Penn State University(undergrad) and Michigan Tech where he completed his masters.

Joseph was married and divorced. He spent much time in Ecuador. He first went there as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1981 to 1983. He enjoyed it so much he later returned to work there as a forester for Baltek Corp. for eight years. It was at this time that he met and married the mother of his two children. They later settled in Wausau. Joseph worked in the Forestry Division for the DNR for 18 years as a forest ecologist and silviculturist.

He is survived by his mother, Virginia (Beatty) Kovach, Roy, Utah; son, Jesse Kovach, Wausau; daughter, Alexis Kovach, Madison; sisters, Judith Kovach, Wausau, and Kitty Kovach, Roy, Utah; nephew, David Kovach; and other loving family and friends.

Service with visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011, at John J. Buettgen Funeral Home, Schofield.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Society of American Foresters and the Foresters Fund.

John J. Buettgen Funeral Home is assisting the family.

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BRC Travel Grants Annouced

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The Biotechnology Research Center has announced the recipients of its fall travel grants:

  • Graduate student Tayloria Adams (ChE): $500 toward a poster presentation at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting held in Minneapolis, in October.

  • Graduate student Aytug Gencoglu (ChE): $500 toward a podium presentation at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting held in Minneapolis, in October.

  • Graduate student Seyyed Hessam Mir Shah Ghassemi (ME-EM): $500 toward a podium presentation at the Electrochemistry 2011 meeting held Boston, in October.

  • Undergraduate student Hallie Holmes (Biomedical Engineering): $500 toward a podium presentation at the Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting held Hartford, Conn., in October.

  • Graduate student Beini Jiang (MATH): $500 toward a poster presentation at the WORLDCOMP ’11 Meeting held in Las Vegas, in July.

  • Graduate student Robert Larson (KIP): $500 toward a poster presentation at the Experimental Biology 2011 Conference held in Washington, DC, in April.

  • Graduate student Kaela Leonard (ChE): $500 toward a podium presentation at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting held in Minneapolis, in October

  • Graduate student Saikat Mukhopadhay (Physics): $500 toward a poster presentation at the International Conference on Theoretical and Applied Physics to be held in Kolkata, India, in December.

  • Graduate student Haley Rupp (SFRES): $500 toward a poster presentation at the WoW 2011 Symposium held in Vancouver, British Columbia, in June.

  • Graduate student Alicia Sawdon (ChE): $500 toward a podium presentation at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting held in Minneapolis, in October.

  • Graduate student Christopher Schwartz (KIP): $500 toward a poster presentation at the Experimental Biology 2011 Conference held in Washington, DC, in April.

  • Graduate student Katherine Snyder (Biomedical Engineering): $500 toward a poster presentation at the ORS 2011 annual meeting held in Long Beach, Calif., in January.

  • Graduate student Chungja Yang (ChE): $250 toward a poster presentation at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting held in Minneapolis, in October.

  • Graduate student Huan Yang (KIP): $500 toward a poster presentation at the Experimental Biology 2011 conference held in Washington, DC, in April.
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