Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association partners with MSU to advance mass timber through endowed professorship
Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association board members include back row, right to left: Hayes Singleton; Chad Smith; Justin Simpson; Ray Beeson; Keith Stanley; Trey Hankins, vice president; Dan Seale, ex-officio board member; Bill Schlottman, president; Jeremy Pitts; Todd Nodine; and Richard Batton; top row, right to left: Jessica Atkins, secretary and treasurer; Ellery Jones, executive director; and Donna Whitaker.
A new partnership between Mississippi State and the state’s leading lumber organization is positioning the university as a leader in forest products innovation.
The Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association has established the Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association Endowed Professorship in Innovative Wood Construction and Design at MSU. The endowment -- housed in the College of Forest Resources’ Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, with a joint appointment in the College of Architecture, Art and Design’s School of Architecture -- aims to drive innovation in mass timber manufacturing, construction and design, with a research emphasis on sustainable wood construction, strength and durability.
Applications for the endowed professorship position will open this fall with an expected starting date of August 2025.
“There are lots of exciting construction technologies using wood that have been developed in recent years, but it’s not guaranteed tomorrow’s architects and structural engineers will get the opportunity to learn about them while in college,” said Trey Hankins, MLMA vice president and chief financial officer of Hankins, Inc., a Mississippi-based lumber manufacturer. “Since forestry is such an important part of Mississippi’s economy, MLMA felt it was worth the investment to ensure our state’s students become familiar with innovative wood technologies. That way, Mississippi’s landowners, loggers and sawmill workers can all benefit from the economic growth these innovations will bring.”
Widely used in Europe, mass timber is gaining traction in North America as a renewable and more sustainable alternative to concrete and steel. Offering fire resistance, seismic durability and faster installation, it reduces carbon emissions in construction, which accounts for 40% of emissions globally. U.S. mass timber projects are growing 18-20% annually, according to Woodworks, a national nonprofit wood products council.
Wes Burger, dean of the College of Forest Resources and director of the university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center, said the endowment further positions MSU as an innovator in sustainable building products and design.
“MSU’s and MLMA’s commitment to advancing education, research and outreach in mass timber is essential for the growth of sustainable construction in our region,” he said. “This partnership empowers MSU to equip future professionals in wood science, architectural design and construction science with the knowledge and skills needed to drive economic development and environmental stewardship throughout Mississippi and beyond.”
The position will also focus on mass timber learning opportunities for architects in the Magnolia State and across the Southeast.
“This collaborative endowment creates a catalyst for innovation and lays a vital foundation for economic development and the growth of the mass timber industry in our state,” said Angi Elsea Bourgeois, dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Design. “We envision this shared position leading to collaborative growth in advancing a major sustainable resource, both from the perspective of its materiality and its possibilities in design and construction.”
For more on MSU’s Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, visit www.bioproducts.msstate.edu. MSU’s School of Architecture is available online at www.caad.msstate.edu/architecture.
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Vanessa Beeson | Agriculture and Natural Resources Marketing
