Street named interim sustainable bioproducts head
Jason Street
Jason Street has been named interim head of Mississippi State’s Department of Sustainable Bioproducts.
The department leads teaching, research and outreach supporting Mississippi’s $19 billion forest products industry. Street, an associate professor who has been with the department for 10 years, succeeds Rubin Shmulsky, who served as department head for 18 years.
“Dr. Rubin Shmulsky provided visionary and exemplary leadership during his tenure as head of the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts. We are grateful for his many years of service and are fortunate to have him remain in the department where he will devote his energy toward research and outreach to strengthen the forest products industry,” said Wes Burger, dean of the College of Forest Resources and director of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center. “I am confident in Dr. Jason Street’s ability to lead the department in this interim capacity.”
Street leads research on sustainable materials, renewable energy systems and wood-based composites and said his focus will be on strengthening the department’s engagement with Mississippi’s forest products sector.
“My goal is to foster research that tackles current industry challenges while encouraging faculty to translate new technologies into practical, affordable tools that companies can use. Our courses will fully prepare students with the hands-on skills employers are looking for, with feedback from employers to ensure graduates are workforce-ready, and that our service reflects our land-grant mission of supporting businesses and communities across the state,” he said. “By working closely with everyone from family-owned sawmills to large manufacturers, I’ll support faculty in their ongoing efforts to conduct research, teaching and Extension programs that meet the growing needs of Mississippi's forest products sector.”
Street served on the graduate committees of more than 40 students, chairing six doctoral and four master’s committees, and has supervised 14 undergraduate researchers. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, and since 2015 his research program has received more than $8.4 million in funding from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense and industry partners. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biological engineering and a doctorate in engineering from Mississippi State and has been a licensed Professional Engineer since 2018.
For more on MSU’s Department of Sustainable Bioproducts in the College of Forest Resources, visit www.bioproducts.msstate.edu.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.
Vanessa Beeson | Agriculture and Natural Resources Marketing
