Rate My Professor Graeme Palmer

Dr. Graeme Palmer is a Lecturer in wood science at Southern Cross University in the School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering. He holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Forestry and Computer Science from the Australian National University, awarded in 1989. Palmer completed his Doctor of Philosophy at Southern Cross University in 2010, with the thesis titled "Conversion Modelling: Simulating Tree Stems." Prior to his PhD, he worked for ten years until 2000 in Queensland on wood science and processing research. He has extensive technical experience in wood processing gained across Asia, America, Europe, and the South Pacific. At Southern Cross University, he serves as Director of the Forest Research Centre, Manager of Technical and Laboratory Services, and a researcher in the ZeroWaste cluster. The Forest Research Centre examines ecology of native forests in Australia, South-East Asia, and the South Pacific, promoting sustainable forestry and agroforestry.

Palmer's research focuses on renewable materials and energy, silviculture of hardwood plantations, and bioresource utilisation. His work addresses thinning intensity, initial spacing effects on wood properties, spiral grain, color variation in sawn timber, and productivity in Eucalyptus plantations. Key publications include "Stocking and intensity of thinning affect log size and value in Eucalyptus pilularis" (2012, Forest Ecology and Management), "Color variation and correlations in Eucalyptus dunnii sawnwood" (2008, Journal of Wood Science), "Spiral and interlocking grain in Eucalyptus dunnii" (2005, Holz als Roh- und Werkstoff), "The effect of wide initial spacing on wood properties in plantation grown Eucalyptus pilularis" (2013, New Forests), and "Enhancing agroforestry in Vanuatu: Striking the balance between individual entrepreneurship and community development" (2016, Forests, Trees and Livelihoods). He leads field trials in the Richmond River catchment on integrated tree-based agricultural systems and contributes to international projects in Vanuatu and Vietnam. Southern Cross University's forestry sciences are ranked well above world standard by the Australian Research Council (2018).