Rate My Professor Scott Leavengood

Scott Leavengood is Professor and Director of the Oregon Wood Innovation Center in the Department of Wood Science and Engineering at Oregon State University College of Forestry. He has worked with OSU since 1994, beginning as a Wood Products Extension Agent in south-central Oregon for seven years and then in the Portland metro area for five years, providing technical assistance and training to wood products manufacturers on wood technology, quality and process control, and utilization of lesser-known species. Appointed Director of the Oregon Wood Innovation Center in 2005, he links research and education to industry needs, assists entrepreneurs with market assessments and product testing, and conducts research on best practices in quality management leading to quality and innovation performance in wood products firms.

Leavengood earned a Ph.D. in Systems Science with emphasis in Engineering Management from Portland State University in 2011, with a dissertation on best quality management practices for quality and innovation in the forest industry; an M.S. in Forest Products from Oregon State University in 1994; and a B.S. in Wood Science and Technology from Colorado State University in 1992. His research specializations include quality management, advanced manufacturing, process control, and wood products processing. Key publications comprise the book chapter On the Hardwood: More Importantly Under It (2022); Dynamic Moisture Resistance of Chemical and Thermal Modified Plywood (2022); Dimensional Stability of Modified Wood Composite Panels (2021); Properties of the Western Juniper Strandboard (2021); and Performance of Exterior Wood Coatings in Temperate Climates (2021). Among major awards are the Distinguished Educator Award from the Society of Wood Science and Technology (2018), Dean's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Outreach and Continuing Education from the College of Forestry (2018), Outreach and Engagement Award from Oregon State University (2016), and Aufderheide Excellence in Teaching Award (2016). He has secured grants totaling $3,728,757 as principal investigator for $368,313 and served on committees including Promotion and Tenure, Graduate Affairs, Faculty Senate, and professional roles in Society of Wood Science and Technology and Forest Products Society, enhancing industry competitiveness through extension and research.