Contact: Maridith Geuder
A specialized forest products training program developed at Mississippi State University is earning worldwide recognition.
A short course on the technique of curve sawing is among a showcase of "internationally exemplary programs" recently honored by the Kansas-based Learning Resources Network.
LERN, the international association for lifelong learning, cited the Mississippi State entry for "originality, innovation and appropriateness as a model for other programs," among other criteria.
Developed by visiting professor Rubin Shmulsky, the course involves the use of computers to determine the best cutting solution for lumber. Gang saws are used to cut logs in a process that twists and turns the saws to produce longer and stronger boards.
Alan Brown, program coordinator for the College of Forest Resources, accepted the award at LERN's recent convention in Toronto, Canada.
"The short course in curve sawing was selected from a field of more than 100 nominations from four countries," Brown said. "Because the awards selection process is very competitive, it truly is a high honor to be selected."
The MSU honor is the second in as many years the network has given for course programming by the College of Forest Resources. In 1997, a training course in wildlife forensics originally developed by MSU's Division of Continuing Education was among four receiving exemplary program development awards.