B.S. Forest Science, 1974; Ph.D. Forest Resources 1982

Stephen E. Fairweather graduated from the School of Forest Resources with a B.S. in Forest Science in 1974. While at Penn State, he actively participated in Alpha Phi Omega, Alpha Zeta, Penn State Archery Club, and the Penn State Woodsmen's Team. He then earned an M.S. in Forestry (Remote Sensing and Forest Pathology) with a minor in Statistics from the University of Minnesota in 1976, and returned to Penn State (1976 - 1979) to complete a Ph.D. in Forest Biometrics (awarded in 1982). While he was at Penn State working on his Ph.D., he was appointed as an Instructor in Forest Biometrics.

In 1979 Steve took a temporary assignment with the US Forest Service in St. Paul, Minnesota, as a research forester. In that position he developed a growth model for the forests of western Oregon. From 1980 to 1984, Steve worked as the inventory forester/biometrician for Great Northern Paper Company in Maine, where he also served on the Advisory Board for the Scientific Forest Management Area at Baxter State Park. While in Maine, Steve was also an adjunct faculty member of forest biometrics in the University of Maine's College of Forest Resources. Steve returned to Penn State as an assistant professor in 1984 and served on our faculty until 1993. While at Penn State, he was the faculty advisor to Alpha Zeta Fraternity and to Ag Student Council. He was also the forestry instructor for the first few Governor's Schools of Agriculture, faculty manager of our School's forest lands, and chair of the Forest Science program's faculty. Steve was selected as an associate editor of the Northern Journal of Applied Forestry. He left Penn State in 1993 to become the forest biometrician for Boise Cascade, and from 1998 to 2000 was the forest biometrician for Olympic Resource Management.

During this period, Steve served on the USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis Blue Ribbon Panel as the forest industry representative to review FIA programs and priorities. He also co-chaired a forest inventory international conference in Boise in 1998 that attracted 300 people from 30 countries. Steve served a three-year term on the SAF Science and Technology Board representing biometrics, inventory, remote sensing, and GIS. As a member of that board, he helped get the SAF Science Fund started.

Steve moved to Mason, Bruce, and Girard, Inc. (MB&G ) in 2000, and became a Principal there in 2004. MB&G is a consulting firm serving industry and government since 1921. Steve was elected to be president of MB&G in 2006, and still serves in that role. He also manages the Inventory and Biometrics Group at MB&G, which has taken him to projects all across the United States.

Steve continued his service to the forestry profession by serving on the SAF's accreditation review team that visited Michigan State University. His influence stretches to international work, as he has worked on the verification of forest inventory for the Ministry of Natural Resource lands in Siberia. Steve has been the invited speaker at the annual meetings of the Association of Consulting Foresters for the last three years, and currently serves as the Chair of the SAF Ethics Committee.

Steve and his wife Sue live in West Linn, Oregon, with a 3-year old yellow Labrador retriever named Ruby. Sue and Steve have two daughters and two grandchildren, and Steve routinely makes pancakes on the weekends for the grandkids.

Department of Ecosystem Science and Management

Address

117 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802
Directions

Department of Ecosystem Science and Management

Address

117 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802
Directions