Dr. Bogdan Strimbu, assistant professor of biometrics and quantitative silviculture at Louisiana Tech University’s School of Forestry, recently organized and conducted a technical session at the International Union of Forest Research Organization’s (IUFRO) XXIII World Congress in Seoul, South Korea. The Congress, held every five years, brings together industry leaders from the IUFRO’s eight divisions to help form the future research direction for the global field of forestry.  The group also decides the organization’s general course of research and associated themes for the next five years. “The selection of the new themes is a challenging and daunting task that is commonly performed by scientists that have not only scientific knowledge, but also a broader perspective on global issues,” said Strimbu.  “Consequently, participation in the team deciding the forestry research is an honor and very competitive.” According to Strimbu, Louisiana Tech had the privilege of conducting a technical session at the World Congress, thus dictating where some of the industry’s research focus will be placed over the next five years. The direction of the session, organized jointly with National Taiwan University and Transylvania University, was the significance of the mixed species forest ecosystems in social, economic and environmental areas. “Our session was a great success as the room hosting the session was completely filled,” said Strimbu.  “People stood to hear speakers from nearly every continent on earth.” The IUFRO is a non-profit, non-governmental international network of forest scientists, which promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and trees. “Forests for the Future: Sustaining Society and the Environment” was the theme for this Congress, focusing on areas such as climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of forest resources, forest products and production processes, emerging technologies, communities and cultures, and human health and environmental security. Strimbu said the significance of the Congress quickly became clear as over 2700 participants from international organizations, governments, academia, and the private sector heard South Korean President Lee Myung-bak deliver the event’s opening speech. The School of Forestry at Louisiana Tech seeks to enhance the social, ecological and economic value of forest resources for the citizens of Louisiana and the nation through professional education, basic and applied research, and service to the public and various natural resource management professional groups. The School has over 50 years of proud history in teaching, research, and service to the community, state, and nation, and is one of six academic units housed in Louisiana Tech’s College of Applied and Natural Sciences.