7:39 p.m.
Dear IUFRO Meliaceae Working party:
Below is a press release from IUFRO 2019, regarding the new IUFRO
president, John Parrotta.
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Sat, Oct 5, 2019 at 4:58 PM
Subject: Press Release - New Leadership in IUFRO – John Parrotta Follows
Mike Wingfield as President
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
<http://www.iufro.org/>
* International Union of Forest Research Organizations *
Press Release - New Leadership in IUFRO – John Parrotta Follows Mike
Wingfield as President
New Leadership in IUFRO – John Parrotta Follows Mike Wingfield as President
PDF for download
<http://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/events/iwc19/IUFRO_RELEASE_NEW_PRESIDENT_5OCT.pdf>
(Curitiba, 5 October 2019) As of today, the International Union of Forest
Research Organizations (IUFRO) has a new President. Dr. John Parrotta,
National Research Program Leader for International Science Issues with the
U.S. Forest Service, has assumed office for the term until the 2024 IUFRO
World Congress in Stockholm, Sweden. He is joined in this leadership role
with the new Vice-Presidents Prof. Daniela Kleinschmit, Freiburg
University, Germany, and Prof. Shirong Liu, Chinese Academy of Forestry.
Dr. Parrotta follows Prof. Mike Wingfield, FABI Professor and Advisor to
the Executive of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, who served IUFRO
as President for the past five years, and under whose Presidency the
organization celebrated its amazing 125th anniversary. During his term
Prof. Wingfield has strongly promoted the great responsibility of IUFRO to
provide solid and reliable data that will underpin some of the most
important decisions relating to forests and natural resources for a
sustainable future. He has also placed special emphasis on strengthening
the involvement of young forest scientists through close cooperation with
the International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA), which has now
also been provided with full representation on the IUFRO Board.
At the closing ceremony of the 25th IUFRO World Congress in Curitiba,
Brazil, incoming President Dr. Parrotta made an enthusiastic acceptance
speech, in which he particularly stressed the important role that the
forest science community has to play in the world. "The world needs what
IUFRO has to offer," he said. "However, the sustainable development
challenges we face are multi-faceted, and extend beyond the traditional and
even current scope of forest science. The good news is that we are not
alone. IUFRO can multiply its impact by expanding our collaboration in
research, science synthesis and communications well beyond the boundaries
of our current network."
During his five year term Dr Parrotta wishes to especially focus on
fostering collaboration with scientists and research networks with whom
IUFRO is not sufficiently engaged. This may include, for example, fields
such as agriculture, human health, spatial planning, environmental
engineering, environmental education, the arts and humanities. "Diversity
is IUFRO's strength," he said, "The productivity, health, and the many
benefits we derive from forests are underpinned by biodiversity. Similarly,
IUFRO's scientific excellence and value to society depend on engaging the
diversity of disciplinary perspectives, knowledge, experience, and cultural
values among our scientsts and member organizations."
Dr. Parrotta has engaged in various areas of forest science research
worldwide for over 30 years, and has a particular interest in tropical
forest ecology, the ecology and management of planted forests, forest
restoration, and traditional forest knowledge. He has conducted research in
Puerto Rico and Brazil, worked collaboratively with many colleagues from
around the world on a variety of science syntheses and other projects. He
is the author of over 175 scientific publications on these and other
topics, and a member of the editorial board of several international forest
science journals. He has been active in IUFRO since 1993 and has served as
Vice-President for Task Forces, Special Programmes, Projects and IUFRO-led
Initiatives for the last five years.
---------------------------------------
*Media contact: *Gerda Wolfrum, International Union of Forest Research
Organizations (IUFRO), wolfrum(a)iufro.org
The *International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)* is the
only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related
sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and
individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other
stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees: https://www.iufro.org/
---------------------------------------
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