VIRGINIA
TECH ADDS FORESTRY ADJUNCT
PROFESSORS
BLACKSBURG,
July 29, 2002 - Harold
Burkhart, distinguished
professor and forestry
department head in Virginia
Tech's College of Natural
Resources, has announced
the appointment of two
new adjunct professors
in the forestry department.
Joining the department
are David C. Chojnacky,
a forest inventory specialist,
and Richard L. Porterfield,
a forest economist and
retired executive vice
president of Champion
International Corporation
(CIC), now a part of International
Paper.
Since 1999, David Chojnacky
has been the sole proprietor
of Forest Service Enterprise
Unit, which performs inventory
and biometrics (applying
mathematics and models
to forestry data) contract
work for the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA)
Forest Service. His current
client work includes carbon
sequestration (incorporation
of carbon dioxide into
permanent plant tissues)
and fire related studies
at regional levels for
U.S. forests.
Chojnacky has served as
integrated inventory coordinator
with the Forest Service,
research forester and
adjunct associate professor
at Utah State University,
and visiting assistant
professor of mensuration
(measurement of trees,
timber, and timber products)
at Purdue University.
He received a B.S. degree
in applied math with a
forestry minor at the
University of Idaho, a
M.S. in watershed management
from the University of
Arizona in Tucson, and
a Ph.D. in forest biometrics
from Colorado State University
at Fort Collins.
Chojnacky provides peer
reviews for Forest
Science, Western
Journal of Applied Forestry,
Great Basin Naturalist,
Southwestern Naturalist,
Journal of Forestry,
Canadian Journal of
Forest Research, American
Midland Naturalist,
and Environmental Pollution,
and presents several papers
or posters a year to national
and international audiences.
Richard Porterfield began
his professional career
as assistant professor
in the University of Arkansas'
Department of Forestry
in 1973. From 1975 to
1979, he was a professor
in the School of Forest
Resources at Mississippi
State University. During
both appointments, he
taught and conducted research,
and authored more than
three dozen articles on
forest economics.
In 1979, Porterfield began
his career with Champion
International Corporation
as a manager in technical
development for their
timberlands division.
From 1980 to 1989, Porterfield
steadily move up the corporate
ladder to become vice
president of organizational
development at corporate
level in 1990. Later in
1990, he became senior
vice president and corporate
officer for organizational
development and human
resources.
In 1992, Porterfield was
appointed executive vice
president and corporate
officer for the forest
products sector. He oversaw
the corporation's production,
quality marketing, and
sales. In 1998, he became
executive vice president
and corporate officer
for the uncoated papers
section. He was responsible
for the corporation's
$5 billion sales of uncoated
paper products and oversaw
2700 employees.
Porterfield received his
B.S. degree from Ohio
State University in forest
business, a M.S. in forest
economics from North Carolina
State University, and
his Ph.D. from Yale University
in forestry and economics.
He completed the Harvard
Business School's Advanced
Management Program in
1988.
Porterfield is involved
with numerous professional
groups and currently serves
as chairman of the board
of directors for the Forest
History Society in Durham,
N.C., and as chairman
for the committee on accreditation
for the Society of American
Foresters. He has held
chairmanships and directorate
positions in Champion-related
organizations and the
American Forest &
Paper Association.
