The CMEC is an interdisciplinary facility administered through the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture at Washington State University. WSU’s wood materials engineering program is unique in the United States with its administrative home in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture. This focus on engineering is applied to such critical issues as the marriage of wood with synthetic materials, the use of recycled materials, and the effective use of materials in structural systems.

Graduate students are generally admitted through the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering or Biological Systems Engineering. Plans of study are developed in conjunction with the student’s graduate committee. No specific courses are required. Instead, courses are selected based upon the needs of the student.

Areas of Study

• Wood Composite Materials
• Polymeric Materials
  • Materials Chemistry
  • Materials Processing
  • Mechanics
• Wood Structural Engineering

All students are required to manage a research or design project and communicate the results in the form of a thesis or final report. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to participate in the many research projects that are conducted at the Composite Materials and Engineering Center. These practical training opportunities are essential to translating a breadth of information on materials, equipment, and industrial problem solving.

More than 150 advanced degrees have been earned by students who worked under the guidance of the CMEC. Four of these students have received the International Wood Award for Best Graduate Research. For a list of those who have finished their degrees and their theses and dissertation titles, visit the Graduate Students Theses page.