Timothy G. Rials
Professor and Director, Forest Products Center and Southeastern Sun Grant Center

A native of McComb, Mississippi, Tim Rials received his undergraduate degree in Forest Management Science from Mississippi State University in 1980. He then transferred to Virginia Tech where he earned both Masters (1983) and Ph.D. (1986) degrees from the Department of Wood Science and Technology. Tim then joined the faculty at the University of California-Berkeley as assistant professor, conducting research on renewable materials. In 1988, he moved to Louisiana accepting a research scientist position with the USDA-Forest Service, Southern Research Station in Pineville. After 8 years of experimentation around wood-polymer interfacial properties and adhesion, Tim accepted the role of Project Leader of the wood utilization research unit.

Five years later, Tim moved to The University of Tennessee, accepting the position of Professor in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, and Director of the Forest Products Center. At UT, Tim expanded his research into vibrational spectroscopy of wood and related materials while working to coordinate the Forest Products Center’s overall program and vision. In 2005, he assumed the role of director for the Southeast Sun Grant Center, effectively broadening the research effort to consider bioenergy and bio-based products. A fellow in the International Academy of Wood Science and member of the American Chemical Society, Tim continues working today to advance the efficient use of wood and biomass to strengthen the bioeconomy in Tennessee and the Southeast.