ASTM International Committee D07 on Wood  has honored Robert H. White, Ph.D., research wood scientist at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, in Madison, Wis., with the L.J. Markwardt Award.  White was recognized for his extensive contributions to the committee, particularly related to the development of standards for fire performance of wood in building construction.  

White, who joined ASTM International in 1984, is an active member of D07, where he is a past chair of Subcommittee D07.07 on Fire Performance of Wood, and Committee E05 on Fire Standards, where he serves as chair of Subcommittee E05.22 on Surface Burning.  He is a past recipient of an Award of Appreciation and Award of Recognition, both from Committee E05, as well as a Service Award from the ASTM Committee on Technical Committee Operations (COTCO).

The author or co-author of more than 90 articles or publications, White has been at the Forest Products Laboratory since 1975, when he joined the staff as a fire research scientist.  From 1991 to 2005, he was project leader of the fire research program at FPL.  His career has focused on the fire testing of wood products and fire safety of wood constructions, particularly the fire resistance of structural wood elements.

A graduate of the Pennsylvania State University where he earned a B.S. in wood science, White holds an M.S. in forest products from Oregon State University and a Ph.D. in forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Outside of ASTM International, White is a member of the Forest Products Society, the National Fire Protection Association, the International Association for Fire Safety Science and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, where he serves as deputy coordinator for the wood protection research group.

Release #7968