Haviarova Named as International Society of Wood Science and Technology Fellow

Eva Haviarova, professor of wood science, has been named a fellow of the International Society of Wood Science and Technology.  

The SWST Fellow Award is given to recognize significant contributions to the wood science and technology profession and service to the Society by SWST members. Criteria for election to the distinction of fellow include: activities that demonstrate continuing commitment to leadership to SWST, significant professional accomplishments that advance wood science and technology at the regional, national or international level over a 15-year period, and promoting the profession.

“Throughout my career, I have worked to elevate the area of Wood Science and Technology, expand its reach, spearhead the society's internationalization and cultivate the next generation of scientists and practitioners,” Haviarova said. “It is an honor to be named as a SWST fellow for my service to the wood science field and SWST.”

Haviarova was previously honored by SWST in 2021 with the Distinguished Educator Award. That honor, which is given by SWST to one deserving individual in teaching or in extension/outreach each year, recognizes faculty and instructors for sustained excellence in teaching that incites intellectual curiosity in students, inspires colleagues and makes students aware of significant relationships between academia and the world at large.

In 2022, she was named as a Woman Ambassador of Wood Science by the association. Haviarova was one of 16 ambassadors announced in Feb. 2022 as part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebration.

Haviarova was honored with the William L. Hoover Faculty Service Award within Purdue FNR in 2019.

“Dr. Haviarova's mentorship was instrumental not only in guiding my research but also in shaping the trajectory of my career,” said PhD alumnus Hongtao Zhou (2008), now a distinguished professor at Tongji University. “Dr. Haviarova is one of the most compassionate and dedicated professors I have ever encountered. Her genuine investment in her students' success—both academically and personally—is rare. She understands the unique challenges that students from abroad face and dedicates her time and energy to ensuring their success. Personally, during my first year, her mentorship helped me adapt to the U.S. academic and cultural environment, laying the foundation for the rest of my doctoral studies. Dr. Haviarova’s influence continues to resonate with me long after my time at Purdue. Her leadership, expertise and encouragement have been constant sources of inspiration throughout my career.”

Haviarova, who earned her PhD in furniture design and manufacturing from Purdue in 2000, joined FNR as the manager of the Wood Research Laboratory in 2001, and has acted as the director of the lab since 2004. She also served as an assistant professor from 2001-2009, before being promoted to associate professor in 2009 and to full professor in 2020.

Haviarova currently teaches four courses in FNR: Furniture Product Development and Strength Design (FNR 41910), Identification and Basic Properties of Wood (FNR 31110), World Forests and Society (FNR 23000), and Global Sustainability Issues (FNR 30200), and co-teaches Furniture Design for Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Manufacturing (FNR 48400). Previously she taught Furniture Cabinet Design and Manufacture (2004-2015) and led spring break or summer study abroad courses: Forestry and Forest Products in Latin America (2006), Sustainability Issues in Central America (2013-15) and Sustainability Issues in Europe (2018).

Haviarova was instrumental in developing the previously available Sustainable Biomaterials: Process and Products Design major as well as a new forestry SUBO concentration (now called the wood products concentration), which integrates the disciplines of materials science, sustainable product design, manufacturing and environmental impact. She also led the curriculum development for a minor in furniture design, an interdisciplinary program in cooperation with Creative Art that integrates artistic design with strength design.

In addition to teaching, Haviarova acts as co-advisor of The Forest Products Society student chapter. She actively seeks employment opportunities for her students and connects them with industry professionals through internships, mentorships and more.

“I met Dr. Haviarova my freshman year during an orientation course detailing all of the majors in the department,” said Kendria Huff (BS 2019, MS 2021), now a sustainability consultant in Seattle. “I joined the student chapter of the Forest Products Society and continued to build community in the department. As the years went on, my horizons broadened in Dr. Haviarova’s courses; not only learning about the biological and mechanical properties of wood, I was also introduced to furniture design, using power tools and advanced machinery, lean manufacturing and environmental sustainability, which would eventually become my career. She was truly passionate about discovering who her students were as people and what drove them in their studies. Dr. Haviarova truly made my six years at Purdue ones I would never forget and pinnacle moments of my life’s journey. I can’t thank her enough for all that she did and continues to do for her students.”

Haviarova conducts research primarily in the areas of furniture strength design and innovative wood product development. She also works on projects related to value-added hardwoods, utilization of urban and plantation wood, thermally treated wood, developing hardwood cross-laminated timber products. Throughout her career, she has been engaged in the design, development and manufacturing of low-cost school furniture for the underprivileged and the design of light timber frame structures. Her current work focuses on the utilization of wood in a biophilic learning environment. All told, Haviarova has published more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and delivered more than 200 professional presentations.

“Her holistic approach to mentorship truly sets Dr. Haviarova apart,” said Dr. Meset Uysal (MS 2014, PhD 2019). “She is not only deeply invested in her students’ professional development but also in their personal well-being. She has always been there when I needed guidance, providing thoughtful advice and encouragement at every stage. Dr. Haviarova ensured I had access to the necessary resources to advance my research and career. Her commitment to fostering collaboration, both within and outside of Purdue, has been transformative for my academic growth. Her belief in me has inspired me to think bigger and pursue ambitious goals, knowing I have her unwavering support. I am a faculty member at Bursa Technical University in Bursa, Turkey, and we are continuing our cooperation around Furniture Strength Design.”

In 2022, Haviarova and a team including Tian Li, assistant professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering, received a grant from Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop a transformational “living” wood with the strength of steel, self-healing capabilities and combined carbon-sequestering benefits from wood and microbes. This first-of-a-kind concept entails harnessing the natural activities of microbes and their interaction with wood scaffolds to fundamentally change how the wood is processed and engineered for future sustainable construction.

In 2023, she began a collaborative project with Dr. Henry Quesada, aiming to create a new market for low-value hardwoods and urban woods by producing wooden school furniture for the U.S. market through a new research project, “Production of Wooden School Furniture from Low-Value Hardwoods,” funded by the U.S. Forest Service. The project’s goals are to utilize hardwoods, which would otherwise be abandoned or discarded due to oversupply, to produce wooden school furniture for the U.S market, while providing woodworking jobs and training for underprivileged individuals.

In 2024, Haviarova joined forces with Drs. Henry Quesada and Rado Gazo, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee and research partners across the state to form the Indiana Wood Utilization Team. The IWUT will aim to create and implement a strategic plan to increase awareness of the benefits of using forest resources in the state, after gathering input from an industry advisory board and a series of roundtable discussions across the state. 

Haviarova is heavily involved in Extension work, providing knowledge for wood product manufacturers, organizations and individuals at the state, national and international levels in the area of forest products and related subjects. Her School Furniture in Developing Countries project, which she began working on as a graduate student, has resulted in the creation of construction manuals that are unique to school furniture production in specific countries due to the differences in locally available raw materials, construction techniques, school requirements and anthropometrics of the target school populations. Thus far, she has prepared manuals to be used across six countries (Costa Rica, Uganda, Kenya, Haiti, Jamaica and Afghanistan), four non-governmental organizations (Marigold, Shelter for Life, Global Partnership for Afghanistan and Humble Way) and the National Guard in Indiana and Texas. For her school furniture efforts, Haviarova received a humanitarian award, Woodworkers Helping Others, in 2000, which was presented to her at the Midwest Industrial Woodworking Expo in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Through her continued work with the Woods on Wheels program/exhibit, a collaborative effort with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Hardwood Lumberman’s Association, Haviarova promotes wood as a sustainable, healthy and innovative material to people of all ages from youth to woodland owners.

Haviarova also works with the company Purposeful Design in Indianapolis, a custom furniture-building business that trains and employs individuals whose lives have been derailed by difficult situations, from incarceration to addiction and homelessness. She teaches quarterly workshops, sharing her expertise in sustainable furniture design, aesthetic and strength principles. She also offers a more intimate look at wood, discussing varieties of wood species at the microscopic level, reasoning that a better understanding of the science behind wood molds more intentional woodworkers.  

Away from Purdue, Haviarova has given back to the forest products community through many professional leadership roles. She served as the president of the Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST) from 2019-20, following a two-year stint as vice president (2017-19), and was a member of the SWST education committee. She also has been an elected board director for the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) since 2012, and served on the board of the Forest Products Society (2008-11). Haviarova was a member of the Xi Sigma Pi Forestry Honor Society, the Ohio Valley Section of the Forest Products Society, the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture and works closely with the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association (IHLA).

In 2009, Haviarova earned the IHLA President's Award in recognition of exceptional contributions to Indiana's forest products industry and to IHLA members.