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OTTAWA — The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) has announced the recipients of the 2024 Catherine Lalonde Memorial Scholarships.

Laura Walters from McMaster University and Jiawen Shen from the University of British Columbia (UBC) were recognized for their academic excellence and research projects in the structural wood products industry.

Walters is a third-year graduate student pursuing a master of applied science in civil engineering at McMaster. Her research project explores the use of pre-engineered beam hangers in mass timber post-and-beam systems, explains a release. She focused on the implications of design and modelling assumptions on the evaluation of structural load paths.

“Her work provides valuable insights into the design considerations and assumptions required for more accurate and reliable design of mass timber columns when pre-engineered beam hangers are used,” the release explains.

Shen is a first-year graduate student pursuing a master in wood science at UBC. Her research project focuses on the development of binderless composite bark-board cladding and insulation panels that are durable, ignition resistant, carbon neutral and manufactured from an underutilized byproduct that would otherwise be burned, landfilled or used for low-value purposes. She collaborated with a Vancouver-based architecture firm on this project and her work could be key to advancing the commercial application of these cladding products.

“This year marks a historic milestone for the Catherine Lalonde Memorial Scholarship program as, for the first time, it is awarded to two exceptional women,” said Martin Richard, VP of market development and communications at the CWC, in a statement. “Their achievements highlight the outstanding talent driving innovation in wood research and construction. We are inspired by their contributions and the growing diversity shaping the future of wood-based solutions.”

The scholarship was established 19 years ago and is awarded each year to graduate students whose wood research “exemplifies the same level of passion for wood and the wood products industry that Catherine Lalonde tirelessly demonstrated as a professional engineer and president of the CWC.”