Name: Scott Leavengood

Position: Director, Oregon Wood Innovation Center

Hometown: Born in Cincinnati, OH, grew up in suburban Chicago

# of years at OSU: 18

Best part of your job: Helping people combined with variety in my daily tasks – In Extension, every day is unique.  One day I might be assisting an entrepreneur with a new product idea, the next I might be in a sawmill helping the quality control manager with tools and techniques for evaluating product quality, and the next day guest lecturing in a course, etc.

Something someone might be surprised to know about you: People are often surprised to learn that I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago.  I can only guess this is because they are surprised that someone from a very urban place would choose to study wood science/wood products manufacturing and live in a far more rural state (but that’s a really great way to be from Chicago…)

Favorite book/movie/album:  My favorite book is the USDA Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material – just kidding.  I’m not sure I have a favorite book or movie but for album, showing my age a bit, I’d say it’s Boston’s first album (1976).