Robert H. White, Ph.D., research wood scientist at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, in Madison, Wis., has received the ASTM International Award of Merit and accompanying title of fellow.  The Award of Merit is the highest organizational recognition for individual contributions to ASTM standards activities.

White was recognized for the outstanding contributions he has made through his leadership positions in ASTM Committees D07 on Wood and E05 on Fire Standards and for making significant technical contributions to the development of ASTM International standards on fire and wood technology.

White, who joined ASTM International in 1984, works on several D07 and E05 subcommittees and currently chairs Subcommittee E05.22 on Surface Burning.  His contributions over the years have been recognized with the Committee D07 L.J. Markwardt Award and awards of appreciation and recognition from 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 received a B.S. in wood science, White holds an M.S. in forest products from Oregon State University and earned his Ph.D. in forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Outside ASTM International, White is a member of the Forest Products Society, the National Fire Protection Association and the International Association for Fire Safety Science.

Release #8191