Vikram Yadama , Ph.D.

Dr. Vikram Yadama is the Director and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Washington State University (WSU). He also holds the title of Louisiana Pacific Distinguished Professor in Wood Materials and Engineering and is the site director for the NSF-sponsored Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites. Dr. Yadama is an engineering hybrid who focuses his research on the mechanics of wood and sustainable composite materials. His work involves finding sustainable methods to use underutilized fiber resources, such as small diameter timber and insect-damaged wood, for structural and non-structural applications. He has published over 65 journal and proceeding papers and book chapters and gave technical presentations at numerous workshops and conferences nationally and internationally. Vikram has worked extensively in industry outreach, collaborating with over 50 companies nationally and internationally to transfer technologies for community and economic development. He has been with WSU since 1998, beginning as a graduate research assistant and progressing through assistant and associate professor roles before becoming a full professor and director. Prior to WSU, he was a research faculty member at the Forest Products Laboratory at Mississippi State University. Dr. Yadama’s education includes a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering) from Washington State University, an M.S. in Wood Science and Wood Products/Pulp and Paper Technology from Virginia Tech, and a B.S. in Forestry from Iowa State University. He exemplifies the values of a land-grant institution through his leadership, scholarship, and service. He oversees a collaborative hub uniting scientists from the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture (VCEA) and College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) and partners with private industry to translate research into real-world solutions.