Patricia Vega has studied and worked in the field of forest science and engineering for over 20 years. Today, she works as the managing director of the Wood-Based Composites Center with the director, Arijit Sinha and co-director, Chip Frazier. The WBC is an industry supported cooperative research center devoted to researching wood-based composites and renewable materials that comprises Oregon State University, Virginia Tech University, Auburn University and Michigan State University. At the center, Vega spends most of her time supervising the research program and facilitating what she calls the “research life cycle,” including the yearlong process and collaboration between industry and researchers.

In addition to this cycle, she asks questions of the center itself, such as where it should go, how it’s evolving and what the industry trends or changes are that the WBC wants to be one step ahead of. In 2024 the WBC celebrated its 25th anniversary, centered on celebrating the collaboration of industry and academia. Over 120 students have been a part of the center since its creation in 1999 and nearly all are currently working in the wood industry and academia. In the past three years, 100% of WBC’s students have been hired by WBC industry members.

Part of Vega’s role, along with the other directors, is to help facilitate and connect companies with WBC students. As a result, students receive mentorship and connections to industry professionals. In addition to direct support, the WBC offers webinars and workshops to all four WBC university partners on how to effectively present research and communicate to industry.

“In industry, you often only can present one to three slides, and you usually have five minutes max,” Vega said, explaining how this type of presentation differs from academia. “You need to be impactful…and convince and communicate to people who are not familiar with the technicalities of what you do.”

In addition to working at the WBC, Vega is passionate about getting kids, especially girls, involved in wood science. She noticed that girls, especially those that look like her, do not always see themselves in science. Vega, in collaboration with other faculty across campus, has participated in Juntos — an OSU program that works to provide pathways to higher education for Latinx students — to give workshops to elementary, middle and high school students.

“We were playing with fungi and microscopes, I was wearing my lab coat, and a girl speaking Spanish asked me if I was a scientist and I said yes,” Vega said, recalling one workshop with middle schoolers. “She said ‘no that’s not possible, because you speak Spanish.’”

That interaction had a profound impact on Vega, revealing the significance of her work and inspiring her to teach kids about the field of wood science and its potential as a career. As woodworking programs are increasingly being removed from high schools, Vega noted her emphasis on incorporating STEM principles into the workshops to show the importance and contribution it can have to education goals.

“We incorporated biology, chemistry and math,” Vega said. “We talked about the wood’s physical and mechanical properties and related it to whatever they were learning in class.”

Vega explains that when kids and teens have the opportunity to engage with wood science, it leaves a lasting impression. They begin to see it not just as a subject, but as a viable career path. She emphasized the importance of this, noting that many perceptions of the industry are often far from reality.

“When you say wood industry, immediately people think of bearded men carrying giant axes,” said Vega. “That’s part of it, but what they don’t think about is sophisticated robotic systems, advanced scientific research and the amazing women who are foresters and wood scientists.”

She highlighted the ongoing efforts to promote the WBC to women, including sharing GRA position announcements with Women in STEM clubs. Despite these initiatives, however, men continue to apply in much higher numbers than women. Drawing from 25 years of data at the center, Vega pointed out the fluctuating trends in female applicants. In the past two years, only men have applied, which she sees as the “down” phase of the cycle, with these shifts typically occurring in three-year intervals. Based on this pattern, she predicts that the center will see an increase in female applicants in 2025. They are already starting to see this, with three new female students this year.

“A majority male student population completely reflects the industry,” she said. “But that is something we are striving to change.”

With support from faculty and industry professionals at the WBC, she is planning new activities empowering women in the industry. She hopes that this will help create a space at the center where women, specifically those in the wood products industry, can talk about challenges they face and how to create positive change. This space to create change at the WBC, and through working at OSU, is one of the things she loves most about her job.

“This is among the best colleges in forestry…so that means that the world is looking at us,” she said. “And that has also given me an important platform to have my voice heard in my home country of Peru.”

Through her work with WBC partner universities, she aims to inspire students from her home country of Peru and across the globe and demonstrate that wood science is a rewarding and accessible career in science. Just as her mother inspired her to pursue science and always strive for more, Vega hopes to inspire the next generation of students.

“Sometimes they think it’s out of reach,” she said. “But you never let anything stop you. You just find a way and keep going.”