Oregon State University College of Forestry Ph.D. Student Pipiet Larasatie doesn\u2019t have her head stuck in her books. She\u2019s a serious learner and researcher, of course, but she\u2019s not just concerned with her own projects. Instead, she\u2019s working hard to make the college community and industry setting more open and inclusive for all.<\/p>\n
She began working toward this goal in her home country of Indonesia. After earning her bachelor\u2019s degree, she served as a civil servant in the forestry service and helped develop rural areas for ecotourism opportunities.<\/p>\n
After earning her master\u2019s degree in New Zealand, Larasatie was awarded a prestigious scholarship from the Indonesian government \u2013 the opportunity to earn a Ph.D. anywhere in the world, as long as the program was highly ranked.<\/p>\n
Larasatie chose Oregon State.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came here because I wanted to work with Eric Hansen, who now serves as department head of Wood Science and Engineering,\u201d Larasatie says. \u201cAll I knew about Oregon State was that Eric was here, and that he has expertise in forest products marketing and innovation, and that\u2019s what I wanted to study.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hansen responded to Larasatie\u2019s inquiry about the wood science graduate degree program quickly, despite the 14-hour time difference. \u201cI knew that because he was responsive, it would be easy to build a relationship with him,\u201d Larasatie says.<\/p>\n
And it was. Luckily, Larasatie likes living in Corvallis as well.<\/p>\n
Since arriving in 2016, Larasatie has already completed one research project about the Pacific Northwest\u2019s public perception of mass timber buildings. What started as a class project became a peer reviewed, published research study, funded by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, and a presentation to conference participants worldwide.<\/p>\n
Larasatie enjoys presenting her work to scientists, industry partners and even members of the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that science should be communicated,\u201d she says. \u201cI don\u2019t want to write a dissertation that only lives in a library archive somewhere. We need to reach a broader audience. We need to let the public know what we\u2019re doing. We shouldn\u2019t limit ourselves, especially because of the digital age we live in now.\u201d<\/p>\n
To emphasize this, Larasatie serves as a digital communication coordinator for the Society of Wood Science and Technology and participates in the steering committee for the Western Forestry Graduate Research Symposium, hosted at Oregon State each spring.<\/p>\n
\u201cI campaign to my fellow graduate students to get them involved as well,\u201d she says. \u201cI really believe that we all need to practice communicating our science.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larasatie also serves on the College of Forestry Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, which strives to make the college a diverse and welcoming environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt that participating was the right thing to do,\u201d she says. \u201cIt also relates to my dissertation topic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larasatie\u2019s dissertation is still in the research phase. She\u2019s studying gender diversity in the forest sector, in the industry and in higher education.<\/p>\n
\u201cIncreasing gender diversity is no longer a right thing to do, but becomes a smart thing to do,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Larasatie\u2019s dream is to become a university professor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to do research, I like to teach, and I like to mentor young students,\u201d she says. \u201cI also like the university setting. Oregon State, for example, is a hub for international people coming in to reach their dreams. We all have the same goal: to make life better.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oregon State University College of Forestry Ph.D. Student Pipiet Larasatie doesn\u2019t have her head stuck in her books. She\u2019s a serious learner and researcher, of course, but she\u2019s not just concerned with her own projects. Instead, she\u2019s working hard to make the college community and industry setting more open and inclusive for all. She began… Continue reading