Alex Wiedenhoeft
Alex C. Wiedenhoeft | |
|---|---|
 Dr. Alex C. Wiedenhoeft in 2015 | |
| Born | Alex Charles Wiedenhoeft 1975 (age 50–51) Madison |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Known for | Wood anatomy, forensic wood identification, XyloTron |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany, wood anatomy, Forensic wood science |
| Institutions | Forest Products Laboratory, USDA Forest Service |
Alex Charles Wiedenhoeft (born in 1975) is an American botanist and wood anatomist, who is a team leader at the Center for Wood Anatomy Research, housed within the Forest Products Laboratory of the USDA Forest Service in Madison, Wisconsin,[1][2] and an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science.[3]
Research career
Wiedenhoeft earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in botany from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[4] His research work focuses on the anatomical structure and identification of wood, both for scientific classification and forensic investigation. He is considered as a leading expert in the field of forensic wood science, frequently working on cases involving illegal logging and timber trade violations.[5]
He co-developed the XyloTron, a portable, open-source imaging system that enables macroscopic wood identification in field conditions. The system uses machine learning models to assist law enforcement and customs agents in identifying wood species,[6] helping to combat global timber trafficking.[7]
He also holds an adjunct associate professor position at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Botany.[8]
Additionally, he is presently an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Forest Ecology and Management at Purdue University, and a professor estrangeiro in the Botany Department in the State of São Paulo University – Botucatu, Brazil, where he teaches graduate short courses in forensic wood science.
He has authored several scientific publications, including a widely cited book chapter titled Structure and Function of Wood in the Handbook of Wood Chemistry and Wood Composites.[9] In 2024, he received -along with other three fellows from MSU- the George Marra Award[10] by the International Society of Wood Science and Technology.
External links
References
- ^ https://botany.wisc.edu/staff/wiedenhoeft-alex/
- ^ https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2024/10/msu-researchers-honored-internationally-ai-powered-wood-identification
- ^ "Fellows". The International Academy of Wood Science. 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ https://www.bioproducts.msstate.edu/people/awie01
- ^ https://experts.news.wisc.edu/experts/alex-wiedenhoeft
- ^ "View of EVALUATION OF TEST SPECIMEN SURFACE PREPARATION ON COMPUTER VISION WOOD IDENTIFICATION". wfs.swst.org. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
- ^ Ravindran, P., Thompson, B.J., Soares, R.K., & Wiedenhoeft, A.C. (2020). The XyloTron: Flexible, Open-Source, Image-Based Macroscopic Field Identification of Wood Products. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11, 1015. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.01015
- ^ https://botany.wisc.edu/staff/wiedenhoeft-alex/
- ^ Wiedenhoeft, A.C. (2013). Structure and Function of Wood. In: Rowell, R.M. (ed.), Handbook of Wood Chemistry and Wood Composites (2nd ed., pp. 9–32). CRC Press. ISBN 9781439853801 Chapter (in pdf)
- ^ "MSU researchers honored internationally for AI-powered wood identification research". Mississippi State University. 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2025-09-08. "Team Leader of the USDA Forest Products Laboratory’s Center for Wood Anatomy Research, Alex Wiedenhoeft"