ESF Celebrates December Convocation

Two alumni to be honored during ceremony
12/4/2013

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) will award 170 degrees, including 63 master's degrees and 11 Doctors of Philosophy, during the 2013 December Convocation 1 p.m. Dec. 6 at Hendricks Chapel.

Two alumni will be honored during convocation. Lifetime Achievement awards will be bestowed upon Robert Kinstrey '67 and Dr. Chin Yang '84.

Kinstrey is a longtime supporter of the college particularly through his involvement in the Syracuse Pulp and Paper Foundation.

Kinstrey has 46 years of consulting, operating and technical experience in pulp and paper manufacturing. As director of Pulp & Paper Consultancy at Jacobs he manages pulp and paper business optimization activities.

He is a key supporter of ESF's Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering assisting with the department's accreditation and encouraging students in their career paths. He was a major contributor to the Class of '67 gift/endowment scholarship and has served as a guest lecturer at the Joachim Center Forum.

He received TAPPI's 2013 Herman Joachim Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor the association bestows upon an individual.

Yang received his Ph.D. from ESF in 1984 in environmental and forest biology.

He is a pioneer of microbiology testing in the indoor environment. His environmental microbiology laboratory has provided assistance on the investigations of Legionella bacteria in building water systems.

Yang has been a strong supporter of ongoing research efforts at ESF in the area of indoor air quality and wood biodegradation.

A contribution from him and his wife, Li Hua Yang, to the Baker Equipment Fund was targeted to the wood decay research laboratory in the Department of Sustainable Construction Management and Engineering. The donation allowed the college to purchase new equipment to enhance and expand ESF's research and teaching capabilities in the field of biodegradation of wood products.