As a third-year Wood Products Processing student here at the Faculty of Forestry, Zoe Pazurik shares what drew her to this specific undergraduate program, and how it’s helping her meet her career goals.
Zoe is also a Forestry Co-op student, having completed her last work term as a Safety, Quality Control and Production Technician at Interfor in Castlegar, BC, and moving to another exciting co-op adventure next term in 2022! You can read more about her co-op work here.
Why choose a Bachelor of Science in Wood Product Processing? Learn more about the program in our interview with Zoe below.
Q: Why do you think students should get a Bachelor of Science in Wood Products Processing?
“A Bachelor of Science in Wood Products Processing is a unique degree with a wide range of employment opportunities in BC, Canada, and internationally. With this degree, you will learn about a wide range of topics all focused on the product of wood. You will learn about topics from the internal structure of wood biology, to the market of wood.”
Q: What is your favourite part about being in the Wood Products Processing program?
“My favourite part about being in this program is the range of topics that I get to learn about. Learning about wood from the chemical and physical properties, to various production and management strategies, this variety is important to me to ensure that I have a well-rounded education. And it also allows me to engage different attributes and skills of myself to apply to the different topics.”
Q: If you could describe your Wood Products Processing experience in 3 words, what would they be and why?
“Personal, applied and current.
Classes are small so you get a great opportunity to connect with professors and other students. Furthermore, professors have worked in the industry and truly care about your development in the field.
During lectures, professors continuously make connections from the topic at hand, to the real world industry. This makes your education feel connected to your future career and can help put topics into perspective.
Current topics happening in the wood industry are also discussed. And class content is kept current to what is actually needed in the industry. For example, WOOD 356 changed its curriculum from machine design to machine components, as feedback from graduates found that the latter is more useful for their professional career.”
Q: Why did you choose Wood Products Processing?
“I wanted a career that I could see value in for not only the present, but also the rest of my life. As we move in the direction of sustainability, as well as fixing our worsening climate, organic materials, such as wood, will grow in importance to lead the change. I was also interested in a degree that would challenge different parts of myself. I love the range of topics I get to learn about, and that it gives me a well-rounded knowledge of the product and industry.”
Q: What is your favourite Wood Products Processing class and why?
“My favourite class in my degree so far was one of the first – wood biology (WOOD 280). This class centred around the infrastructure of wood and explained more about the complexity of this organic material that I would be learning about. It was interesting and valuable to understand why and how wood acts the way that it does and the amazing properties it has.”
Still have questions? Check out our program page to read all about degree opportunities, career pathways, application details and more!
