Arkansas Center for Forest Business: Staff & Contact Information

pelkki

Dr. Matthew Pelkki is a Professor and George Clippert Chair of Forestry in the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources.  He has been at UAM since 2001.  Dr. Pelkki’s teaching and research work involves forest-based economic development, forest management, and forest products and markets.

(870) 460-1949 pelkki@uamont.edu

boston

Dr. Kevin Boston has degrees in Forestry, Logging Engineering, and Forest Harvesting from Humboldt State University and Oregon State University.  He also has a degree in scenario planning from Oxford University’s Said School of Business and a JD (Doctor of Law) from Lewis and Clark College.  Dr. Boston has 30+ years of academic and industry experience in forest operations and supply chain management in the United States, Europe, and New Zealand.

Email: boston@uamont.edu

Phone:  870 -460-1192

Chhetri

Dr. Sagar Godar Chhetri is an Assistant Professor of Forest Economics in the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas, Monticello. Dr. Chhetri has expertise in econometric and geospatial modeling in the forestry sector, designing and developing mail surveys, assessing the effects of forest taxation on landowners’ behaviors, and evaluating forest management practices and costs associated with it. He is also interested in integrating social, economic, and ecological aspects in managing the forestlands in a sustainable approach at the landscape level. In addition, he has more than five years of working experience in forestry-related projects related to forest carbon inventory, forest certification, climate change, REDD programs, payment for ecosystem services, and sustainable forest management.

Email:   chhetri@uamont.edu

Phone: 870-460-1294

gutierrez picture

Ana Gutierrez is an Economics Research Assistant in the ACFB.  She has 6 years of experience in economics and business administration working with private forest landowners, statistical analysis, financial modeling, forest inventory and growth and yield modeling, GIS, and data analysis.

Email:  Gutierrez@uamont.edu

Phone: 870-460-1748

knowles

Dr. Shanna Knowles is an Assistant Professor of Management in the School of Business and has worked at UAM since 2019. Prior to teaching, she served as Chief Financial Officer of a $25 million business and emerged as a skillful business leader in regards to leadership, economic development, contract negotiation, and strategic planning. She is a multigenerational tree farmer and small business owner.

Email: KnowlesS@uamont.edu

Phone: (870) 460-1311  

 

larasatie

Dr. Pipiet Larasatie is an Assistant Professor of Forest Products Marketing in the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. She is an interdisciplinary scholar and social scientist researching forest sector competitiveness and sustainable business management of natural resources. Her current research includes engineered wood industry development and workforce dynamics in the forest sector. She has published in top forestry journals such as Journal of Forestry, Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, and Forests. She holds a PhD with a focus in Forest Products Marketing/Business and a Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching from Oregon State University, USA, a Master of Forestry Science from University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and a Bachelor of Forestry from IPB University, Indonesia. Currently, she is a deputy coordinator of The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Task Force “Forest Education” as well as a member of the Task Force “Gender Equality in Forestry”.

e-mail: larasatie@uamont.edu

Phone: (870) 460-1552

 

Rebecca Montgomery

Rebecca Montgomery is an Economic Analyst with the Center for Forest Business.  Ms. Montgomery has a BS and MS in Forestry from the UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources and has work experience with the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, the Arkansas Division of Forestry, the Arkansas Board of Registration for Foresters, and as a consulting forester.

rubino photo

Dr. Elena Rubino is an Assistant Professor of Conservation Social Science in the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources.  She uses quantitative and qualitative methods to answer research questions focused on how conservation of wildlife and habitat may be attained on private and communal lands worldwide. Her research is frequently applied by government agencies and conservation organizations to design conservation policies, management actions, and outreach and strategic communications. 

Email: rubino@uamont.edu

Phone: 870-460-1749

 

saud

Dr. Pradip Saud is an Assistant Professor of Natural Resource Biometrics with the UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources.  Dr. Saud has expertise in forest growth and yield modelling, long-term forest monitoring for productivity changes, and evaluation of forest structure for wildlife habitat management.

Email: saud@uamont.edu

Phone: 870-460-1642

tanger photo

Dr. Shaun Tanger  is an Associate Professor of Forest Policy and Trade  in the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University  of Arkansas at Monticello.  He has been at UAM since 2023 and previously worked as an Associate Professor of Forest Economics at both Louisiana State University and Mississippi State University. Dr. Tanger’s teaching and research programs deal with  relevant forest policy and trade questions with an emphasis on how forest policy impacts forest health and timber supply. His outreach efforts are focused on forest management for small landowners, forestry related economic development projects, and supply chain logistics of timber harvesting.

e-mail: tanger@uamont.edu   

Phone: (870) 460- 1793

 

tian

Dr. Nana Tian is an Assistant Professor of Forest Economics in the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources.  She has been at UAM since 2019 and previously worked as the Forest Economist for the Texas A&M Forest Service. Dr. Tian’s teaching and research involves forest economics and policy, private landowner certification and forest management, and valuation of natural resources.

(870) 460-1894    tian@uamont.edu