Team Spotlight - Emily S. Huff
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EmailMeet Emily Huff, our third weekly spotlight feature. Emily is a valued faculty member, and serves as Associate Professor, Department of Forestry, Michigan State University. Learn more about her experience at MassTimber@MSU.
Tell us about the work you do related to mass timber:
"My research and outreach centers on human behavior from individual decisions to organizational governance. I've worked on a project to better understand environmental non-governmental organization perspectives on Mass Timber and am currently supporting a Michigan-based project by implementing a Mass Timber demand survey. We hope this work will inspire future investment for Michigan Mass Timber manufacturing. I have also helped organize a consortium of architecture faculty who work on Mass Timber design, led by the University of Arkansas."
What impact do you hope your work will have?
"I hope that by highlighting the demand and excitement for Mass Timber, we can further decarbonize the built environment using a material that's both structurally sound and beautiful. I also hope that we can increase knowledge of Mass Timber among municipal officials, policymakers, construction companies, and the general public, to make it the preferred building choice."
How does your Mass Timber work fit into your broader research or teaching?
"My research focuses on supporting landowners, forest products markets and sustainable forest management - Mass Timber is one potential outlet for woody material that can be sourced from both public and private lands nationwide. I also use Mass Timber as an example of innovative and exciting ways that forests can help solve the climate crisis in my teaching. I teach a Natural Resource Policy course and am using Mass Timber as an example where new policy may be needed to encourage and incentivize further investment and adoption of this building approach."
What do you love most about your work?
"I am lucky to work on such a broad range of real-world problems, where my work can inform solutions that maximize ecological and social benefits for Michigan and beyond. I am able to meet and talk to people on each end of a broad spectrum - from the thoughtful people who own and steward forests to the people who live in, work in, and appreciate Mass Timber buildings."
