McDonald joins ranks of U of I’s Distinguished Faculty

A member of the Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences is the latest individual to be honored with the University of Idaho’s (U of I) highest achievement for faculty – the University Distinguished Faculty Award.

Armando McDonald, a Professor of Forest and Sustainable Products received the award at the University of Idaho’s 2023 Excellence Awards Program. McDonald joins an exclusive group of U of I faculty that are recognized for 1. sustained excellence in scholarly, creative and artistic achievement, 2. breadth and depth of teaching, and 3. university service and service involving the application of scholarship, creative or artistic activities that address the needs of one of more external stakeholders.

A native of New Zealand, McDonald joined U of I in 2001 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Forest Products. Prior to joining U of I, McDonald was Senior Research Scientist at the New Zealand Forest Research Institute, and from 1998 to 2001, he served as the Project Leader of the Biomaterials Group.

McDonald’s research expertise is extensive and interdisciplinary, focusing on renewable materials chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry & biochemistry, wood science, biopolymer and biomaterials science, and biomass conversion and biofuels. He is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in many of these fields.

McDonald was nominated by colleagues from the College of Natural Resources, as well as collaborators from other universities. One such nomination came from Steve Shook, Professor of Forest and Sustainable Products and former Associate Dean for the College of Natural Resources, who spoke on his commitment to student success.

“Dr. McDonald has also proactively contributed to the university’s mission to provide opportunity to individuals representing diverse backgrounds and cultures,” wrote Shook. “Of the 12 Ph.D. and 20 M.S. students that Dr. McDonald has advised to completion as major professor, 22 have represented countries such as China, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, Malaysia, Poland, and South Korea.”  Many of these graduate students took on leadership roles while here at the University of Idaho, and several of his Ph.D. students are now university faculty members in their respective home countries.   

Sustained research productivity

Over the past 21 years at U of I McDonald’s research activity has been exemplary.  He has been awarded nearly 72 grants and contracts as either principal investigator (PI) or Co‐PI totaling more than $25 million in funding, and he is currently managing or comanaging a research portfolio exceeding $5.25 million. 

Funding sources for McDonald’s research have been diverse and include the National Science Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Transportation.  He has received considerable funding from industry groups and associations, as well as dozens of regional and international private sector companies, such as J.R. Simplot, Schweitzer Engineering, and Weyerhaeuser.  Finally, McDonald’s research has also been funded by several foundations, including the extremely competitive M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

Over his career, McDonald has he has published 234 refereed articles with more than 280 coauthors in a number of discipline areas – including journals in the domains of biofuels, chemistry, civil engineering, food science, materials science, microbiology, polymer science, sustainability, environmental science, among others.

According to Thomson ISI Web of Science, McDonald ranks as the ninth most published University of Idaho faculty member over the 133 years of the institution’s existence. Additionally, his research is used frequently by other scientists and researchers, with ResearchGate indicating that his work has been cited over 7,350 times. 

In recognition of his sustained research activity, as well as the wood science profession, he was recognized in July 2022 by the International Society of Wood Science and Technology his discipline’s most prestigious award – the Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession of Wood Science and Technology.

Dennis Becker, dean of U of I’s College of Natural Resources, said the award is well-deserved recognition of the impactful research program McDonald has led over the years. “Professor McDonald’s global scientific contributions and his service to the discipline and to the University of Idaho are impressive. He has served this institution with distinction, and he has served his community with compassion. Professor McDonald exemplifies the breadth and depth of a university scholar.”

Article by Charles Goebel, Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences

Published June 2023