SEFS Emeritus professor, mentor, and friend Bruce Lippke passed away on Tuesday, February 14th. He left peacefully surrounded by his family at 89 years old.

Bruce was a long-time researcher on the role of wood products in economic and environmental sustainability. He joined the College of Forest Resources faculty in 1990 and retired from SEFS as an Emeritus professor in 2009. He brought to CFR/SEFS over three decades of experience in economic forecasting, environmental assessment, and management consulting to his research on the sustainable management of forests and the uses and lifecycle of wood products and biofuels.

Bruce was one of the founders and went on to serve as president of the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM), a non-profit consortium of 17 research organizations aimed at quantifying and understanding the environmental performance of wood and the environmental impacts of forests and forest products. Beginning in 2000, served as Director of the Rural Technology Initiative, an award-winning partnership between the University of Washington, Washington State University, and the USDA Forest Service that worked to bring emerging technologies to rural forest resource-based communities and assist small forest owners with managing their lands more productively under complex regulations.

Bruce is remembered for his thoughtful, engaging, and generous demeanor, as well as his ability to build community among his peers, students, and friends. His lasting contributions as a mentor, colleague, friend, and researcher will not be forgotten.

A memorial page was set up to celebrate and honor Bruce’s life and accomplishments. Please visit the page to read and share stories and memories of Bruce.

Colleagues, family, and friends of Bruce Lippke are hosting a celebration of his life, his career, and his contributions to his varied fields of enquiry on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at the University of Washington Botanic Garden’s Wisteria Hall. Wisteria Hall is located in the Washington Park Arboretum. The doors will open about 5 P.M. and the celebratory program will kick off about 6 P.M.. Light appetizers will be offered as will opportunity to mingle with old and new friends, share a story about Bruce, and become (re)inspired by his life’s work.