Currently, Dave has three main research foci, built on his passionate interest in wood formation and understand fine-scale responses in trees:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/fmm\/files\/2018\/06\/Drew_Photo_2015-200x300.jpg\")
The FMM Research Group at Stellenbosch University is headed by Prof. Dave Drew, who also now fills the Hans Merensky Chair in Advanced Modelling of Eucalyptus<\/em> Wood Formation (EucXylo)<\/a>.\u00a0 Dave originally obtained his B.Sc. Forestry degree from the University of Stellenbosch, followed by an M.Sc. degree from the University of Natal.\u00a0 It was during his M.Sc. studies that he really developed his interest and passion in modelling tree growth and xylogenesis (wood formation).\u00a0 From this beginning, he moved to Australia to pursue this line of research further with\u00a0 Dr. Geoff Downes and scientists such as Dr. Robert Evans, the creator of SilviScan<\/a>, Dr. Tony O’Grady, Prof. David Ellsworth and Dr. Michael Battaglia.\u00a0 Dave obtained his Ph.D. from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.\u00a0 After that, he worked for several years as a Research Scientist at CSIRO Australia, based in the beautiful city of Hobart, Tasmania.\u00a0 In mid-2015, Dave returned to South Africa with his family to take up his current academic position at Stellenbosch University.\u00a0 He has written or contributed to 40 papers published in the peer-reviewed literature (see Dave’s Google Scholar profile<\/a>).\u00a0 Dave keeps in contact and works with a large network of scientists around the world including in France, Belgium, USA, Australia, Chile and Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/eucxylo\/files\/2019\/10\/Leandra-150x150.jpg\")
Leandra is responsible for managing the two laboratories (the \u201cwet\u201d lab and the microscopy\/microtomy centre) at the Paul Sauer building used by students\/researchers working as part of EucXylo.\u00a0 She has over nine years of laboratory-based research experience.\u00a0 She has worked with a variety of techniques and technologies, including a variety of microscopes and gas\/liquid chromatography.\u00a0 She will also work closely with students doing experimental work in the nursery complex, and at the experimental farm\/other glasshouse facilities.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/fmm\/files\/2019\/03\/AK.jpg\")
Anton provides strong technical support in all areas of “forest informatics”.\u00a0 He has particularly strong expertise in the use of laser-based remote sensing, including Terrestrial LiDAR.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/fmm\/files\/2018\/06\/kgtrees-267x300.jpg\")
Prof von Gadow has been associated with Forest Management and Growth & Yield Science at Stellenbosch University for many years. At Stellenbosch, Klaus first undertook an M.Sc. degree, followed by a PhD degree, the latter which he completed in near-record time, in 1979. Just prior to finishing the PhD, he took up an academic position in 1978 at the Faculty of Forestry (now the Department of Forest and Wood Science, DFWS) at Stellenbosch, where he remained for 13 years. During this time, he impacted innumerable future forestry professionals which would work in South Africa and abroad, and made a major contribution to forest management research and practice in South Africa. He moved to the University of G\u00f6ttingen in Germany in 1991, but retains a strong connection to Stellenbosch University through his extraordinary professorship.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/fmm\/files\/2018\/06\/AJ3_6275-200x300.jpg\")
Thomas is a strong collaborator and friend of Stellenbosch.\u00a0 Thomas shares a strong interest in understanding causes of wood property variation.\u00a0 He is also actively involved in research in research in a number of other aligned areas, including application of technologies like LiDAR for forest inventory and modelling.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/fmm\/files\/2022\/07\/MNR-201x300.jpg\")
Having originally trained as a Forester, and spending over 10 years in forest management, Mark subsequently specialized in GIS and Remote Sensing, and has over 25 years\u2019 experience in this field. He has a keen interest in applying spatial technologies to provide integrated forest management information for the Forest Managers.<\/p>\n