John Finn Siau (Detroit, 1921 – Keene, 1996) was an American wood scientist and researcher known for his contributions to the study of moisture relations, permeability, and transport processes in wood. He was elected a Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science, and was affiliated with the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, as well as the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York.
Career Siau studied at Syracuse University, where he obtained both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in engineering. Later, he earned a PhD in 1968 from the State University College of Forestry at Syracuse University, with a dissertation entitled The Physical Properties of Wood-Polymer Composites. His research focused on the physical properties of wood, particularly moisture-related phenomena, transport processes, and wood structure. His work contributed to the understanding of water movement, diffusion, and permeability in wood materials—processes essential to wood drying, preservation, and utilization. He died in 1996 in Keene, New York.
Books Flow in Wood (1971) Transport Processes in Wood (1984) Wood: Influence of Moisture on Physical Properties (1995)
See also Wood science Wood drying
References
External links Google Scholar IAWS (Deceased Fellows)
