2023 Catherine Lalonde Memorial Scholarships Awarded
Winning Students Share Legacy’s Passion for Wood Industry Innovation                                                                                                              

Ottawa, ON, December 14, 2023 – The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Catherine Lalonde Memorial Scholarships. Alex Mary (Laval University) and Kilian Krauss (University of British Columbia) will be awarded the scholarship for demonstrating academic excellence in research projects that will have positive impacts in the structural wood products industry.

Established eighteen years ago, the memorial scholarship is awarded each year to graduate students whose wood research exemplifies the same level of passion for wood and the wood products industry that Catherine Lalonde tirelessly demonstrated as a professional engineer and president of the CWC.

Alex Mary

Alex is a 3rd year PhD candidate in Wood and Bio-based Materials Engineering at Laval University. Her thesis focuses on developing bio-based adhesives tailored for Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). The goal of her project is to create innovative adhesives that align with environmental sustainability and resource efficiency, enhancing wood industry performance and ecological sustainability.

Kilian Krauss

Kilian is a 1st year PhD student in Wood Science at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on the design of mid- and high-rise mass timber buildings in seismically active areas with the aim of investigating the performance of balloon-type CLT shear walls for buildings up to twelve storeys.

“The quality of submissions this year was outstanding. The winning scholarship recipients’ submissions demonstrate the very same passion and pursuit of excellence that Catherine Lalonde encouraged and inspired within our industry,” said Martin Richard, VP of Communications and Market Development the CWC. “We are privileged to have this opportunity to celebrate and recognize the work of these future practitioners and leaders in the wood construction industry.”     

Catherine Lalonde Memorial Scholarships are presented to graduate students, enrolled at Canadian Universities, who demonstrate excellence in their studies of structural wood products or wood design. The scholarship program was established in 2005 to honour Catherine’s memory and carry on the legacy of excellence and advocacy she bestowed upon the Canadian wood products industry throughout her influential tenure at the CWC. To date, 33 scholarships have been awarded.    

For more information, please contact:
Sarah Hicks – Communications and Outreach Manager
Canadian Wood Council
T: 613-747-5544 x 705 ­| C: 705-796-3381
[email protected] | www.cwc.ca | www.wood-works.ca