Daniel Cassens

Dr. Daniel L. Cassens, Professor Emeritus of Purdue University, passed away at IU Health Arnett Hospital in Lafayette on May 3, 2026. …He obtained degrees related to wood and wood manufacturing, including a B.S. degree from the University of Illinois, an M.S. from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Cassens was a professor and wood products specialist in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, arriving in 1977. His prior employment included positions at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin; and the California Forest Products Laboratory in Berkeley, California. During college, he worked summers at a hardwood sawmill. …He collaborated with numerous trade associations, including the National Hardwood Lumber Association, the American Hardwood Export Council, the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermens Association, and the Forest Products Society, among others. …Dr. Cassens authored extensively on the topics of wood decay, wood finishing, and wood preservation.