One of two students awarded a research scholarship recently by the Canadian Wood Council says she approaches her research on bio-based adhesives for cross-laminated timber (CLT) with a “passion” for wood and sustainable solutions. Alex Mary is a third-year PhD candidate in wood and bio-based materials engineering at Laval University in Quebec City. Her application for a 2023 Catherine Lalonde Memorial Scholarship impressed the wood council with its dual pledges to pursue environmental sustainability and product performance. The focus of her research lies in exploring the potential of replacing the petrochemicals used in most CLT with recycled bio-based protein materials — soybean meal, microbrewery spent grains, skim milk powder and even shrimp shells.