The Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation has made a $500,000 gift to the Oregon State University College of Forestry.

The gift will create an endowed scholarship fund to attract top students from diverse backgrounds to the college's programs in forest engineering, forest management, forest operations management, and wood science and technology.

"The OSU College of Forestry produces graduates who enter the professional world with a very solid background in active forest management," said Rich Wininger, Weyerhaeuser's vice president of Western timberlands, who graduated from OSU in 1979 with a degree in forest engineering.

He added that the students also gain experience because the teaching, research and demonstration forests are nearby. The students get hands-on technical experience in the field.

Hal Salwasser, dean of forestry at OSU, said he and his faculty repeatedly hear that OSU produces some of the best employees for the forest products sector.

Weyerhaeuser Company and the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation have given nearly $4 million to OSU to date, including this gift, but this is the largest gift targeted at scholarships.

Salwasser said that scholarships can be the key to attracting standout students to study forestry at OSU.

The gift is part of the university's $625 million Campaign for OSU, which is on track to raise $100 million for scholarships and fellowships.