ORONO – Dr. Habib Dagher, director of the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center at the University of Maine, has been awarded the New England Board of Higher Education 2004 State Merit Award.

Engineers and wood scientists at the center are developing new materials by combining wood with space age plastics, such as fiber-reinforced polymers. The goals are to create stronger, cost-efficient construction materials to build structures that withstand natural disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes; marine piers that resist decay and pest infestation, such as shipworms; and strong bridges that last longer,

offering an alternative to traditional spans of steel and concrete.

U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud nominated Dagher for the award in October, stressing the director’s leadership in generating more than $20 million in research funding, along with bringing 70 funded projects and grants to the University of Maine.

This year, the NEBHE awarded six merit honors – one from each of the New England states. Also receiving awards are Claiborne Pell, former U.S. senator from Rhode Island, and Jeanne Shaheen, former governor of New Hampshire.