Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering professor Laura Jarboe has been named Cargill Professor in Chemical Engineering.
The professorship has been created to support a scholar working in process intensification and bioprocessing of agricultural feedstocks into chemicals and chemical intermediates that can be applied on an industrial scale. The recipient of the professorship will offer courses at the undergraduate and graduate level on topics related to the research program, supervise graduate student research, and engage in public outreach.
“Bioindustrial solutions will continue to play an important role in a variety of markets,” said Jill Zullo, Vice President, Cargill Bioindustrial. “The work of Laura Jarboe and her team will help to advance our efforts in the biointermediate space, and we’re excited about this partnership.”
Jarboe, who has been part of the CBE faculty since 2008, focuses much of her research in engineering of microbial cell factories for improved robustness in industrially relevant conditions, with a recent focus on membrane engineering. She has authored more than 60 publications. Her teaching has included the topics of thermodynamics, separations, mass and energy balances, and metabolic engineering. See her research web site.
She is a member of the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) and is a recipient of the College of Engineering’s Outstanding Achievement in Teaching award. She is treasurer of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB) and is an associate editor for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology and for Biotechnology Notes. She is also an active member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. In 2015 she received both the Iowa National Science Foundation EPSCoR Leadership in Outreach & Mentoring Award and the Iowa Energy Center Impact Award.
Jarboe also has a strong commitment to service and diversity, having been involved with a number of K-12 and community college outreach programs and is a founding member of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology diversity committee. She has published a paper about gender diversity among BS-level college engineering students.
Cargill is a long-time supporter of Iowa State University and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Cargill has provided numerous internship and other training opportunities for CBE students and currently employs a large number of department graduates.