Growing up, Efraín Rodríguez-Ocasio did not foresee himself pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering in a state he thought of as the “corn place.”
But after discovering the opportunity to work with Laura Jarboe, Cargill Professor of Chemical Engineering, Rodríguez-Ocasio has found Iowa State fertile ground to grow a career in bioplastics research.
The ISU 25 Year Club celebrates the employees who reach 25, 35, 45, and 50 years of continuous service. The annual banquet was held on Monday, March 4 and honored employees for their longstanding contributions to Iowa State: Celebrating 25 years of service: Roy Gu, CCEE Jay Harmon, ABE Charles Jahren, CCEE Paul Jewell, Engineering-LAS Online Learning Brian Larson, Engineering Career Services …Continue reading “Engineering employees honored at ISU 25 Year Club banquet”
Engineers at Iowa State University have found a way to combine a genetically engineered strain of yeast and an electrocatalyst to efficiently convert sugar into a new type of nylon. Previous attempts to combine biocatalysis and chemical catalysis to produce biorenewable chemicals have resulted in low conversion rates.
Iowa could take a chunk of the nation’s $250 billion chemical market with greener replacements, but a state tax incentive is needed to help build the new industry, according to a report released Thursday.
Story and video originally posted by Iowa State University News Service. Iowa State University and Des Moines Public Schools recently received a $4.5 million grant to improve the teaching of science, technology, engineering and math in elementary schools. The Trinect program brings together a Des Moines teacher, an ISU student teacher, and a graduate engineering …Continue reading “An Iowa State program enhances teaching of STEM in elementary schools”
Eleven College of Engineering faculty and staff were among those honored during Iowa State’s University Awards Ceremony, held Sept. 22, 2014. Mufit Akinc, professor of materials science and engineering: Regents Faculty Excellence Award, Margaret Ellen White Graduate Faculty Award Tonia McCarley, assistant director of Center for Biorenewable Chemicals: Regents Award for Staff Excellence Vikram Dalal, …Continue reading “College of Engineering faculty and staff recognized with university’s most distinguished awards”
NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) faculty member awarded Regents Award for Faculty Excellence Tonia McCarley was nominated by her peers for the Regents Award for Staff Excellence, which she was awarded on September 22, 2014 at Iowa State’s University Awards Ceremony. McCarley was honored to be nominated for the award, ““It’s such …Continue reading “Tonia McCarley receives award at University Awards Ceremony”
Education has always been a passion for Raj Raman. He finished graduate school with the realization that undergraduate education was somewhat undervalued, and he knew then that he wanted to make a difference in that area. In the eight and a half years Raman has worked at Iowa State, he’s worn many hats. He is …Continue reading “Agricultural and biosystems engineering professor Raj Raman puts people and education first”
Iowa State’s College of Engineering and the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) have joined forces for a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program that will be part of the 2014 STEM Summer Institute at ISU. Starting on June 9, 16 Iowa State faculty members are mentoring 16 high school STEM teachers in their …Continue reading “Summer program teaches engineering principles to Iowa STEM teachers”
Two companies launched by discoveries at an engineering research center based at Iowa State University have won business development grants to help them commercialize their biorenewable technologies. Both technologies would help industries produce chemicals from biorenewable sources rather than petroleum. They were developed by researchers at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable …Continue reading “Companies spin off from Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, ‘de-risk’ their technologies”
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals continues gaining momentum in its effort to transform the chemical industry. The center, referred to as CBiRC, was recently awarded an additional three years of funding from NSF. The added $12 million brings the total award to $30.5 million over eight years, and will …Continue reading “Engineering perspective underlies success at CBiRC”
Engineers and scientists are working together in new ways to invent catalysts that lead to industrial chemicals from biorenewable resources. Industrial partnerships are expanding. Startup companies are launching. Education partnerships are reaching teachers and students. And an international reputation is growing. They’re all steps the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at …Continue reading “NSF adds three years, $12 million to ISU-based Center for Biorenewable Chemicals”
The National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) is supporting researchers who have found three proteins involved in the accumulation of fatty acids in plants. The discovery, published by nature.com, could help plant scientists boost seed oil production in crops. And that could boost the production of biorenewable fuels and chemicals. Read …Continue reading “Iowa State, Salk researchers make plant protein discovery that could boost bioeconomy”
Nikhil Shah, junior in chemical engineering at Iowa State, wasn’t sure what to call his research when he began the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) with the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC). The end goal of his work, converting lignans into other chemicals, is a bit of an unknown because much of his experimentation is …Continue reading “Students conduct summer research to produce biorenewable chemicals”
A chance to participate in a prestigious program that provides first-hand access to cutting-edge research doesn’t frequently present itself to undergraduates, but a talented group of students were given such an opportunity when they were selected to participate in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program this past summer. The National Science Foundation (NSF) started …Continue reading “Summer 2011 REU programs”
