Transforma ve Opportuni es for Bioproducts Manufacture
2018 Annual Execu ve Conference
• 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference •
We extend our special thanks to our member companies. Their engagement makes possible the advancement of our research, our programs and our students.
RBI membership options include full participation, directed research and consortium membership. For more information, please contact RBI Executive Director Norman F. Marsolan at 404.894.2082 or norman.marsolan@rbi.gatech.edu.
Annual Executive Conference March 6-7, 2018
Welcome to RBI About our Conference Agenda Logistics: Global Learning Center & GT Hotel About Georgia Tech & RBI Speakers Participants Wi-Fi Information Introduction to GT TAPPI Poster Session Participants Robert G. Williams Museum Contact Us • 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference •
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Welcome & Farewell from Norman F. Marsalon
I
warmly welcome you to the 2018 Executive Conference, Transformative Opportunities for Bioproducts Manufacture. As I reflect on the program we have assembled this year, it strikes me that it illustrates the progress we have made, with your engagement, in transforming RBI. Our roster of speakers and schedule of sessions are evidence of the full integration of the Institute with Georgia Tech. As a community (and I include all of you, as conference participants and RBI partners, in that collective term), we have come to leverage these broad capabilities of Georgia Tech and increase the cross-campus engagement in the forest bioproducts industry. We are bringing the industry to a top science and engineering institute — and bringing Georgia Tech to the industry. Developing leaders for our industry’s future remains our continuing mission. The leaders of tomorrow must demonstrate multidisciplinary skills; they must integrate a variety of technical perspectives and analytical expertise with business acumen, a grasp of process economics, a respect for markets, and an appreciation of diverse perspectives and contributions. Where better than Georgia Tech and RBI to acquire such preparation, along with unmatched networking opportunities and business exposure? This conference is prized as a forum for interaction among our students, company representatives, and a broad mix of faculty from many Schools and Units. In so doing, we intrigue our students in the limitless possibilities of an industry based on sustainable, renewable forest resources. And we allow you to experience the boundless imaginations of these future leaders. You will find our sessions show a continuing dedication to core technology, while demonstrating a commitment to apply new tools to the industry’s opportunities and challenges. Our faculty and external participants will share their
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aspirations about how we might together create “the next.” Much of this will be in conversational panel formats to promote greater creativity and engagement. Allow me a moment of nostalgic reflection. This will be my last conference as RBI director, as I will soon retire from Georgia Tech. I have been enriched by your engagement with us in this transformation, and I thank you. I am energized by the progress and possibilities I have seen here. I will watch with abiding curiosity and, I’m confident, growing excitement to see where you take it going forward. I wish all of you continued success as you develop the bioeconomy and transform your enterprises. Best regards, Norman F. Marsolan Executive Director, RBI
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What transformative opportunities are available to today’s manufacturing entities? How can smart manufacturing, big data and analytics help increase efficiency and boost sustainable productivity — now, and in the coming decades? Transformative Opportunities for Bioproducts Manufacture has been designed to explore new ideas and approaches that address these very questions. We are seeking groundbreaking ways to apply new tools to long-standing challenges, and we want to dig deeper into how those tools can lead the existing and emerging bioproducts industry into a vibrant and as yet unimagined future.
Transformative Opportunities for Bioproducts Manufacture
Within this context, we’ve watched the bioeconomy develop at a rapid rate, and with it, a field with pioneering research, innovation and growing markets. The traditional markets for pulp, paper and forest based bioproducts have also seen change, and it is expected that change will continue for many decades to come, including in manufacturing and products derived from forest biomass, especially lignin. It’s a revolution that is changing our day-to-day lives on this planet.
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RBI’s affiliated faculty and students are creating break-through technology and processes to overcome industry challenges and find new opportunities in pulp and paper, as well as paper and chemicals industries. But what types of information informs their research and what is the biggest barrier to the implementation of that research topic and/or methods in the industry? They’ll be sharing their experiences operating as innovators and give unique insights into those very questions and more. We are all here as partners, searching for and creating the next. Our dialog here may affect the course of that search as we share experiences, provide answers, pose questions and rethink old challenges with new ideas and solutions. Always through our people, technologies and ideas, RBI continues to provide a platform to broaden our imaginations and see how bioproducts and bioprocessing can change our future in ways that once seemed unimaginable.
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Agenda Tuesday, March 6, 2018 Day 1 • Opening Plenary (1:00 - 4:45 p.m.) • All Sessions Room 222 1 p.m. 1:30 - 2:15 p.m.
Welcome and Meeting Overview Conference Moderator Norman F. Marsolan • Executive Director, Renewable Bioproducts Institute Norman F. Marsolan Enabling the Transformation: Reflections on the Legacy & Potential of RBI
Session I • 2:15 - 4:00 p.m.
Products, Processes & Reliability Moderator: Chris Luettgen • Associate Director • Renewable Bioproducts Institute • Professor of the Practice, ChBE Speakers: Christopher L. Muhlstein, Professor, MSE Sankar Nair, Professor, ChBE Nagi Gebraeel, Professor, ISYE Preet Singh, Professor, MSE Andreas Bommarius, Professor, ChBE Cyrus Aidun, Professor, ME 3:00 - 3:15 p.m. Break 3:15 - 4:00 p.m. Products, Processess & Reliability Continues 4:00 - 4:45 p.m. Collaborative Research Groups • Student Panel Moderator: Thomas Kwok • Ph.D. Candidate, ChBE Speakers: Nicholas Kruyer, ChBE Nikolay Semenikhin, MSE Wei Liu, ChBE Ryan Alt, ChBE 4:45 - 5:00 p.m. Day 1 Wrap-Up • Norman F. Marsolan 6:00 - 6:45 p.m. Student Poster Session & Reception • Atrium • First Floor 6:45 p.m. Proceed to Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center 7:00 p.m. Dinner: Georgia Tech Hotel & Convention Center • Salons I - III Speaker: Steven Usselman • Professor • History & Sociology • Georgia Tech Innovation Now & Then: Lessons From the Age of Invention
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Wednesday, March 7, 2018 7:00 - 7:45 a.m.
Breakfast • Second Floor • Area B
Day 2 Opening Plenary (8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) • All Sessions Room 222 8:00 - 8:15 a.m. 8:15 - 9:00 a.m.
Introduction of Day 2 • Norman F. Marsolan Mike Rushton • COO Fibria Innovations Fibria’s Biostrategy – How a Global Leader in Pulp Production is Diversifying into the Bioeconomy
Session II • 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Materials Innovation for the Advancement of the Paper and Chemicals Industries Moderator: Martha Grover • Professor, ChBE Panelists: Carson Meredith, Professor, ChBE Stefan France, Associate Professor, Chem A.J. Medford, Assistant Professor, ChBE Rampi Ramprasad, GRA Eminent Scholar, MSE 10:15 - 10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Break Dirk Krouskop • CEO • National Council for Air & Stream Improvement (NCASI) David Turpin • President & Executive Director • APPTI
Session III • 11:00 - 12:15 p.m.
Smart Manufacturing for Advancement of the Paper & Chemicals Industries Moderator: Matthew Realff • Professor, ChBE • Associate Director Renewable Bioproducts Institute Panelists: Kamran Paynabar, Assistant Professor, MSE Bill Eason, Research Scientist, RNOC Andrew Dugenske, Principal Engineer, GTMI Irfan Essa, Professor, Associate Dean, IC, CoC 12:15 - 12:30 p.m. Conference Wrap-Up & Adjournment 12:30 p.m. Lunch • Optional • Boxed lunches available in the Atrium, first floor.
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Georgia Tech Global Learning Center First Floor
Members Council PSE Student Luncheon
156 - 158 Poster Session & Reception
Second Floor
Meeting Room for All Sessions
Entrance from Car Park
Breakfast & Snacks Restrooms Entrance to Hotel 8 • 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference •
Third Floor
Members Council Breakfast
ELEVATOR STAIR
Breakout Room
STAIR
Members Council Meeting
Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center Second Floor • Salons I, II, III
Entrance from GLC
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The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the country’s preeminent research universities with more than 100 centers focused on interdisciplinary research that consistently contribute vital research and innovation to our partners in industry, government and business. Dreaming Big
Our team works to map out new solutions and work hand-in-hand with our partners to create the next big breakthrough or tailor collaborations focused on solving their toughest challenges. Through an innovation ecosystem that brings together education, research, government, and industry in unique ways, researchers and students from various units across campus are creating transformative opportunities and strengthening collaborative partnerships, internally and externally, to maximize the impact of their research.
A Solution for You
We understand each business is unique. Knowing that, Georgia Tech can tailor a corporate partnership to meet your specific needs and expectations. Collaborating with a research university has never been easier. First, we listen. Then we focus on your short- and long-term goals. This allows us to connect your company with the right expertise and resources, from engaging top faculty and students and accessing research and development to tapping into a startup or establishing an innovation center.
Top Student Talent
Georgia Tech graduates are in high demand. As one of the world’s leading technological research universities, we immerse our students in the latest ideas and cutting-edge technology. Georgia Tech students are engaged in solving problems and creating opportunities with companies through sponsored research, internships, co-ops and more. You get solutions while students get real-world experience. In the process, you also make meaningful connections with top talent and the next generation of workforce-ready graduates.
Premier Facilities
For your company to remain competitive, you need insight into what’s next. Georgia Tech’s labs are on the front lines of scientific and technological progress. We can give you access to developments that will help your business thrive in ever evolving competitive global markets. Georgia Tech is home to world-class research, state-of-the-art facilities and internationally recognized experts tackling some of the world’s toughest problems. Let us connect you to the right resources to help your business create solutions and identify the technology that will shape your market and engage new customers.
At Georgia Tech, we pride ourselves on being trailblazers who drive real change in the real world.
Ultimately, we’re in the business of creating the next — the next idea, the next technology and the next legion of open, agile minds. Bound together with passion and skill, spurred by our imaginations and rolling up our sleeves to get it done, we focus on solving the grand challenges of our time.
Won’t you join us?
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About the Renewable Bioproducts Institute
The Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI) at Georgia Tech builds on nearly a century of lignocellulosics research. RBI is addressing challenges and creating opportunities for companies in the rapidly developing bioeconomy. Its forest- and agriculture-based research enhances the portfolios of companies from pulp and paper to automotive, aerospace to consumer products, and more, while emphasizing the importance of sustainability in meeting the needs of the expanding global market.
Our Vision
We will be the premier institute for advanced and translational research in the area of renewables by creating an interdisciplinary engine for value added bioproducts, biochemical and bioprocesses in the market
Our Mission
The mission of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute is to advance both science and engineering for the biorefining of renewable raw materials by creating new bioproducts and biochemicals while enhancing the value of existing renewable products and significantly reducing the cost and resource requirements of those products and processes.
Our Strategic Focus
The Renewable Bioproducts Institute will leverage the full capabilities of Georgia Tech in the service of companies looking for opportunities in the areas of renewable chemicals, new bio-based feedstocks, renewable and biodegradable plastics, advanced biofuels and bio-based materials and composites.
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2018 Speakers
Cyrus Aidun
Professor, ME • Georgia Tech cyrus.aidun@me.gatech.edu • 404.894.6645 Cyrus K. Aidun’s research focuses on direct numerical simulation (DNS) of suspension hydrodynamics, including fiber suspension, biotransport and whole blood flow. Additional research interests include methods for enhancement of convective and boiling heat transfer, multiscale biotransport and fluidics-based automation of sorting and selection of somatic embryogenesis for clonal propagation of plants. He has pioneered the development of the Lattice-Boltzmann (LB) method for suspension hydrodynamics and nonlinear dynamical systems. It is now well established that the LB method, based on the solution of discrete Boltzmann equation, is a superior computational method for hard particles as well as transport of deformable capsules and particle. These methods open the possibility for mechanical, thermal and rheological analyses of a broad class of deformable particle/fiber suspension flows. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his Ph.D. from Clarkson University.
Kathleen M. Bennett
Principal, Kathleen M. Bennett Consulting, LLC kathleen@bennettllc.net • 864.354.7228 Bennett offers extensive experience in the pulp and paper and forest products manufacturing industry with emphasis in strategy, government affairs, communications and business process development. Current clients include the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Tech and the forest industry’s APPTI, among others. In addition to strategy and communications, she has special expertise in integrating regulations and other external expectations of industry operations with business and operational goals. She formerly served in senior positions at Bowater Corporation, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Fort James Corporation and others and was a Senate-confirmed Presidential appointee to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She is a former president and chair of TAPPI and member of the TAPPI Foundation Board of Trustees.
Andreas S. “Andy” Bommarius
Professor, ChBE • Georgia Tech andreas.bommarius@chbe.gatech.edu • 404.385.1334 Andreas S. “Andy” Bommarius is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, as well as Chemistry and Biochemistry, at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received his degree in Chemistry in 1984 at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, and his Chemical Engineering bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees in 1982 and 1989 at MIT, Cambridge, MA. In industry at Evonik (then Degussa) from 1990-2000, he led the Laboratory of Enzyme Catalysis and worked on projects ranging from chiral pool syntheses and membrane reactors to use of enzymes in laundry and pulp and paper applications. His research interests cover green chemistry and biomolecular engineering, specifically biocatalyst development and protein stability studies. His lab applies data-driven protein engineering to improve protein properties on catalysts ranging from ene and nitro reductases to cellobiohydrolases. Bommarius has guided the repositioning of the curriculum towards Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering by developing new courses in Process Design, Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering, as well as Drug Design, Development and Delivery (D4), an interdisciplinary course with Mark Prausnitz.
Stephen E. Cross
Executive Vice President for Research • Georgia Tech cross@gatech.edu • 404.894.8885 Stephen E. Cross is Georgia Tech’s Executive Vice President for Research, a professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and adjunct professor in the College of Computing and Ernest J. Scheller College of Business. He was Vice President-Director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute from 2003 to 2010. He also serves as President of the Georgia Tech Research Corporation, the Georgia Applied Research Corporation and the Georgia Technology Advanced Ventures. Previously, Cross was at Carnegie Mellon University as a research faculty member in computer science. Earlier, he was Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and faculty member at the Air Force Institute of Technology. A retired military officer, he received the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Air Force Research Award. He received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, his master’s degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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Andrew Dugenske
Irfan Essa
Andrew Dugenske is a State of Georgia registered professional engineer. For the past 30 years, he has led dozens of industry-funded projects relating to software systems and supply chain issues across a variety of industries. He currently acts as an industry liaison for Georgia Tech, conducts short courses, publishes, and consults in the area of Factory Information Systems (FIS). He is a member of the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI) FIS working and implementation groups, the NEMI road mapping team, several IPC technical committees, the JISSO International Council and the joint NEMI-IPC CAMX standardization committees. Prior to his arrival at GTMI, he was a Research Engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), where he developed computer-controlled radar positioning systems. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree from Georgia Tech both in Mechanical Engineering. He is also founder and C.E.O. of Factory Right LLC, a software company that provides information technology solutions to manufacturing enterprises and was co-founder and president of Great Technological Collaborations Inc.
Irfan Essa, Associate Dean, is a Professor in the School of Interactive Computing (IC) of the College of Computing (CoC), and Adjunct Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He works in the areas of Computer Vision, Computer Graphics, Computational Perception, Robotics and Computer Animation, with potential impact on Video Analysis and Production (e.g., Computational Photography & Video, Image-based Modeling and Rendering, etc.) Human Computer Interaction, and Artificial Intelligence research. Specifically, he is interested in the analysis, interpretation, authoring, and synthesis (of video), with the goals of building aware environments, recognizing, modeling human activities, and behaviors, and developing dynamic and generative representations of time-varying streams. He has published over a 100 scholarly articles in leading journals and conference venues on these topics. At GA Tech, he is primarily affiliated with two interdepartmental centers; the Robotics & Machine Intelligence (RIM@GT) Center and the GVU Center. He founded the Computational Perception Laboratory (CPL) at GA Tech in 1996, which he now co-directs with 4 other faculty members. He is also the founding member of the Aware Home Research Initiative (AHRI) and the Collaborative Adaptive Believable Agents Lab (CABAL). He also started an effort on Digital Video Special Effects & Animation (DVFX) and Computational Journalism (CnJ).
Principal Engineer, Director, Factory Information Systems Center, GTMI Georgia Tech dugenske@gatech.edu • 404.894.9161
Bill Eason
Research Scientist, Research Network Operations Center • Georgia Tech bill.eason@gatech.edu Bill Eason received his Bachelor of Engineering from Vanderbilt in 1987, majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. After working for NCR as a firmware developer, he came to Georgia Tech to further his studies in EE and CS, receiving his MS-EE in 1992. He worked mostly as a firmware/software engineer for a number of progressively smaller companies, including one ATDC startup, prior to returning to Georgia Tech as a Research Scientist in 2015.
Professor, Associate Dean, Research & Space Planning, IC, CoC Georgia Tech irfan.essa@cc.gatech.edu
Stefan France
Associate Professor, CHEM • Georgia Tech stefan.france@chemistry.gatech.edu • 404.894.7452 Stefan France’s research spans three primary areas of interest. His research in Method Development includes the study of the design of efficient methodologies to accomplish the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds with the intent to apply the methodology toward the synthesis of complex natural and unnatural targets. Natural Product Synthesis research explores both modular and convergent approaches to complex targets that enable facile derivatization for the development of combinatorial libraries. Medicinal Chemistry focuses on the design, synthesis and development of pharmaceutical drugs, or other chemical entities suitable for therapeutic use as well as the study of their biological properties and their quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR). He earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at Duke University in 2000 and his master’s and Ph.D. in Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University.
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2018 Speakers
Nagi Gebraeel
Georgia Power Associate Professor, ISYE • Georgia Tech nagi.gebraeel@isye.gatech.edu • 404.894.0054 Nagi Gebraeel is a Georgia Power Associate Professor in the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech. Gebraeel’s research interests are in equipment prognostics and diagnostics for improving reliability, maintainability and availability by leveraging degradationbased sensor data streams; and the integration of these results in subsequent maintenance, operational and logistical decision making. His specific focus is on tackling these problems in Big Data settings involving massive amounts of data streams and large equipment fleets. Gebraeel currently serves as an associate director at Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute with the responsibility of identifying and promoting research activities and thought leadership at the intersection of Data Science and Energy. He is also the director of the Analytics and Prognostics Systems laboratory at Georgia Tech’s Manufacturing Institute. He is a member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) and The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He was the former president of the IIE’s Quality Control and Reliability Engineering Division. He received his master’s and Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1998 and 2003, respectively.
Martha Grover
Professor, ChBE • Georgia Tech martha.grover@chbe.gatech.edu • 404.894.2878 Martha Grover earned her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her master’s and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Caltech. She joined Georgia Tech as an Assistant Professor in 2002, and received an NSF CAREER award in 2004. In 2011, she received the Outstanding Young Researcher Award from the Computing and Systems Technology Division of AIChE. Her research program is dedicated to understanding, modeling, and engineering the self-assembly of atoms and small molecules to create larger scale structures and complex functionality. Her approach draws on process systems engineering, combining modeling and experiments in applications dominated by kinetics, including surface deposition, crystal growth, polymer reaction engineering, and colloidal assembly. She is a member of the NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, and the Georgia Tech Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics.
Dirk Krouskop
CEO, National Council of Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) dkrouskop@ncasi.org Dirk began his career in 1976 with the United States Environmental Protection Agency working at their National Environmental Research Center located in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1979 Dirk joined the Mead Corporation as an environmental engineer and served in various corporate and facility roles including mill Environmental Manager and corporate Director of Regulatory Assurance followed by appointment as Director of Environmental Programs for Mead. When Mead Corporation and Westvaco Corporation merged in 2002, Dirk was named Managing Director of Safety Health and Environment for MeadWestvaco. In 2006, he was appointed Vice President – Safety, Health and Environmental, a position that he held until he left MeadWestvaco in November 2014 after being named as President and CEO of the National Council of Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), the position he currently holds. During his career Dirk served on various American Forest and Paper Association committees including Chair of the Environmental Resource Committee and various NCASI committees, including Chair of the Operating Committee He has also served on the Boards of the Virginia Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Environmental Management. Dirk received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and master’s degree in Environmental Engineering degrees from the University of Cincinnati. He also received an MBA degree from Ohio University.
Nicholas Kruyer
Ph.D. Candidate, ChBE, RBI Fellow • Georgia Tech nkruyer3@gatech.edu Nick Kruyer is a second year graduate student in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering advised by Dr. Pamela PeraltaYahya and Dr. Andy Bommarius. His research focuses on renewable chemical production using microbes. Nick graduated from Johns Hopkins University in May 2016 with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
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Thomas Kwok
Ph.D. Candidate, ChBE, RBI Fellow • Georgia Tech tkwok@gatech.edu Thomas Kwok is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in ChBE and an RBI Fellow. He has envisioned a lignin value prior to pulping process, and his PhD is focused on taking that vision and making it a realistic possibility. Thomas is advised by Dr. Andreas Bommarius and Dr. Matthew Realff. His publications include “Applying Direct Yellow 11 to a modified Simons’ staining assay” and “Lignin Value Prior To Pulping – An Advanced Pulping Concept.” Thomas graduated with honors from Caltech where he captained and started on the NCAA DIII soccer and baseball teams respectively. Thomas has participated in two start-ups with Romny Scientific and Zinerva Pharmaceuticals, interned at Merck & Co., and has done research in both San Francisco and Singapore. He expects to graduate in Spring 2019 and is looking for a job in the greater D.C. area.
Wei Liu
Ph.D. Candidate, ChBE, RBI Fellow • Georgia Tech wliu300@gatech.edu A Ph.D student at Georgia Institute of Technology, Wei Liu’s research focuses on nanocellulose material and biomass conversion. Liu has extensive research experience in cellulose based superhydrophobic film, filtration membrane and biomass fuel cell technology. He has published 4 first-author papers in high-impact journals such as Nature Communication and Anger. Chem. He has two patents on biomass conversion technology.
Chris Luettgen
Associate Director, RBI • Georgia Tech Professor of the Practice, ChBE Director, GT Pulp and Paper Engineering Undergraduate Certificate Program and Foundation chris.luettgen@rbi.gatech.edu • 404.894.6908 Dr. Luettgen served 25-plus years in the industry, with Scott Paper and Kimberly-Clark Corp., where he most recently served as Senior Research and Engineering Manager for the Kimberly-Clark Professional business sector. He has held positions in product development and innovation as well as in capital project management and manufacturing facility leadership. For several years, Luettgen has served on the RBI Industry Board of Advisors and he is the current Chairman of
the Board of the Technical Association of the Pulp & Paper Industry. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Paper Engineering at Western Michigan University (1985), his master’s degree at the Institute of Paper Chemistry, Appleton, WI (1987) and his Ph.D. at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology — now RBI — at Georgia Tech (1991). He rejoined Georgia Tech in November 2014. Areas of interest include: Recycled fiber, renewable cellulosic feedstocks, tissue manufacturing and converting and manufacturing leadership/operations excellence.
Norman F. Marsolan
Professor, ChBE, Executive Director, RBI • Georgia Tech norman.marsolan@rbi.gatech.edu • 404.894.2082 As Executive Director, Dr. Marsolan is responsible for engaging the research capacity of Georgia Tech in the service of member companies and industry. After 20 years of service, Marsolan retired from International Paper Company in 2008, where he last served as Director of Research and Development. He also held assignments as Mill Manager and as Director of Technology Manufacturing Solutions, responsible for the worldwide support of pulp and paper manufacturing. He is a past Chair of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). He is an affiliate member of the forest products industry’s Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance and a TAPPI Fellow.
A.J. Medford
Assistant Professor, ChBE • Georgia Tech andrew.medford@chbe.gatech.edu • 404.385.5531 A.J. Medford attended North Carolina State University as an undergraduate, and subsequently spent a year as a Fulbright Fellow at the Technical University of Denmark before attending Stanford University where he received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. His past research has spanned a wide range of applications including battery electrodes, polymer solar cells, data science, and catalysis. His thesis work focused on developing computational tools for analyzing trends in catalysis under the guidance of Professor Jens Nørskov, and as a postdoc he worked with Professor Surya Kalidindi on data infrastructure for materials science. His current research involves application of data science techniques to reduce complexity in computational models of catalytic systems, with the ultimate goal of predictive design of catalytic materials for biomass conversion and nitrogen fixation.
2018 Speakers
Carson Meredith
Professor, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, ChBE • Georgia Tech J. Carl Pirkle Sr. Faculty Fellow carson.meredith@chbe.gatech.edu • 404.385.2151 Carson Meredith received the bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech (1993) and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin (1998). He was a postdoc at NIST from 1998 to 2000, and joined the ChBE faculty at Georgia Tech in 2000. His research interests intersect both colloid and polymer science. His early work was instrumental in establishing the field of high-throughput screening and development of polymers. Other areas of interest include (i) renewable packaging and coatings, (ii) particle adhesion and interactions in composites and sustainable separations, and (iii) bio inspired colloids and polymers for advanced materials. Dr. Meredith is the Chief Editor for the biomaterials area for the newly launched journal Emergent Materials (Springer), is a recipient of a Bill & Melinda Gates Grand Challenge Grant (2014) and the Honda Initiation Award (2007).
Christopher L. Muhlstein
Professor, MSE • Georgia Tech christopher.muhlstein@mse.gatech.edu • 404.385.1235 Christopher L. Muhlstein received his bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (1994), his master’s in Metallurgy from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1996) and his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (2002). Muhlstein joined the faculty in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2011 after spending nine years on the faculty at Pennsylvania State University (2002-2011). Muhlstein’s research establishes fracture and fatigue mechanisms in bulk and thin film materials. Muhlstein is a member of Alpha Sigma Mu and Keramos honor societies and an NSF CAREER award recipient.
Sankar Nair
Professor, James F. Simmons Faculty Fellow • Georgia Tech Associate Chair, Industry Outreach, ChBE sankar.nair@mse.gatech.edu • 404.894.4826 Professor Nair’s research focus is creating, understanding and rationally engineering nanoporous materials and membranes through innovative chemical and processing strategies, as well as manipulating the unique properties resulting from the reduction of material dimensions to the nanometer length scale or from the nanostructuring of a material. He also works with basic and applied problems relating directly to renewable/clean energy, carbon capture, advanced separations, catalytic membranes and nanoscale sensors. Nair received his bachelor’s of technology in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, in 1997; his master’s of Physics and Ph.D. of Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2002.
Kamran Paynabar
Assistant Professor, ISYE • Georgia Tech kamran.paynabar@isye.gatech.edu • 404.385.3141 Kamran Paynabar is an Assistant Professor in the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech. His research interests focus on statistical and machine learning for analysis of high-dimensional streaming data including multi-stream signals, images, videos, point clouds and networks for systems monitoring, diagnostics and prognostics with applications ranging from manufacturing including automotive and aerospace to healthcare. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology and Azad University in 2002 and 2004, respectively, and his Ph.D. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from The University of Michigan in 2012. He also holds an master’s degree in Statistics from The University of Michigan. He is the President of Quality Control and Reliability Engineering of IISE, and the acting Chair of Quality, Statistics, and Reliability of INFORMS.
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Rampi Ramprasad
Mike Rushton
Rampi Ramprasad joined Georgia Tech in February 2018. His area of expertise is in the development and utilization of computational and machine-learning methods aimed at the discovery of new materials for energy production and storage applications. His research is funded by ONR, NSF, DOE, ARO and industry partners. He has led an ONR-sponsored Multi-disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) in the past to accelerate the discovery of polymeric capacitor dielectrics for energy storage, and is presently leading another MURI aimed at the understanding and design of dielectrics tolerant to enormous electric fields. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, an elected member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and the recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and the Max Planck Society Fellowship for Distinguished Scientists.
Mike Rushton graduated as a chemical engineer from the University of Exeter, England, in the mid 70s and became involved almost immediately in the development and commercialization of process technology. He moved to Canada in 1978, where he still resides, working in a variety of industries – oil refining, pulp and paper, chemicals, metal smelting and alternative energy moving over the years from technical roles to commercial and executive positions. In 2006, Mike joined Lignol Innovations, a company developing biorefinery processes and lignin applications, as COO. In early 2015, Fibria Celulose SA, a Brazilian company and global leader in sustainable forestry and eucalyptus market pulp production, acquired the assets of this company and established Fibria Innovations, based in Burnaby, BC, with the goal of supporting Fibria’s strategy for diversification into the bioeconomy. Mike is responsible for the operation of this company, which is engaged in R&D into new bioproducts and biomaterials such as lignin and its derivatives.
Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Chair, GRA Eminent Scholar, MSE Georgia Tech rampi.ramprasad@mse.gatech.edu
Matthew J. Realff
Professor, ChBE • Georgia Tech David Wang Senior Faculty Fellow matthew.realff@chbe.gatech.edu • 404.894.1834 Dr. Realff has been at Georgia Tech since 1993, after completing his bachelor’s degree at Imperial College London and Ph.D. in chemical engineering at MIT in 1992. He was National Science Foundation (NSF) Program Director from 2005-2007 and currently serves as an NSF external expert in resilient infrastructure systems. He co-chaired the 2013 American Chemistry Society Green Chemistry Conference. In December 2013 he was appointed Associate Director of the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute and in 2014 as Associate Director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute to help develop programs in chemicals and fuels. His research interests are in process and sustainable systems engineering. He has current projects in lignocellulosic pretreatment process invention, DoEsponsored carbon dioxide capture from flue gas streams and bio-based chemical process design sponsored by NSF.
COO, Fibria Innovations mike.rushton@fibria.com
Nikolay Semenikhin
Ph.D. Candidate, MSE, RBI Fellow • Georgia Tech nsemenikhin3@gatech.edu Nikolay Semenikhin is a fourth year graduate student in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. His research is focused on surface functionalization and metallization of cellulosic nanomaterials for the purpose of creating novel hybrid materials with unique optical, electrical, and magnetic properties.
• 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference • 17
2018 Speakers Meisha L. Shofner
Associate Professor, MSE • Georgia Tech Associate Director • RBI meisha.shofner@mse.gatech.edu • 404.385.7216 Shofner joined the faculty following post-doctoral training at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She received a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Rice University. At Georgia Tech, Shofner’s research focuses on designing hierarchically structured polymeric materials for structural and functional applications through approaches such as novel processing, polymer crystallization and nanoparticle assembly and templating. In her current research, these methods have been employed preferentially to biobased materials. Shofner’s research has been recognized with the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associate Universities and the Solvay Advanced Polymers Young Faculty Award.
Preet M. Singh
Professor, MSE • Georgia Tech preet.singh@rbi.gatech.edu • 404.894.6641 Singh’s research is focused on the fundamental understanding of the environmental degradation of material properties, especially for metals and alloys, and their protection. His research work is related to the corrosion and SCC problems in the pulp and paper industry, bio-fuels, the energy industry, transportation infrastructure and nuclear industry. Singh has published more than 175 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings. He is an active member of NACE, ASM, TMS, AIST and ACerS. Singh is Fellow of NACE International as well as ASM-International.
David B. Turpin
President & Executive Director, APPTI david.turpin@appti.org • 202.463.2742 David B. Turpin is president and executive director of the forest products industry’s Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance (recently renamed the Alliance for Pulp and Paper Technology Innovation), an industry-led consortium that promotes development of advanced technologies for the pulp and paper industry. Turpin oversees identification of the industry’s technology research priorities and development of strategies to address them, building partnerships and identifying potential funding sources. Prior to joining Agenda 2020 in July of 2014, he served for more than 25 years with MeadWestvaco and its predecessor Mead Corporation. Most recently, he was Vice President, Innovation Systems, and prior to that served as Vice President, Packaging Materials and Processing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in paper science from North Carolina State University.
Steven Usselman
Professor, History & Sociology • Georgia Tech steve.usselman@hsoc.gatech.edu • 404.894.0535 A historian of technology, innovation, and public policy, Dr. Usselman studies American economic development and the dynamics of global capitalism since 1815. He teaches courses on Technology in America; Law, Technology, and Politics; Business Organizations and Political Economy; and Engineering in History. Usselman’s publications include Regulating Railroad Innovation: Business, Technology, and Politics in America, 1840-1920; The Challenge of Remaining Innovative: Lessons from Twentieth Century American Business (with Sally Clarke and Naomi Lamoreaux); and The Rise of Big Business, 1860-1920 (forthcoming with Glenn Porter). His numerous articles and book chapters include the award winning "IBM and Its Imitators," one of several devoted to the history of information technology. He is currently at work on two projects: one examines new business practices associated with changes in global transport and logistics since 1945; the other traces the role of the vertical centrifugal pump and its spin-offs on California industrial development.
18 • 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference •
2018 Participants Dwight Anderson Manager, Innovative Technology Development International Paper Loveland, OH 513-248-6012 Dwight.Anderson@ipaper.com
Terry Bliss Research Fellow Solenis LLC Wilmington, DE 302-440-1191 tlbliss@solenis.com
Krista Bullard Graduate Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 330-727-3097 kristakatarina@gmail.com
Grant Culbertson Business Development Georgia-Pacific Atlanta, GA 404-245-7616 grant.culbertson@gapac.com
Bruce Archibald Project Leader International Paper New Haven, CT 513-543-0311 bruce.archibald@ipaper.com
Andreas Bommarius Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-1334 andreas.bommarius @chbe.gatech.ed
Chaoyi Chang Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 4704190029 chaoyi.chang@gatech.edu
William Cutts Sr. Director, Industry Collaboration Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-407-6476 cutts@gatech.edu
Manali Banerjee Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 281-660-5521 bmanalib@gatech.edu
Victor Breedveld Associate Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-5134 victor.breedveld@chbe.gatech.edu
Yadong Chiang Ph.D. Candidate Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA leochiang@gatech.edu
Robert Davies Web Developer RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-545-1841 bob.davies@rbi.gatech.edu
Bedi Aydin Baykal Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 734-747-0213 abaykal@gatech.edu
Blair Brettmann Assistant Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-2535 blair.brettmann@mse.gatech.edu
Dean Benjamin Director of Product Development Verso Wisconsin Rapids, WI 715-422-7401 dean.benjamin@versoco.com
Charles Brookshire IT Manager RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-5700 charles.brookshire@rbi.gatech.edu
Kathleen Bennett Consultant Anderson, SC 864-332-6693 kathleen@bennettllc.net
Jonathan Brown Marketing & Utilization Specialist Georgia Forestry Commission Canon, GA 478-297-2112 jbrown@gfc.state.ga.us
Mason Chilmonczyk Graduate Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 727-389-7725 chilmonczyk@gmail.com George Corbin Executive Solvay Specialty Polymers Alpharetta, GA 770-772-8438 george.corbin@solvay.com Beth Cormier VP-R&D, Innovation Sappi North America Westbrook, ME 207-856-3532 beth.cormier@sappi.com
Ganesh Deka Principal Scientist Neenah, Inc. Alpharetta, GA 678-518-3317 ganesh.deka@neenah.com Yulin Deng Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-5759 yulin.deng@rbi.gatech.edu Xu Du Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 612-354-9901 xudu@gatech.edu
• 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference • 19
2018 Participants Nathan Ellebracht Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech 510-825-5969 nellebracht@gatech.edu Scott Essenmacher Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 810-656-0510 sessenmacher3@gatech.edu Lois Forde-Kohler Papermaking Materials Procter & Gamble Cincinnati, OH 513-634-3446 fordekohler.lj@pg.com John Gast Consultant Gast Consulting Hockessin 302-377-3856 gastfam6@aol.com Xuejian Gong Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 762-436-4096 xgong45@gatech.edu Jerushia Graham Museum Coordinator Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking Atlanta, GA 404-894-7821 jerushia@gatech.edu
Will Gutekunst Assistant Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-4675 willgute@gatech.edu Marko Hakovirta Professor, Department Head NC State University Raleigh, NC 919-601-2538 mjhakovi@ncsu.edu Craig Hamel Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 973-787-4550 craighamel@gatech.edu Kasey Hanson Graduate Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA khanson30@gatech.edu Ejaz Haque Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 650-291-8383 ehaque3@gatech.edu Quashavia Harper Administrative Professional I RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-5700 quashavia@yahoo.com
Peter Hart Director, Fiber Science and Innovation WestRock Atlanta, GA 919-608-3873 peter.hart@westrock.com Liang He Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-376-8876 lianghe@gatech.edu Dennis Hess Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-5922 dennis.hess@chbe.gatech.edu Philip Hoekstra Technology Director Buckman Laboratories Memphis, TN 9012728307 pmhoekstra@buckman.com Virginia Howell Education Curator Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking Atlanta, GA 404-894-5726 virginia.howell@rbi.gatech.edu Jeff Hsieh Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-379-9730 jeff.hsieh@chbe.gatech.edu
Chad Hume RBI Fellow Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 484-639-2783 chadh5.13@gmail.com Cameron Irvin Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 678-446-2719 cirvin3@gatech.edu David Jackson Consultant Materials-Process Connexxions Alpharetta, GA 678-524-6530 david.m.jackson@att.net Roger Jiao Associate Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-9633 rjiao@gatech.edu Phil Jones Principal PhylloCi. LLC Woodstock, GA 770-331-0325 phil@phyllosci.com Andrew Jones Engineer International Paper Cincinnati, OH 513-543-3595 andrew.jones@ipaper.com
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Kyriaki Kalaitzidou Associate Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-3446 kyriaki.kalaitzidou@me.gatech.edu Surya Kalidindi Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-2886 surya.kalidindi@me.gatech.edu
Augustus Lang Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 303-590-4616 alang@gatech.edu
Nasreen Khan Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 856-761-7913 nasreen@gatech.edu
Felipe Larrain Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 847-246-2721 flarrain@gatech.edu
Bernard Kippelen Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-5163 bernard.kippelen@ece.gatech.edu Dirk Krouskop President NCASI Cary, NC 919-941-6403 dkrouskop@ncasi.org Nick Kruyer Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 910-603-9844 nkruyer3@gatech.edu Sandeep Kulkarni Senior Principal Scientist PepsiCo Alpharetta, GA 914-319-2629 sandeep.kulkarni@pepsico.com
Thomas Kwok Ph.D. Candidate Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 415-971-2317 tkwok@gatech.edu
Hong Luc Le Graduate student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 210-232-2658 lucle@gatech.edu Vincent Lee Graduate student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 515-817-3030 vinclee@gatech.edu Yi Li Graduate Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-245-3007 liyiliuyu@gatech.edu
Vincent Li Graduate Researcher Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 408-390-4109 vli6@gatech.edu
Tony Lyons Principle Paper Lyons (Imerys) Macon, GA 478-747-1276 tony.lyons@imerys.com
Jianshan Liao Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 734-730-8633 jianshan.liao@gatech.edu
Jian H. Ma Director of Technology EDT Norcross, GA 678-735-3500 jma@edt-enzymes.com
Zhiqun Lin Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 515-520-0987 zhiqun.lin@mse.gatech.edu
Bruno Marcoccia Director, R&D Domtar Fort Mill, SC 803-37-28915 bruno.marcoccia@domtar.com
Wei Liu Graduate Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-907-6256 wliu300@gatech.edu
Norman F. Marsolan Executive Director, Professor RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-2082 norman.marsolan@rbi.gatech.edu
Mark Losego Assistant Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-3630 losego@gatech.edu
Don McConnell Vice President Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-407-6199 don.mcconnell@gtri.gatech.edu
Chris Luettgen Professor, Associate Director Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 770-231-7088 chris.luettgen@rbi.gatech.edu
A.J. Medford Assistant Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-5531 andrew.medford@chbe.gatech.edu
Jeffrey Luo Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 570-369-8508 jluo73@gatech.edu
Carson Meredith Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-2151 carson.meredith@chbe.gatech.edu
• 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference • 21
2018 Participants
Laurent Mignot Family Care FEI AD Procter & Gamble Cincinnati, OH 513-634-2548 mignot.lj@pg.com
Art Nonni Sr. Dir Process & Product Tech., R&D GP Cellulose Atlanta, GA 404-652-5728 anonni@gapac.com
Rusty Miller VP, Engineering & Technology Graphic Packaging Atlanta, GA 269-330-3820 millerr@graphicpkg.com Robert Moon Materials Research Engineer USDA-Forest Service Atlanta, GA 404-894-1026 robertmoon@fs.fed.us Dione Morton Admin Manager RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-9550 dione.morton@rbi.gatech.edu Sankar Nair Professor, Associate Chair Geogia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-4826 sankar.nair@chbe.gatech.edu Naren Narendranath Director, Cellulosic Sugars Domtar Fort Mill, SC 803-802-8252 naren.narendranath@domtar.com
Fritz Paulsen R&D Manager KapStone Paper & Packaging North Charleston, SC 843-745-3102 fritz.paulsen@kapstonepaper.com
Jerry Nunn Facilities Manager RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-5332 jerry.nunn@rbi.gatech.edu
Pamela Peralta-Yahya Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-4228 pperaltayahya@chemistry.gatech.edu
Matthew Orr Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Mableton, GA 678-516-4107 morr7@gatech.edu
Roman Popil Senior Research Scientist RBI, Georgia Atlanta, GA 404-804-9772 roman@gatech.edu
Sarah Paluskiewicz Graduate Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 585-230-8087 sapalusk@ncsu.edu
Vesa Pylkkanen CTO, American Process Inc. Atlanta, GA 404-372-7194 vpylkkanen @americanprocess.com
Harshad Pande Director, R&D Domtar Montreal, Canada 514-848-5555 ext.85002 harshad.pande@domtar.com
Ke Qiu Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-386-7119 kqiu31@gatech.edu
Steve Parker VP, Research, Development & Technical Services WestRock Richmond, VA 540-968-0687 steve.parker@westrock.com
Elsa Reichmanis Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-0316 ereichmanis@chbe.gatech.edu
Bruce Richards CEO, Sustainable Corp Atlanta, GA 404-981-8144 bruce@sustainable-corp.com Bailey Risteen Ph.D. Candidate Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 860-918-6521 bristeen3@gatech.edu Tom Rodencal President Tom Rodencal & Associates Duluth, GA 404-210-4206 rodencal@bellsouth.net Nima Ronaghi Student Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 304-376-0800 nronaghi@gatech.edu Michael Rushton Chief Operating Officer Fibria Innovations Inc Burnaby, BC 604-453-1242 mike.rushton@fibria.com Chinmay Satam Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-786-2565 csatam3@gatech.edu
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Tom Schulz R&D Senior Manager Kimberly-Clark Corporation Roswell, GA 648-294-3492 thschulz@kcc.com Nikolay Semenikhin Graduate research assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-644-5046 nsemenikhin3@gatech.edu Subrata Sen Director, Technology Innovation Georgia-Pacific Atlanta, GA 404-652-6561 subrata.Sen@gapac.com Ed Senko Manager, Innovative Solutions International Paper Memphis, TN 901-419-3838 ed.senko@ipaper.com Kamal Sewell Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-493-8663 kamalsewell@gmail.com Vinoo Sharma Product Development INVISTA Kennesaw, GA 678-910-9278 vinoo.sharma@invista.com
Meisha Shofner Associate Professor Associate Director RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-7216 meisha.shofner@mse.gatech.edu Preet Singh Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-6641 preet.singh@mse.gatech.edu Scott Sinquefield Sr. Research Engineer RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-0241 scott.sinquefield@rbi.gatech.edu Petri Sirvio Director, Incubation Stora Enso Stamford, CT 203-356-5788 petri.sirvio@storaenso.com Kelly Smith Manager, Marketing & Communication RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-5301 kelly.smith@gatech.edu Jungseob So Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 470-985-4556 jungseobso84@gmail.com
Timothy Staub Principal Staub Holdings Richmond, VA 804-337-2928 staubtg@gmail.com
Devan Thomas Financial Administrator II RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-0193 Devan.Thomas@rbi.gatech.edu
Michael Stellato Ph.D. Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 774-929-5723 mstellato@gatech.edu
David Townsend Senior Staff Scientist Nalco Water/Ecolab Naperville, IL 404-697-3273 david.townsend@ecolab.com
Ken Stewart Senior Advisor RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-242-0622 ken.stewart@gatech.edu
Trevor Treasure Senior Development Engineer Eastman Chemical Company Kingsport, TN 423-229-5979 trevortreasure@eastman.com
Marty Swails Technical Strategist Kimberly-Clark Corp. Roswell , GA 678-352-6409 meswails@kcc.com
David Turpin Executive Director APPTI Washington, D.C. 740-649-2307 david.turpin@appti.org
Alex Taylor Manufacturing Leader Renmatix Kennesaw, GA 484-751-4156 alex.taylor@renmatix.com
Chris Verrill Engineering Fellow International Paper Peachtree Corners, GA 404-783-6597 chris.verrill@ipaper.com
Valerie Thomas Professor Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-385-7254 valerie.thomas@isye.gatech.edu
Don Waldroup Senior Research Manager Kimberly-Clark Roswell, GA 770 587 8092 dewaldrp@kcc.com
• 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference • 23
2018 Participants Songcheng Wang Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-414-5812 swang428@gatech.edu
Mary Williams Administration RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-5700 mary.williams@rbi.gatech.edu
Gaoxiang Wu Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 347-401-4055 wgaoxiang3@gatech.edu
Jiang Zhihua Director, Assistant Professor AC-PABE Auburn University, AL 334-844-7829 zhihuajiang@auburn.edu
Zhongzhen Wang Ph.D. Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 573-825-0817 zwang692@gatech.edu
Teri Williams Director Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking Georgia Tech 404-894-7840 teri.williams@rbi.gatech.edu
Donggang Yao Professor Geogia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-9076 yao@gatech.edu
Yuanzheng Zhu Graduate Student RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 678-733-5149 yzhu319@gatech.edu
Lisa Wiest Graduate Research Assistant Georgia Tech Atlanta wiestlisak@gmail.com Lloyd Williams Director, Business Operations RBI, Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 404-894-6672 lloyd.williams@rbi.gatech.edu
Jamie Wooding Graduate Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 732-343-4884 jwooding3@gatech.edu
Jiwoo Yu Ph.D. Student Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 470-222-0057 jyu81@gatech.edu
Rich Wright Market Development Manager Rayonier Advanced Materials Jesup, GA 912-588-8022 rich.wright@rayonieram.com
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Wi-Fi Instructions
• 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference • 25
Vision Georgia Tech TAPPI Student Chapter will be the top talent pool for the forest products, pulp, paper, packaging and related industries.
Mission Georgia Tech TAPPI Student Chapter connects GT scientists and engineers to the forest products, pulp, paper, packaging and related industries by delivering growth opportunities and providing both a professional network to the students and proven talent to the industry.
What We Do Networking: We organize Information sessions, career fairs, alumni connections, CV and resume workshops, conferences, seminars and more with your company’s help. Research: We are leading more than 40 pulp- and paper-focused projects.
How You Can Connect We have more than 80 students at both the undergraduate and graduate level who have a profound personal investment in shaping a more sustainable environment through the study of renewable raw materials and their impact on our world. These students are the emerging thought leaders, change agents and innovators who will solve the world’s most complex challenges and create transformative opportunities for you and your company.
26 • 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference •
Increased revenue from recovered lignin.
Lignin monomers to adipic acid. Creation of products from lignin monomers.
Learn more about the TAPPI Student Chapter by going to tappi.rbi.gatech.edu or email Michael Stellato at mstellato@gatech.edu for more information. Be sure to visit our booth outside Room 222 and in the Atrium during the poster session at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Paper for displays and energy storage.
Films
Hydrogels
Foams 3D-printed cellulosic gels
• 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference • 27
2018 Student Poster Session Advances in Biochemical Production • Chaoyi Chang, Assessing the role of molybdenum oxidation state on the adsorption of biomass-derived oxygenates using density functional theory, ChBE • Leo Ya Dong Chiang, Purification of 2,5-dimethylfuran by defect-engineered metal organic framework adsorbents, ChBE • Xu Du, Depolymerization of lignin for value-added products using liquid catalytic approach, ChBE • Nicholas Kruyer, Microbial productions of adipic acid from catechol, ChBE • Thomas Kwok, Lignin value prior to pulping, ChBE • Thomas Kwok, The Lignin Group at Georgia Tech, ChBE • Nima Ronaghi, Utilization of carbohydrates to access higher value chemicals and fuels, CHEM • Michael Stellato, Catalytic upgrading of lignin monomers and dimers, ChBE • Andrew Tricker, Mechanocatalytic depolymerization of lignin, ChBE • Lisa Wiest, Surface interactions of model sugar compounds on reduced molybdenum oxide surface, ChBE • Jungseob So, Investigation of adsorption of C3 oxygenates on heteratom (Sn, Mo, and W) doped Beta Zeolites and the effect of water on the transformation of C3 oxygenates using infrared spectroscopy, ChBE
Biocomposites and Nanocellulose • Manali Banerjee, Surface modifications of nanocellulose to design a stable support for heterogenous drug crystallization, MSE • Krista Bullard, Utilizing cyclodextrin to compatibilize the polymer and CNC interface, CHEM • Junhe Chen, Property enhancement and processing by cellulose carbonization, MSE • Nathan Ellebracht, Engineering cellulose nanomaterials as stable and reusable heterogeneous catalytic materials, ChBE • Craig Hamel, Additive manufacturing of cellulosic-reinforced epoxides, ME • Ejaz Haque, Nanocellulosic enhancement of the interface in glass fiber/epoxy composites, MSE • Cameron Irvin, Understanding the impact of cellulose and chitin-based nanomaterials in various polymer matrix constructs 0(an IGER project*) MSE • Augustus Lang, Transparent wood smart windows, MSE • Hong Luc Le, Eco-friendly composite resins based on renewable biomass resources: Polyfurfuryl alcohol/nanocellulose thermosets, ChBE • Vincent Li, Direct-Ink Write (DIW) 3D-printed cellulose nanofiber aerogel structures, ChBE • Jianshan Liao, Rheological characterization and testing standards for nanocellulose materials, ChBE • Wei Liu, Surface structure patterning for fabricating non-fluorinated super-hydrophobic cellulosic film, ChBE • Jeffrey Luo, Processing, structures and properties of polyacrylonitrile/nanocellulose composite films and fibers, MSE 28 • 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference •
• Matthew Orr, Developing and investigating prescribed microstructures in polyethylene-co-vinyl alcohol with cellulose nanocrystals, MSE • Ke Qiu, Cellulose nanowhiskers used in fuel-cell membranes, MSE • Bailey Risteen, Thermo-responsive liquid crystal templating of semi-conducting polymers using cellulose nanocrystals, ChBE • Chinmay Satam, Spray coated chitin and nanocellulose polymer films for barrier applications, ChBE • Nikolay Semenikhin, Surface functionalization and metallization of cellulosic nanomaterials, MSE • Jamie Wooding, Vapor-phase modification (VPM) of cellulosic materials for use in polymer composites, MSE • Jiwoo Yu, Low-cost, large-scale manufacturing of inorganic nanoparticles/cellulose composites for water treatment and energy applications, MSE
Operational Excellence in Advanced Paper & Packaging • Aydin Bedi Baykal, Erosion-corrosion of steels in caustic environments-effect of flow parameters, MSE • Mason Chilmonczyk, Micro/Nanotechnology-enabled biochemical imaging in complex environments relevant to renewable bioproduct processing, ME • Scott Essenmacher, Removal of particulate contaminants from process effluents by affinity flotation, ChBE • Xuejian Gong, Big-data driven predictive analytics for manufacturing operation excellence in paper industry, ME • Kasey Hanson, Superheater tube corrosion in simulated recovery boiler environments, MSE • Liang He, Pitting corrosion and properties of passive film of duplex stainless steels in chloride-and-thiosulfate-containing environments, MSE • Chad Hume, Design and manufacture of press fabric structures for improved dewatering, ME • Nasreen Khan, Increasing solids into the dryer via rational design of polyelectrolytes, MSE • Felipe Larrain, Instant inkjet-printable circuits and solution-processed electronics for the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart packaging, ECE • Vincent Lee, Stratified fluid forming of two layers with different viscosity, ME • Yi Li, Patterning paper wettability enabled by vapor-phase modification, MSE • Yoon Joo Na, Damage zones in paper and packaging materials, MSE • Dennis Oztekin, Simulation of a headbox with a flexible middle lamella, ME • Sarah Paluskiewicz, Planar strain distributions in paper, MSE • Songcheng Wang, Advanced froth flotation using oil-coated bubbles and its application in de-inking process, ChBE • Zhongzhen Wang, Tunable graphene oxide membranes for energy-efficient black liquor concentration, ChBE • Gaoxiang Wu, Effect of deformation on general corrosion and pitting corrosion of steels, MSE • Yuanzheng Zhu, Crystal particle adhesion to surfaces in black liquor evaporators, ME • 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference • 29
The Idea that Changed the World
P
aper is such a natural part of our daily lives that we can sometimes forget just how much we rely on this essential, renewable and evolving resource. Few things in life are as versatile, reliable and practical as paper. Be it a carrier, barrier or filter; be it opaque, translucent or transparent, life cannot be imagined without paper. The idea of paper stretches back to ancient Egypt in the third millennium BC. But paper as we know it traces its roots to China at the beginning of the first millennium AD. The Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking celebrates the history of this remarkable discovery — its collection of watermarks, papers and manuscripts is the most comprehensive in the world — and gives visitors of all ages a hands-on experience that connects them to this nearly 1,900-year-old idea and its impact on every aspect of society since that time.
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Outreach
In 2017, more than 2,000 students experienced papermaking first-hand while on field trips to the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. These field trips serve to share the endless ways paper impacts each of their lives every day. In October, the museum hosted the “Friends of Dard Hunter,” a three-day conference celebrating hand papermaking. Papermakers from across the country and around the world attended to exchange information, develop connections and understand the roots of their craft. The museum also provides STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning opportunities to school groups in a variety of ways. As students are walked through the history of papermaking, concepts such as the use of natural resources, the scientific method and problem solving are introduced. By blending concepts of history, science and art through the lens of paper, students can begin to see these subjects are closely intertwined. Contentspecific programs for Georgia Tech classes are developed as well through a collaborative partnership between the museum and faculty. Museum Director • Teri Williams 404.894.7840 • teri.williams@rbi.gatech.edu Education Curator • Virginia Howell 404.894.5726 • virginia.howell@rbi.gatech.edu Museum Coordinator • Jerushia Graham 404.894.7821 • jerushia@gatech.edu
Established in 1936 by paper historian Dard Hunter, the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking contains the most comprehensive collection of paper and paper-related artifacts in the world. The collection traces the evolution of communication and showcases paper’s contributions to civilization. An internationally renowned resource on the history of paper and paper technology, the museum features a remarkable collection of more than 10,000 watermarks, papers, tools and manuscripts. The museum is housed in the Paper Tricentennial Building and is partially funded by the Renewable Bioproducts Institute.
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Questions? Please contact:
Kelly B. Smith • Marketing and Communication • (o) 404.894.5301 (c) 312.391.2428 kelly.smith@gatech.edu Dione Morton • Administrative Office of the Executive Director • 404.894.9550 dione.morton@rbi.gatech.edu 32 • 2018 Renewable Bioproducts Annual Executive Conference •
Your Gifts
RBI is at the forefront in educating future leaders of the industry and cultivating the brightest minds by providing an ecosystem in which to find solutions to the most complex and challenging issues facing the bioeconomy. The support of our member companies, alumni and friends has allowed RBI to create an interdisciplinary engine that drives our success as the premier institute for advanced research in the area of renewables. We invite you to be a part of this process by giving to RBI. Your gift will contribute to today’s pioneers in renewable research. To give a gift by check, make your check payable to the Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc. State your intent to benefit the Renewable Bioproducts Institute by listing our name in the memo line of your check. Gifts may be mailed to: Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc. 760 Spring St., N.W. Suite 400 Atlanta, GA 30308 To make a gift using a credit card, please contact Tisha Roberson in the Office of Development Gift Accounting at 404.894.2985. For more information, please visit www.gtalumni.org/giving.
Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI-GT) Antitrust Notice Guidelines for Meetings As required by law as well as RBI-GT bylaws, Appendix II, neither Georgia Tech’s Renewable Bioproducts Institute nor any committee or activity of RBI-GT shall be used for or include discussions for the purpose of bringing about or attempting to bring about any understanding or agreement, written or oral, formal or informal, expressed or implied, among competitors with regard to prices, terms or conditions of sale, distribution, volume of production, or allocation of territories, customers, or suppliers. No RBI-GT activity shall involve exchange or collection and dissemination among competitors of any information regarding prices, pricing methods, costs of production, sales, marketing, or distribution. Neither RBI-GT nor any committee thereof shall make any effort to bring about the standardization of any product for the purpose of or with the effect of preventing the manufacture or sale of any product not conforming to a specified standard. RBI-GT does not become involved in or establish any product standards and is precluded from endorsing any product or process. The above described discussions and/or actions are expressly prohibited and shall not be permitted. Rev. 1/2015
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