2015
Annual Executive
Conference
Developing Advancing Opportunities
&
BIOECONOMY
in the
About the Renewable Bioproducts Institute The Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI) at Georgia Institute of Technology conducts premier research in the area of transforming biomaterials into new products, including traditional and new forest products, renewable energy, chemicals, advanced materials and pharmaceuticals. With more than 85 years of expertise in pulp- and paperfocused lignocellulosics research, we help companies from various industries gain a competitive edge through research innovation and education. Vision We will be the premier institute for advanced and translational research in the area of renewables by creating an interdisciplinary engine for valueadded bioproducts, biochemical and bioprocesses in the market. Mission Our mission is to advance both science and engineering for the biorefining of forest and agricultural biomass 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. Strategic Thrusts 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.
Questions? Please contact: Lavon Harper • Administrative Office of the Executive Director • 404.894.9550 lavon.harper@rbi.gatech.edu Kelly B. Smith • Marketing and Communication Manager • 404.894.6700 kelly.smith@rbi.gatech.edu
Get your wifi going. To connect to wireless internet at the Georgia Tech/Tricentennial Building: • Click on the Network Manager icon in the System Tray (located in the lower right-hand corner). You should see a listing of GT networks. • Click on “GT wifi” and ensure that “Connect Automatically” is checked. Click “Connect.” • Enter the GT Account user name and password provided to you. • After entering your credentials, another box will appear explaining that the security certificate cannot be verified. Click the arrow to view “Details” in the bottom left-hand corner. - Ensure the “Radius Server” field reads: gtwpa.lawn.gatech.edu - Ensure the “Root CA” field reads: Add/Trust External CA Root • Click “Connect.” You should now be connected to GT wifi. If asked for “Network Location,” select “Public Network.” Verify your connection to GT wifi by clicking on the wireless icon in your System Tray. If you have any problems logging in, please contact RBI Operations Manager Charles Brookshire, 404.545.1840 or charles.brookshire@rbi.gatech.edu.
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
Welcome from Norman F. Marsolan 3
Georgia Institute of Technology 7
Our Member Companies 9
Our Speakers 11
About RBI Agenda at a Glance
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Conference Participants
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Annual Poster Session
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Logistics
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Leadership and Giving Page 1
Inside Front
Inside Back
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
BUILDING ON A LEGACY OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
Welcome Welcome to our 2015 Annual Executive Conference, “Developing and Advancing Opportunities in the Bioeconomy.” At the Renewable Bioproducts Institute, we understand an innovation ecosystem that brings together education, research, government and industry in unique ways will enable companies to seize new opportunities. Our vision is to create and strengthen collaborative partnerships, both internally and externally. This will maximize the impact of our research in real-world applications benefitting our world — your world. Your involvement in discussions like this is key. Bioproducts and bioprocessing research has undergone an evolution in the past several years. It includes technologies that produce chemicals, biofuels and new material products from forest raw materials. Our Institute has evolved as well, building upon the rich history of the Institute of Paper Science and Technology, positioning us to serve the development of the new bioeconomy. We are committed to enhancing the global competitiveness of companies operating in wideranging bioproducts markets. We want to advance that conversation with you here during the next two days. Our three concurrent tracks — “Catalytic Advances in Biochemical Production,” “Biocomposites and Nanocellulose” and “Operational Excellence in Advanced Paper and Packaging" — are designed to share insights and reveal areas of common purpose in our research today and beyond. Which brings me to one of my favorite parts of this conference — the introduction of our Ph.D. Fellows. These bright young minds will be leading all of us into the future of bioproducts and bioprocessing. They’re here to share their work in creating new biochemicals and innovative packaging, leveraging nanocellulose in sustainable materials, reducing the manufacturing cost of existing and new papers and developing platforms for imaginative applications. I’m very pleased to have you with us and proud to present our premier researchers, who have assembled a conference that addresses the possibilities, challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. Best regards,
Norman F. Marsolan Executive Director Renewable Bioproducts Institute Page 3
Agenda 7:30 a.m. 8:00 - 8:15 a.m. 8:15 - 8:45 a.m. 8:45 - 9 a.m. 9:00 - 10 a.m. 10:00 - 10:15 a.m. Track 10:15 - 10:30 a.m. 10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
11:00 - 11:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Continental Breakfast • Auditorium Foyer • 1st Floor
Session 1: Day 1 Opening Plenary (8:00 - 10:00 a.m.) Auditorium • 1st Floor
Annual Executive Conference Opening Welcome to Georgia Tech • Dr. Steve Cross • Exec. Vice President Research, Georgia Tech Meeting Overview • Conference Moderator Norman F. Marsolan • Ex. Director, Renewable Bioproducts Institute Keynote Address • Ray Miller • Chief Business Officer, Verdezyne Corp. • Biobased Products: A Commercialization Case Study Break Session 2 (10:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) Session Rooms Catalytic Advances in Biochemical Biocomposites and Nanocellulose Operational Excellence in Advanced Paper Production • Seminar Room • 1st Floor Board Room • 5th Floor and Packaging • Mead Center Classroom • 2nd Floor Track Opening: State of Science; Opportunities Ahead; Research and Activities at Georgia Tech Matthew Realff Meisha Shofner Chris Luettgen Carsten Sievers David Turpin Pulp and Paper Research Priorities Carsten Sievers Carson Meredith Sankar Nair Mechanocatalytic Approaches Cellulose- and Chitin-Based Advanced Membranes for Energy to Biomass Conversion Coatings and Films Efficient Concentration of Spent Pulping Liquors in the Kraft Process Andreas Bommarius Satish Kumar Chris Muhlstein Biocatalysis for Biopolymers for Textiles Strain Field Mining: The Key to Carbohydrate Conversion and High-Performance Fiber Engineering the Strength and Toughness of Paper and Packaging Pamela Peralta-Yahya Ken Sandhage Preet Singh Bioanalysis for Conformal Coating of/by Evaporator Erosion-Corrosion Lignin Conversion Sustainable Materials and Mechanical Effects; for New Functionalities Corrosion of Stainless Steels in Closed Paper Machine Environments Lunch and Networking • Presentation: Norman F. Marsolan • Ex. Director, Renewable Bioproducts Institute • Dining Room • 1st Floor Promise and Possibilities at the new Renewable Bioproducts Institute
Session 3 (1:15 - 3:30 p.m.)
Track 1:15 - 1:45 p.m.
1:45 - 2:15 p.m.
2:15 - 3:30 p.m. 3:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Catalytic Advances in Biochemical Production • Seminar Room • 1st Floor Simon Pang Catalysis for Conversion of C5-C6 to Further Intermediate Chemicals Tyrone Wells Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass into Bacterial Bio-Oils
Biocomposites and Nanocellulose Board Room • 5th Floor Kyriaki Kalaitzidou Nano-materials in Polymer Composites for High-Volume Applications Robert Moon USFS-Forest Products Laboratory’s Priority Research Areas for Cellulose Nanomaterials and Biocomposites Discussion: Applying the Insights — Opportunities and Challenges Matthew Realff, Moderator Meisha Shofner, Moderator Break • Auditorium Foyer • 1st Floor
Operational Excellence in Advanced Paper and Packaging • Mead Center Classroom • 2nd Floor Elsa Reichmanis Protein-assisted Functional Active Packaging for Safety and Security David Rosen Design and Manufacturing Approaches to Improve Dewatering in Machine Fabric Chris Luettgen, Moderator
Agenda Tuesday, March 10, 2015 4:00 - 4:45 p.m. 4:45 - 5:15 p.m. 5:15 - 6:30 p.m. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
7:30 a.m. 8:00 - 8:15 a.m. 8:15 - 9:00 a.m.
(Continued)
Session 4: Plenary Session (4:00 - 5:15 p.m.) Auditorium • 1st Floor Developing and Advancing Opportunities in the Bioeconomy: Group Reports/Discussion • Kathleen Bennett, Moderator Wrap-up — Review of the day; plan for the evening; overview of March 11 program Poster Presentations and Dinner (5:15 - 8:30 p.m.) Members Lounge and Dining Room • 1st Floor Poster Session — Members Lounge • 1st Floor Dinner/Presentation • Peter Ludovice • Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Tech • Dining Room • 1st Floor Feel The Power of the Dork Side
Breakfast • Auditorium Foyer • 1st Floor
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Session 5: Day 2 Opening Plenary (8:00 - 9:00 a.m.) Auditorium • 1st Floor
Recap and Day 2 Kickoff • Norman F. Marsolan, Moderator Ben Wang • Exec. Director, Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute Advanced Manufacturing Initiatives, Partnerships and How to Engage
Session 6: Ph.D. Student Presentations (9:00 - 10:30 a.m)
Track 9:00 - 9:30 a.m.
9:30 - 10:00 a.m.
10:00 - 10:30 a.m. 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. 11:30 - 11:45 a.m. 11:45 - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 - 1:15 p.m. 1:15 - 1:45 p.m. 1:45 - 2:00 p.m.
Catalytic Advances in Biochemical Biocomposites and Nanocellulose Operational Excellence in Advanced Paper Production • Seminar Room • 1st Floor Board Room • 5th Floor and Packaging • Mead Center Classroom • 2nd Floor Stephen Sarria (Advisor: Pamela Peralta-Yahya) Arie Mulyadi (Advisor: Yulin Deng) Aaron Howell (Advisor: Cyrus Aidun) GPCR-based Sensor Communication via Synthesis and Characterization of Development of a Medium-Chain Fatty Acid Production Poly(methyl methacrylate)/Cellulose Nanofibrils Black Liquor Evaporation Method in S. cerevisiae Composite by Emulsion Polymerization to Eliminate Fouling Yi Zhang (Advisors: Sven Behrens/Carson Meredith) Guo Shiou Foo (Advisor: Carsten Sievers) Zhenguan Tang (Advisors: V. Breedveld/D. Hess) Functionalized Activated Carbon: Capillary Foams: A Small Amount of Fabrication of Oleophobic Surface Stability in Hot Liquid Water and Immiscible Secondary Fluid on Porous Substrate Using Hydrolysis of Cellulose and Cellobiose Makes a Big Difference Non-fluorinated Materials Discussion: Company Preferences for Graduate Student Projects and Other Interactions Matthew Realff, Moderator Meisha Shofner, Moderator Chris Luettgen, Moderator Break • Auditorium Foyer • 1st Floor Session 7: Final Plenary (11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.) Auditorium • 1st Floor Plenary Discussion: Moving Forward • Kathleen Bennett, Moderator Chris Luettgen • Professor of the Practice, ChBE, Georgia Tech Educational Opportunity: Professional Masters in Manufacturing Leadership (PMML) Thomas North • Global Commercialization Manager, The Coca-Cola Company, and Bill Cutts, Georgia Tech Leveraging Georgia Tech’s Startup Community: A Coca-Cola Case Study Lunch and Networking • Dining Room • 1st Floor Kim Nelson • VP-Nanocellulose Technology, American Process Inc. Advanced Materials for the Advancing Bioeconomy Wrap-Up and Follow-up • Norman F. Marsolan, Conference Moderator
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GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
LEVERAGING THE GLOBAL EXPERTISE OF A PREMIER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a leading research university committed to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology. Ranked as the No. 7 “Best Public University,” Georgia Tech provides a focused, technologically based education to more than 21,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Research at Georgia Tech inspires gamechanging ideas and new technologies that help drive economic growth, while improving human life on a global scale. This is all possible because Georgia Tech’s culture encourages thinking big and the fearless pursuit of grand challenges. Another factor that sets Georgia Tech apart from other research universities is the interdisciplinary, highly collaborative environment that fuels the Institute. The researchers at the Renewable Bioproducts Institute understand that solving complex problems requires combining the input of diverse groups. Researchers and students are creating transformative opportunities and strengthening collaborative partnerships to maximize the impact of their research on society. Most recently, Georgia Tech’s Renewable Bioproducts Institute has broadened its bioproducts research beyond pulp and paper to include technologies that produce chemicals, biofuels and new material products from forest raw materials. As a result, Georgia Tech is now positioned to better serve the development of new forest-based economies and enhance the global competitiveness of companies operating in a variety of markets. Page 7
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
OUR MEMBER COMPANIES
We would like to extend a special thank you to our member companies. The advancement of our research, our programs and our students is made possible by their involvement. 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.
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GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
OUR SPEAKERS
Andreas Bommarius Professor, ChBE • Georgia Tech 404.385.1334 • andreas.bommarius@chbe.gatech.edu 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 diploma 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. Working 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 the use of enzymes in laundry and pulp and paper applications.
Stephen E. Cross Executive Vice President for Research • Georgia Tech 404.894.8885 • cross@gatech.edu 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, a position he is currently filling as interim director. 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 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 in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, his master’s in Electrical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Bill Cutts
in the embedded systems industry, including time at leading industrial companies such as Motorola and Sun and at innovative startups. During Cutts’ first stint at Georgia Tech, he received a master’s in Electrical Engineering and in Applied Physic and a bachelor’s in Physics.
Guo Shiou Foo Ph.D. Candidate, ChBE • Georgia Tech guoshiou.foo@chbe.gatech.edu Guo Shiou Foo obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University in 2011. En route to obtaining his degree, Foo carried out research on synthesizing functionalized carbon nanotubes to be used as supercapacitors under the direction of Professor Yuan Chen and he was awarded President Research Scholar. After graduation, he moved to Atlanta and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech, expecting to graduate in August 2015. He is studying surface science and heterogeneous catalysis of biomass-derivedoxygenates under the direction of Carsten Sievers. The goal of his research is to have a fundamental understanding of the reactions to allow optimization of catalytic formulations and reaction processes. Foo was awarded Exemplary Academic Achievement in 2012 and Ziegler Best Paper in 2014 for his academic and research accomplishments.
Aaron Howell Ph.D. Candidate, ME • Georgia Tech ahowell7@gatech.edu Aaron Howell is a Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student being advised by Cyrus Aidun. His research concerns the study of the flow of black liquor while being concentrated in an evaporator. The computational model developed during the course of this project can accurately describe the hydrodynamics and interfacial waves black liquor flows. The model is being used to investigate novel flow arrangements that can be used to minimize the effect of fouling in the evaporator. He expects to graduate in the spring of 2015.
Kyriaki Kalaitzidou
Senior Director, Industry Collaboration • Georgia Tech 404.407.6476 • cutts@gatech.edu Bill Cutts is currently a Senior Director of Industry Collaboration for Georgia Tech. The Office of Industry Collaboration (OIC) is a portal at Georgia Tech instituted to facilitate industry engagement with the university across a broad spectrum of desired outcomes. OIC’s industry and market-aware staff are focused on creating sustained commercial outcomes for Georgia Tech’s industrial partners, while simultaneously supporting the mission of a globally leading research university. Prior to returning to Georgia Tech, Cutts held various business development roles Page 11
Assistant Professor, ME • Georgia Tech kyriaki.kalaitzidou@me.gatech.edu • 404.385.3446 Kyriaki Kalaitzidou joined the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech as an Assistant Professor in November 2007. She also holds a courtesy appointment in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. Earlier,
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
Kyriaki Kalaitzidou (continued) she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Polymer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science from Michigan State University in 2006. Her research focuses on the manufacture of polymer-based lightweight structures and smart materials that are commonly used in applications ranging from transportation and consumer electronics to customized medical implants. She has co-authored 43 peer-reviewed journal publications, more than 40 refereed conference papers and holds two patents. She has received the third award in the International Quadrant Competition for her Ph.D. work and the prestigious Honda Initiation Grand. Her research has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Intel, Yamaha, Bennett Aerospace and Honda.
Satish Kumar Professor, MSE • Georgia Tech 404.894.7550 • satish.kumar@mse.gatech.edu Satish Kumar received his Ph.D. in 1979 from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India, in Polymer and Fiber Science. He obtained his post-doctoral experience in the Polymer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts (1979-82). In 1982-83, he was a visiting scientist at the Atomic Energy Commission of France, C.E.N.G., Grenoble, France. Through 1984-89, he was associated with the Polymer Branch, Air Force Materials Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH, on contract through Universal Energy Systems and the University of Dayton Research Institute. He joined the faculty of the School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering at Georgia Tech in 1989 and he is currently serving as Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. Kumar’s research is in high-performance materials, biomaterials, energy storage, nano materials, functional electronics and optical materials, as well as fibers and nano composites.
Peter J. Ludovice Associate Professor, ChBE • Georgia Tech 404.894.1835 • pete.ludovice@chbe.gatech.edu Pete Ludovice received his bachelor’s from the University of Illinois and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT. After post-doctoral research at IBM, NASA and the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich, he managed the Polymer Products Group at Molecular Simulations, Inc. (now Accelrys). He is an Associate Professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, where he received the Don Bratcher Human Relations Award for his interaction Page 12
with students across the campus. Ludovice’s research interests include the application of molecular simulation to synthetic and biological polymers and the use of humor to improve technical innovation, education and communication. He works with the Georgia Tech School of Math on humorous improvisation to catalyze technical innovation. He uses humor to engage students and the public through live programs nationwide, a weekly podcast and a weekly radio show on WREK-Atlanta (91.1FM) on science and technology, whose motto is “Science, Only Funnier.”
Chris Luettgen Associate Director, RBI • Professor of Practice, ChBE • Georgia Tech 404.894.6908 • chris.luettgen@rbi.gatech.edu Chris Luettgen is Associate Director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute, as well as a professor of the practice in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. In addition, he is director of the Georgia Tech Professional Education Industry Strategic Partnerships/Professional Masters in Manufacturing Leadership. Luettgen has 25 years of industry experience, including 19 years at 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 vice chairman of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry. He earned his master’s degree at the Institute of Paper Chemistry and his Ph.D. at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology.
Norman F. Marsolan Executive Director, RBI • Georgia Tech 404.894.2082 • norman.marsolan@rbi.gatech.edu Norman Marsolan is Executive Director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute and Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech. Marsolan is responsible for engaging the research capacity of Georgia Tech in the service of member companies and the industry. After 20 years of service, Marsolan retired from International Paper Company in 2008, where he last served as director of research and development. Marsolan held assignments as mill manager and as director of technology, manufacturing solutions responsible for the worldwide support of pulp and paper manufacturing. Marsolan is a past chair of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) and he is an affiliate member of the forest products industry’s Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance and a TAPPI Fellow.
Carson Meredith Professor, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, ChBE • Georgia Tech 404.385.2151 • carson.meredith@chbe.gatech.edu Carson Meredith, Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech and a faculty member since 2000, received his bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1993 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from University of Texas, Austin, in 1998. From 1998 to 2000, he was a postdoctoral associate in the NIST Polymers Division. His research focuses on materials with high surface or interfacial area, with emphasis on structures, transport properties and adhesion in sustainable particle- and fiber-based materials. Current projects include the development of light-weight, high-strength composites based on cellulose or chitin nanofibers, development of bio-inspired adhesives based on pollen and diatoms, barrier materials for packaging based on chitin nanofibers and novel methods to produce ultra-stable foams. His work has been featured on the covers of Macromolecules, Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, the Materials Research Bulletin and Macromolecular Materials and Engineering.
Ray W. Miller Chief Business Officer • Verdezyne Corp. 760.707.5265 • rmiller@verdezyne.com Ray Miller, Chief Business Officer of Verdezyne, has nearly 43 years of experience in the chemical intermediates, polymers and applications industries. He joined Verdezyne after a career with DuPont, where he most recently served as Global Business Development Manager, Biomaterials and Specialties, and was responsible for developing next-generation bio-based sustainable businesses. Throughout his lengthy career at DuPont, he launched numerous products and was the recipient of many awards, including the prestigious Bolton-Carothers Award for the development of Sorona®, which is now a leading business in the DuPont Industrial Biosciences platform. Miller is the co-inventor of eight issued patents and was a team member recipient of the 2003 EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for “Microbial Production of 1,3-propanediol.” He holds a bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he is also an Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni inductee.
Robert Moon Materials Research Engineer • U.S. Forest Service 404.894.0435 • robert.moon@fs.fed.us Robert Moon is an internationally recognized researcher in cellulose nanomaterials. He is a Materials Research Engineer for the U.S. Forest ServiceForest Products Laboratory (FPL). He joined Georgia Tech in 2013 on assignment Page 13
to further advance technology development in cellulose nanomaterials. This assignment, following a six-year similar arrangement at Purdue University — where he successfully built a cellulose nanomaterials program — reflects the importance the USFS places on the potential of nanocellulose technology to further its goal to fully utilize its renewable resources. The FPL collaborates with industry to develop innovative new science and technologies related to wood utilization, nanotechnology and cellulose-based composites. Moon received his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering and his master’s in Metallurgical Engineering at Purdue University. He received his bachelor’s in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Christopher L. Muhlstein Professor, MSE • Georgia Tech 404.385.1235 • christopher.muhlstein@mse.gatech.edu Christopher Muhlstein received his bachelor’s 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). His 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.
Arie Mulyadi Ph.D. Candidate, ChBE • Georgia Tech arie.mulyadi@rbi.gatech.edu Arie Mulyadi is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, expected to complete his degree in August 2016. His emphasis is in nanocellulose biomaterials for paper science and engineering. His advisor is Professor Yulin Deng. Mulyadi received his bachelor’s with distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in chemical engineering. His graduate research seeks to synthesize chemically modified cellulose nanofibrils using a grafting method of melt anhydride copolymerization and emulsion polymerization, to investigate the chemical and physical characteristics of modified cellulose nanofibrils and apply CNF as a reinforcement filler for nanocomposites synthesis and then to characterize the mechanical and thermal properties of the resulting composite. During his undergraduate years, Mulyadi worked as a process engineer in PT Lautan Luas Tbk, Indonesia, and as an intern engineer for Bayer HealthCare in Indonesia.
Thomas North III Global Commercialization Manager • The Coca-Cola Company 404.676.9554 • tomnorth@coca-cola.com
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
Kim Nelson Vice President, Nanocellulose Technology • American Process Inc. 404.872.8807 x213 • knelson@americanprocess.com Kim Nelson is the Vice President of Nanocellulose Technology at American Process Inc., headquartered in Atlanta. She is the creator of API’s low-cost, versatile nanocellulose production process and is responsible for nanocellulose technology development and R&D, demonstration line installation, commercialization and partnerships. Nelson’s previous roles at American Process include R&D management, Government Affairs and Environmental Quality and grant writing. She was formerly a pulp mill process engineer with MeadWestvaco in Charleston, SC. Nelson obtained a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech, a master’s from the Institute of Paper Science and Technology at Georgia Tech and a double bachelor’s degree in math and chemistry from Agnes Scott College.
Thomas North is a Global Commercialization Manager for The Coca-Cola Company and also serves as the Coca-Cola External Technology Acquisition (ETA) hub lead for Georgia Tech. His primary role is to commercialize technical solutions for comprehensive implementation and system adoption for global scaling purposes. Additionally, he sources external innovations, solutions to technical challenges and technical capabilities from the ecosystem of Georgia Tech in order to help drive the innovation agenda at Coca-Cola. North has held many roles during his 20-plus years with the Coca-Cola Company, including working in Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Operations and Global Program Management. He holds a bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering and a master’s in Business Administration, and proudly claims being a father to two teenage boys as his greatest achievement.
Simon Pang Postdoctoral Researcher, Lively Lab and Jones Group • Georgia Tech simon.pang@chbe.gatech.edu
Sankar Nair Professor, James F. Simmons Faculty Fellow • Georgia Tech Associate Chair for Industry Outreach, ChBE 404. 894.4826 • sankar.nair@chbe.gatech.edu Sankar Nair is Professor and James F. Simmons Faculty Fellow and Associate Chair for Industry Outreach in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech. He received his bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi and his master’s in Physics and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Nair has engaged with the Renewable Bioproducts Institute since 2006. He has recently expanded his work on membranes for gas separation and biofuel separation into other areas of interest, including robust membranes for concentration of spent pulping liquor. A key theme in his group’s research is manipulating the unique properties at the nanoscale or from the nanostructuring of a material. His group develops innovative processing methods to create, understand and engineer nanoporous materials and devices for renewable and clean energy, carbon capture, advanced separation and nanoscale sensors. Nair’s group also has substantial collaborations with other research groups at Georgia Tech and elsewhere.
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Simon Pang, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is a postdoctoral researcher in the Lively Lab and Jones Group. He earned his bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado-Boulder under the direction of Will Medlin. His Ph.D. research explored the control, via surface modification, of surface orientation of multifunctional biomass-derived molecules such as furfural on heterogeneous catalysts. His current research, under the direction of Ryan Lively and Christopher Jones, utilizes a variety of microporous materials such as amine-loaded silicas and metal-organic frameworks for CO2 capture under harsh conditions with the goal of understanding how material surface properties affect stability and performance.
Pamela Peralta-Yahya Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry • Georgia Tech 404.894.4228 • pperalta-yahya@chemistry.gatech.edu Pamela Peralta-Yahya, an Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is leading a research group developing foundational technologies to more effectively engineer biological systems for chemical synthesis. One area of research is the development of biosensors to screen chemical-producing microbes, which could identify strains that produce chemicals at industrially relevant yields. This technology has potential applications in the area of microbial synthesis of pharmaceuticals and microbial production of high energy density fuels. Peralta-Yahya holds a bachelor’s from Macalester College and a Ph.D. from
Columbia University. She pursued postdoctoral research at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CA). She received the DARPA Young Faculty Award and the DuPont Young Professor for Scientific Innovation Award in 2014.
Matthew J. Realff Professor, ChBE • Associate Director, RBI • Georgia Tech 404.894.1834 • matthew.realff@chbe.gatech.edu Matthew Realff is a Professor at the school of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech and a David Wang Senior Faculty Fellow. He is also Associate Director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute. He 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, DoE-sponsored carbon dioxide capture from flue gas streams, and bio-based chemical process design sponsored by NSF.
Elsa Reichmanis Brook Byers Professor, ChBE • Georgia Tech 404.894.0316 • ereichmanis@chbe.gatech.edu Elsa Reichmanis, a Brook Byers Professor, is on the faculty of the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Previously, she was Bell Labs Fellow and Director of the Materials Research Department at Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent. She received her bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from Syracuse University. Research interests include the chemistry, properties and application of materials technologies for photonic and electronic applications, with focus on polymeric and nanostructured materials. Her group is currently exploring polymeric and hybrid organic/inorganic materials chemistries. Reichmanis was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and the Bureau of the International Union for Pure Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). She served as 2003 President of the American Chemical Society and served as a member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
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David Rosen Professor, Associate Chair for Administration, ME • Georgia Tech 404.894.9668 • david.rosen@me.gatech.edu David Rosen is the Morris J. Bryan Jr., Professor and Associate Chair for Administration in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Rosen’s research interests are focused on additive manufacturing and combining the fields of computer-aided design, information modeling and materials processing. In recent years, his research program has been sponsored by the NSF, industry, DARPA and the Air Force Research Lab. With Ian Gibson and Brent Stucker, Rosen was co-author of the textbook, “Additive Manufacturing Technologies: Rapid Prototyping to Direct Digital Manufacturing,” Springer, 2010. He has published more than 200 papers, largely in additive manufacturing, and holds three patents in the area. He is Director of the Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute at Georgia Tech, which began in 1995. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota and his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts.
Ken H. Sandhage B. Mifflin Hood Professor, MSE • Adjunct Professor, ChBE Georgia Tech 404.894.6882 • ken.sandhage@mse.gatech.edu Ken Sandhage is the B. Mifflin Hood Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Adjunct Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and a member of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Tech. Sandhage received a bachelor’s (1981) in Metallurgical Engineering with highest distinction from Purdue University and a Ph.D. (1986) in Ceramics from MIT. After working as a Senior Scientist at Corning Inc., and American Superconductor Corp., he joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Ohio State University. In 2003, he joined the faculty at Georgia Tech. Sandhage’s research focuses on wet chemical and biochemical syntheses of conformal inorganic and inorganic/organic (hybrid) functional coatings and reaction processing of 3-D macro/microstructured and micro/nanostructured materials of synthetic or biological origin, for chemical, electrical, optical, magnetic, thermal, medical and mechanical applications. Sandhage is a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society.
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
spectroscopy, surface reactions of oxygenates in water, physicochemical characterization of solid materials, synthesis of well-defined catalysts, mechanocatalysis, methane conversion, depolymerization of biomass, pyrolysis and gasification. Sievers is President of the Southeastern Catalysis Society, former Program Chair of the ACS Division of Catalysis Science and Technology and Editor of Applied Catalysis A: General.
Stephen Sarria Ph.D. Candidate, Chemistry and Biochemistry • Georgia Tech 404.385.8168 • ssarria@gatech.edu Stephen Sarria is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He received his bachelor’s in Biology from Southern Polytechnic State University in May 2012. His current research focuses on engineering microbes for the production of biofuel precursors in S. cerevisiae (yeast) for a Gprotein coupled receptor-based communication system. Under Dr. Peralta-Yahya’s guidance, he was first author of a paper published in ACS Synthetic Biology in February 2014. The research reported success in engineering a bacterium to synthesize pinene, a hydrocarbon produced by trees that could potentially replace high-energy fuels, such as JP-10, in missiles and other aerospace applications. Sarria is a winner of the GAANN Fellowship in 2012 and the Carl Strom Minority Fellowship in 2014.
Meisha L. Shofner Associate Professor, MSE • Georgia Tech 404.385.7216 • meisha.shofner@mse.gatech.edu Meisha Shofner is an Associate Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, joining the faculty following postdoctoral training at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She received a bachelor’s 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 bio-based 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.
Carsten Sievers Assistant Professor, ChBE • Georgia Tech 404.385.7685 • carsten.sievers@chbe.gatech.edu Carsten Sievers, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, joined the faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2009. His research group provides insight into surface interaction involving biomass-derived oxygenates and develops catalytic processes for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. Specific foci are on the stability and reactivity of solid catalysts in aqueous phase, applied Page 16
Preet M. Singh Professor, MSE • Georgia Tech 404.894.6641 • preet.singh@rbi.gatech.edu Preet Singh is Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. His 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.
Zhenguan Tang Ph.D. Candidate, ChBE • Georgia Tech zhenguantang@gmail.com Zhenguan Tang is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, expected to complete his degree in December 2015. His emphasis is in surface modification for paper science and engineering. He is co-advised by Dennis Hess and Victor Breedveld. Zhenguan received his bachelor’s in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with distinction from the State University of New YorkStony Brook. His graduate research investigates the wetting properties of paper modified with alkyltrichlorosilanes with different chain lengths and seeks to fabricate grease-proof paper using hydrolyzed methyltrimethoxysilane in an aqueous environment. Compared with fluorinated materials, which are most commonly used to impart grease-proof property to paper, hydrolyzed silane coating has less environmental impact, is cheaper to process and is easily integrated into current paper manufacturing processes.
David B. Turpin Executive Director • Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance 202.463.2742 • david_turpin@agenda2020.org David Turpin is Executive Director of the forest products industry’s Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance, 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 2014, he served for more than 25 years with MeadWestvaco and its predecessor, Mead Corporation. Most recently with MeadWestvaco, 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.
Ben Wang Executive Director, Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute • Georgia Tech 404.385.2068 • ben.wang@gatech.edu Ben Wang is the Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair of Manufacturing Systems in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech. He is also Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute. Wang earned his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Tunghai University in Taiwan and his master’s and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Wang’s primary research interest is in applying emerging technologies to improve manufacturing competitiveness. Wang is widely acknowledged as a pioneer in the growing field of nanomaterials science involving a material known as "buckypaper," with application in developing aerospace structures, producing lightweight body armor and armored vehicles, improving energy and power efficiency, enhancing thermal management of engineering systems and constructing the next-generation of computer displays. Wang is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering.
Tyrone Wells Jr. Ph.D. Candidate, Chemistry and Biochemistry • Georgia Tech tyrone.wells.phd@gmail.com Tyrone Wells Jr., is a Ph.D. graduate student majoring in biochemistry with a minor in paper science and engineering. Wells has more than a decade of progressive interdisciplinary analytical research experience related to the characterization and innovative applications of plant biomass. In addition, his extensive publications showcase his technical proficiencies with HPLC, FT-IR, Raman, Fluorescence, UV-Vis, GC/MS, SEM, XRD, TGA/DSC, and most notably, 1D/2D-NMR. Recently, he was awarded the Gunnar and Lillian Nicholson Graduate Fellowship for his work in green chemistry and was provided funding to present technical seminars concerning his research to various academic institutes and industries across Northern Europe. A capstone during this period was an invitation to present his data at the Embassy of the United States in Stockholm, Sweden, where he detailed highlights of his research. His expected graduation date is May 2015. Page 17
Yi Zhang Ph.D. Candidate, ChBE • Georgia Tech yzhang642@gatech.edu Yi Zhang is studying under professors Sven Behrens and Carson Meredith to obtain a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, expected August 2016. He and his advisors recently developed a capillary foam, demonstrating that the combined presence of particles and a small amount of oil in water-based foams can lead to exceptional foam stability when neither particles nor oil can stabilize the foams alone. The cellulose-based foam is a lightweight, sustainable material. The particles in the foam form a stabilized network with the help of oil bridges. Potential applications include pharmaceuticals and food formulation as well as construction of buildings, automobiles and airplanes. Zhang received his bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and Technology from Dalian University of Technology, People’s Republic of China, where he won a scholarship for outstanding academic performance and was recognized for his outstanding undergraduate graduation thesis. His work has been published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Chemical Engineering (Chinese) and Computers and Applied Chemistry.
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
PARTICIPANTS
Omar Ali – Herty Advanced Materials Development Center, GSU Director 110 Brampton Road Savannah, GA 31408 912.963.2640 oali@herty.com Bruce Archibald – International Paper Engineering Fellow 6285 Tri-Ridge Boulevard Loveland, OH 45140 513.543.0311 bruce.archibald@ipaper.com Kathleen Bennett – Bennett Consulting LLC Principal (Moderator) 1027 Pintail Point Anderson, SC 29626 864.354.7228 Kathleen@bennettllc.net Victor Breedveld – Georgia Tech Associate Professor 311 Ferst Drive, NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0100 404.894.5134 victor.breedveld@chbe.gatech.edu Jonathan Brown – Georgia Forestry Commission Marketing and Utilization Specialist 56 New Hope Road Canon, GA 30520 478.297.2112 jbrown@gfc.state.ga.us Beth Cormier – Sappi Fine Paper North America Vice President, Research, Development & Innovation 255 State Street Boston, MA 02109 617.423.5441 207.856.3532 beth.cormier@sappi.com
Harry Cullinan – Auburn University Director (Ret.), Pulp & Paper Research and Education Center Alabama Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering Auburn, AL 36849 334.844.2016 334.704.6622 culliht@auburn.edu Paul Durocher – Sappi Fine Paper North America Director, Coated Paper Development 300 Warren Avenue Westbrook, ME 04092 207.856.3755 paul.durocher@sappi.com Robert Farris - Georgia Forestry Commission State Forester 5645 Riggins Mill Road Dry Branch, GA 31020 478.751.3480 bfarris@gfc.state.ga.us Andrei Fedorov – Georgia Tech Professor 771 Ferst Drive Atlanta, GA 30306 404.385.1356 agf@gatech.edu Greg Fike – Geogia-Pacific Director, Innovation & Technology 133 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, GA 30303 404.652.4791 greg.fike@gapac.com John Gast – Solenis Senior Research Fellow Wilmington Research Center 500 Hercules Road Wilmington, DE 19808-1599 302.995.4219 jcgast@solenis.com
Gopal Goyal – International Paper Chief Scientist 6285 Tri-Ridge Boulevard Loveland, OH 45140 513.248.6415 gopal.goyal@ipaper.com
Jeff Hsieh – Georgia Tech Professor 311 Ferst Drive Atlanta, GA 30332-0100 404.894.3556 jeff.hsieh@chbe.gatech.edu
Amit Goyal – Southern Research Institute Senior Chemical Engineer 5201 International Drive Durham, NC 27617 919.282.1058 agoyal@southernresearch.org
Danny Haynes – Akzo Nobel Pulp and Performance Chemicals Senior Technical Coordinator 1850 Parkway Place • Suit 1200 Marietta, GA 30067 770.321.4107 danny.haynes@akzonobel.com
Alice Gu – SWM Director, Research and Development 100 North Point Center East, Suite 600 Alpharetta, GA 30022 770.569.4205 agu@swmintl.com Dennis Hess – Georgia Tech Professor 311 Ferst Drive Atlanta, GA 30332-0100 404.894.5922 dennis.hess@chbe.gatech.edu Lavon Harper – Georgia Tech, RBI Administrative Manager 500 10th Street NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0620 404.894.9550 lavon.harper@rbi.gatech.edu Hunter Harris – MeadWestvaco Operations Director 5255 Virginia Avenue North Charleston, SC 29485 843.740.2358 843.607.5268 hunter.harris@mwv.com
James Harvey – Kimberly-Clark Corp Senior Process Engineer 1400 Holcomb Bridge Road Roswell, GA 30076 • 920.268.8584 james.b.harvey@kcc.com Page 19
Phillip Hoekstra – Buckman International Director/Support R&D 1256 North McLean Boulevard Memphis, TN 38108 901.272.8307 pmhoekstra@buckman.com David Jackson – Kimberly-Clark Corp Senior Technical Leader 1400 Holcomb Bridge Road Roswell, GA 30076 770.587.8304 dmjackson@kcc.com Roger Jiao – Georgia Tech Associate Professor 813 Ferst Drive Atlanta, GA 30332 404.894.9633 jianxin.jiao@me.gatech.edu rjiao@gatech.edu Phil Jones – Imerys Director, New Ventures & Disruptive Technologies 100 Mansell Court East, Suite 300 Roswell, GA 30076 770.331.0325 pjones@imerys.com
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015 David Clark-Joseph – American Fiber Packaging Chief Operating Officer 4919 N. Royal Atlanta Dr. Tucker, GA 30033 770.414.9000 dcj@afpackaging.com Laura Keck – Kimberly-Clark Corp Technical Leaer 1400 Holcomb Bridge Road Roswell, GA 30076 770.587.7837 lkeck@kcc.com Thomas Kindler – Renmatix Operations Leader 1640 Airport Road, #108 Kennesaw, GA 30144 770.429.7971 tom.kindler@renmatix.com Alexander Koukoulas – Herty Advanced Materials Development Center President & CEO 110 Brampton Road Savannah, GA 31408 912.963.2553 akoukoulas@herty.com Robert Kriegel – The Coca-Cola Company Senior Scientist II 1 Coca-Cola Plaza Atlanta, GA 30313 404.676.3277 rkriegel@coca-cola.com Thomas Kwok – Georgia Tech Graduate Research Assistant 1086-B Mecaslin Street NW 415.971.2317 tkwok@gatech.edu
Dave Lovetro – AkzoNobel Chemicals Sr. Technology Coordinator, Business Development 1850 Parkway Place SE Suite 1200 Marietta, GA 30067 770.321.44198 dave.lovetro@akzonobel.com Rob Lowe – Nalco RD&E Group Leader 1601 West Diehl Road Naperville, IL 60563-1198 404.353.2722 rmlowe@nalco.com Chris Luettgen – Georgia Tech, RBI Professor of the Practice 500 10th Street NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0620 404.894.6908 chris.luettgen@rbi.gatech.edu Tony Lyons – Imerys R&A Technical Director 618 Kaolin Road Sandersville, GA 30182 478.553.5243 478.747.1276 tonylyons@imerys.com Norman Marsolan - Georgia Tech, RBI Excutive Director 500 10th Street NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0620 404.894.2082 norman.marsolan@rbi.gatech.edu Sharad Mathur - BASF Corporation Product Development Manager 11501 Steele Creek Road Charlotte, NC 28273 704.587.7885 sharad.mathur@basf.com
Carson Meredith – Georgia Tech Professor, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies ES&T 1212 Atlanta, GA 30332 404.385.2151 carson.meredith@chbe.gatech.edu Ray Miller – Verdezyne Chief Business Officer 2715 Loker Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92101 760.707.5265 rmiller@verdezyne.com Judy Mod – Predikto Analytics Sales Executive 1320 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard Atlanta, GA 30318 404.307.9613 jmod@predikto.com Larry Montague – TAPPI President & CEO 15 Technology Parkway South Suite 115 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 770.209.7227 404.510.0562 lmontague@tappi.org Christopher Muhlstein – Georgia Tech Associate Professor 771 Ferst Drive Atlanta, GA 30332 404.385.1235 christopher.muhlstein@mse.gatech.edu YoonJoo Na – Georgia Tech Student 251 10th Street NW Atlanta, GA 30318 646.315.1291 yna36@gatech.edu
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Sankar Nair – Georgia Tech Associate Chair, Industry Outreach 404.894.4826 sankar.nair@chbe.gatech.edu Kim Nelson – American Process Vice President, Nanocellulose Technology 750 Piedmont Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30308 404.872.8807 x213 404.931.9109 knelson@americanprocess.com World Nieh – USDA Forest Service National Program Leader Mailstop 1114 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250 202.579.1089 703.605.4197 wnieh@fs.fed.us Soydan Ozcan – Oak Ridge National Lab Staff Scientist, Carbon and Composites Group Materials Science and Technology Division P.O. Box 2008, MS-6053 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6053 865.241.2158 ozcans@ornl.gov Steve Parker – MeadWestvaco Vice President, Paperboard Technology & Innovation 501 South 5th Street Richmond, VA 23219-0501 540.968.0687 804.444.3990 rhp1@mwv.com • steve.parker@mwv.com Fritz Paulsen – KapStone Paper Company Senior Research and Development Engineer P.O. Box 118005 Charleston, S.C. 29423-8005 843.745.3102 fritz.paulsen@kapstonepaper.com
Sandra Petit – Georgia Tech Lecturer 404.894.5103 sandra.petit@chbe.gatech.edu
Thomas Schulz – Kimberly-Clark Corp Global Dispensing and Skin Care Innovation 770.587.7484 thomas.schulz@kcc.com
Kharissia Pettus – De Gruyter Senior Acquisitions Editor 121 High Street, Third Floor Boston, MA 02110 857.284.7073 kharissia.pettus@degruyter.com
Subrata Sen – Georgia-Pacific Director, Technology Development 133 Peachtree Street NE, 18th Floor Atlanta, GA 30303 404.652.6561 subrata.sen@gapac.com
Cheytoria Phillips – Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute Financial Manager 813 Ferst Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30332 404.385.6348 cheytoria.phillips@gatech.edu
Carsten Sievers – Georgia Tech Assistant Professor, ChBE Atlanta, GA 30332-0325 404.385.7685 carsten.sievers@chbe.gatech.edu
Elsa Reichmanis – Georgia Tech Professor elsa.reichmanis@chbe.gatech.edu Haiyu Ren – The Coca-Cola Company Senior Scientist II 1 Coca-Cola Plaza Atlanta, GA 30313 404.676.3277 haren@coca-cola.com Bruce Richards – Sustainable Corp. CEO P.O. Box 54865 Atlanta, GA 30308 404.981.8144 bruce@sustainable-corp.com James Richards – Sustainable Corp. Intern P.O. Box 54865 Atlanta, GA 30308 404.946.3585 james@sustainable-corp.com Cornelia Rosu – Georgia Tech Postdoctorial Fellow cornelia.rosu@mse.gatech.edu
Takis Taousakis – MeadWestvaco Director, Corporate Engineering 501 South 5th Street Richmond, VA 23219-0501 240.381.4610 takis.taouskis@mwv.com
Ted Wegner – USDA Forest Service Assistant Director One Gifford Pinchot Drive Madison, WI 53726 608.231.9434 twegner@fs.fed.us
Paul Topping – Georgia-Pacific Senior Director, Finance and Business Development 133 Peachtree Street NE, 50th Floor Atlanta, GA 30303 404.652.4000 paul.topping@gapac.com
Ning Wei – Kimberly-Clark Corp Senior Scientist 1400 Holcomb Bridge Road Roswell, GA 30076 770.587.8000 nwei@kcc.com
Allen Turner – Andritz Inc. Director of Sales 1115 North Meadow Parkway Roswell, GA 30004 770.640.2558 allen.turner@andritz.com
Kelly B. Smith – Georgia Tech, RBI Manager, Marketing & Communication (Moderator) 500 10th Street NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0620 404.894.6700 kelly.smith@rbi.gatech.edu
Dave Turpin – Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance Executive Director 1101 K Street, NW Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20005 740.649.2307 david.turpin@agenda2020.org
Jake Soper – Georgia Tech Associate Professor 901 Atlantic Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0400 404.894.4022 jake.soper@gatech.edu
Ben Wang - Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute Executive Director 813 Ferst Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30332 404.894.9100 ben.wang@gatech.edu
Ken Stewart – Georgia Tech, RBI Senior Advisor Industry Strategy 500 10th Street NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0620 404.242.0622 ken.stewart@gatech.edu Jeff Stevens – International Paper Assistant Director, Pulp and Power Technology 3400 Union Camp Drive Franklin, VA 23851 910.617.0838 jeff.stevens@ipaper.com
Krista Walton – Georgia Tech Associate Professor 404.385.7499 krista.walton@chbe.gatech.edu
David Ward – American Process Vice President, Research and Development 300 McIntosh Parkway Thomaston, GA 30286 443.506.3364 dward@americanprocess.com Page 21
Raymond Wissinger – Honeywall/UOP Manager, Renewables Development 25 East Algonquin Road Des Plaines, IL 60017 847.391.3641 raymond.wissinger@honeywell.com
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
Poster Session Participants
Advances in Biochemical Production • Sireesha Aluri, “Pyrolysis and gasification of municipal solid waste,” ChBE • Alex Brittain, “Mechanocatalytic conversion ofl lignin,” ChBE • Mason Chilmonczyk, “Micro/nanotechnology-enabled biochemical imaging in complex environments relevant to renewable bioproduct processing,” ME • Xu Du, “POM as catalyst for valorization of lignin to reduce chemicals,” ChBE • Michael Dutzer, “Partial etching of titanium carbide-derived carbon for VOC adsorption,” ChBE • Thomas Tai-Min Kwok, “Promising chemical pretreatment method delignifies and accelerates bioconversion of renewable feedstocks,” ChBE • Gautami Newalkar, “High-pressure gasification of biomass,” ChBE • Jungseob So, “In-situ spectroscopic study on formation of intermediates in aqueous phase reformation over Pt/g-Al2O3,” ChBE • Taylor Sulmonetti, “Vapor phase hydrogenation of furfural utilizing nickel catalysts derived from hydrotalcite materials,” ChBE • Akil Syed, “Understanding gasification reactivity of different biomass derived chars,” ChBE • Tyrone Wells, “Trees into fat: The bioconversion of lignocellulosic pretreatment effluent via oleaginous Rhodococcus opacus DSM 1069,” ChBE • Kevin Yeh, “Timberlands supply chain modeling for biorefinery integration with existing timberland operations,” CHE
Biocomposites and Nanocellulose • Cornelia Bailey, “Renewable biomaterials to encapsulate and align synthetic semiconducting polymers,” MSE • Huibin Chang, “Polyacrylonitrile (PAN/cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) composite fibers,” MSE • Timi Fadiran, “Exploring the effect of pollen surface microstructures on adhesion and composite properties,” ChBE • Vincent Li, “High performance barrier coating by 3D printed cellulose nanocrystal composites,” ChBE • Hsiang-Hao (Clive) Liu, “Processing, structure and properties of lignin and CNT incorporated PAN based carbon fibers,” MSE • Cait Meree, “Processing-property characterization of cellulosic nanocomposite films and hydrogels produced via water-based processing methods,” MSE • Karthik Nayani, “Chiral nematics under confinement,” MSE • Parisa Pooyan, “Biomimetic design of full bio-based nanocomposites with cellulose nanocrystals as the particulate phase,” MSE • Rosu Risteen, “Renewable biomaterials to encapsulate and align synthetic semiconducting polymers,” ChBE • Nikolay Semenikhin, “Rapid, reliable optical analysis of cellulose nanocrystal morphology/size,” MSE • Sudhir Sharma, “Cross linked cellulose nanofiber composite barriers,” ChBE • Linkun Xie, “Creation of highly water-repellent wood surfaces by plasma etching and deposition,” ChBE • Yi Zhang, “Capillary foams: A small amount of oil makes a big difference,” ChBE • Zhe Zhang, “Lignin/polymer composites via miniemulsion polymerization with chemical modified lignin,” ChBE
Advanced Pulp, Paper and Packaging • Bedi Aydin Baykal, “Flow effects on corrosion in Alkaline Media,” MSE • Won Tae Choi, “Water repellency of stainless steel surfaces by evolution of intrinsic grain structures,” ChBE • Na Collins, “Strain localization in copy paper during uniaxial tensile testing,” MSE • Xiaotang Du, “Absorption deinking and electric treatment for microstickies/inks agglomeration,” ChBE • Liang He, “Influence of heat-treatment on the corrosion behavior of DSS 2205,” MSE • Chad Hume, “Design and analysis of press fabric structures for improved dewatering,” ME • Yoon Joo James, “Strain localization in copy paper during uniaxial tensile testing,” MSE • Lu Jiang, “Fabrication of amphiphobic paper with improved mechanical strength,” ChBE • Nikita Kevlich, “Carbon molecular sieve membranes for black liquor concentration,” ChBE, MSE • Prateek Verman, “Auxetic behavior in some fiber network structures,” MSE • Yushu Wang, “Effect of thiosulfate on pitting behavior of duplex stainless steels,” MSE Page 22
Logistics 1st Floor
Track Session
Men’s Restroom
Women’s Restroom
Dinner
Poster Sessions
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Auditorium Foyer
Seminar Room
Catalytic Advances in Biochemical Production
Auditorium Plenary Sessions
GA TECH • RENEWABLE BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE Annual Executive Conference • March 10-11, 2015
Logistics 2nd Floor
Track Session
Mead Center Classroom Operational Excellence in Advanced Paper and Packaging
Track Session
5th Floor
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Board Room
Biocomposites and Nanocellulose
Leadership and Giving The Renewable Bioproducts Institute is at the forefront in educating future leaders of 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.
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
The support of our member companies, alumni and friends drives RBI’s success in realizing our vision as the premier institution for advanced research in the area of renewables. Their contributions have allowed us to create an interdisciplinary engine driving bioproduct and biochemical advancements. 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, please make payable to the Georgia Tech Foundation. State your intent to benefit the Renewable Bioproducts Institute by listing our name in the memo line of your check. In addition, please include a short note stating the designation of your check and mail to: Georgia Tech Renewable Bioproducts Institute c/o Director of Business Operations 500 10th Street NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0620 To make a gift using a credit card, please contact Tisha Roberson, Office of Development, Gift Accounting, 404.894.2985. For more information, please visit our web site at www.rbi.gatech.edu.
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