News
3/17/08
Congressmen Tim Waltz (MN) and Rahm Emanuel
(IL) visited the department for a renewable energy roundtable
and laboratory tour. Roger Moore, President, MN Corn
Growers Association, Jim Palmer, Executive Director, MN Soybean
Growers Association, Dean Al Levine and Sr. Assoc. Dean Abel
Ponce de Leon from CFANS and Dean Bev Durgan from College of
Extension were also present for a discussion of the future bioeconomy
work force development, next generation renewable energy opportunities
and policy needs with Congressman Walz and Congressman Emanuel. Pictures
from the visit
3/6/08
BBE Graduate students participated in an invited poster session
on February 19, 2008 at Xcel Energy. See
pictures from this event.
2/24/08
Graduate students Lei Xu (Advisor Prof. Tschirner)
and Ravi Narayanan (Advisor Prof. Wang) were among
the winners at the Life Sciences Alley 6th Annual Graduate Student
Poster/Gadget Session on Thursday, December 6, 2007 held in conjunction
with the LifeScience
Alley Conference and Expo <http://www.lifesciencealleyconference.org> at
Touchstone Energy Place in St. Paul. (http://www.bti.umn.edu/07btiposters.html)
1/25/08
Professor Roger Ruan's work is featured in a University of Minnesota
press release "Researchers
investigate the potential of algae to clean wastewater while making
fuelResearchers investigate the potential of algae to clean wastewater
while making fuel"
1/14/08
Professor Vance Morey was awarded $819,519 by
the Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund for his proposed work
evaluating and addressing of economic and technical issues related
to biomass integrated gasification combined cycle technology in
electricity generation at ethanol producing plants. Amount awarded:
Five renewable energy projects led by University of Minnesota researchers
-- three of them from CFANS -- have been selected to receive more
than $4.5 million from the Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund.
The CFANS projects total about $2.7 million. More
Information
11/4/07
Professor Ping Wang has been accepted as a member
of the university's BioTechnology Institute http://www.bti.umn.edu/index.html
Professor Roger Ruan is featured in the new CFANS Speaking
of Science series with the Dean http://www.cfans.umn.edu/27Sep2007.html
The research of Professor Jun Zhu and Professor Philip
Goodrich on biofuels and bioenergy is featured in the
Fall issue of Solutions
http://www.cfans.umn.edu/solutions/powered3.htm
8/1/07
BBE Faculty receive Discovery Biofuels Grants and CFANS bio-based
economy grants.
Discovery Grants
Prof. Ulrike Tschirner and Prof. Jonathan
Schilling are co-PI's
in a Discovery Biofuels grant to study the "Biocatalytic peracetic
acid pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass"
Prof. Roger Ruan is a co-PI in a Discovery Biofuels grant to study "Dual
renewable biofuels from a single source"
Prof. Ulrike Tschirner is a co-PI in a Discovery Biofuels grant
to develop "Metagenomic libraries and enzyme screening systems
for conversion of biomass to energy"
Read more ...Discovery grants aid biofuels research
CFANS Grants
Prof. Sangwon Suh and Prof. Shri Ramaswamy are co-PIs in
a CFANS grant to study the Economic and Environmental Impacts of
Biofuels in Minnesota
Read more … CFANS
grants will fund research in 3 key areas
Several people associated with the department were honored at
the 2007 American Society of Agricultural and Biological
Engineers meeting held in Minneapolis June 17-20.
Professor Larry D. Jacobson was inducted as a
Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
for outstanding contributions in the design and development of
engineering practices concerning animal housing, air quality, and
manure management systems.
Mike Venem (BBAE 2000, MS 2002), Professor John
Shutske, and Bill Gilbert received
a Superior Paper Award for their paper "Testing
and Creation of a Safety System to Disengage the PTO of a Tractor."
Sonia Maassel Jacobsen (BAE 1978), received
the 2007 PEI Professional Engineer of the Year award
for her outstanding leadership in water resources engineering
and service to the engineering profession. She is a hydraulic
engineer with NRCS in St. Paul.
Professor Emeritus David Grimsrud has been awarded
the 2007 Environmental Health Award by the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE).
Senior Amanda Alberg is one of the 12 finalists
for 2007 Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Read
the Star Tribune article
Minnesota Basements Causing Big Problems
Home combined the best of both worlds for Suzanne Judd -- a place where her
budding sewing business intertwined with the fabric of her family. ...
Researchers at the University of Minnesota found moisture problems not only
in older homes, but in hundreds of newer homes constructed in the 1990s.
http://wcco.com/consumer/local_story_123141004.html
BBE Student leads Minnesota FFA
Nathan Janssen, a freshman majoring in Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering,
recently was selected as the 2007-2008 Minnesota State FFA President. The
announcement was made April 24 at the 78th annual Minnesota FFA State Convention
held at the University of Minnesota. Janssen is from the Martin County West
FFA chapter.
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