Governor Rendell has endorsed the 25 x 25 pledge, with a goal to derive 25% of our total energy from biomass by the year 2025. This goal is credible, as the DOE and USDA estimate that there are over 1 billion tons of biomass available annually in the USA. Penn State has strong research programs on the conversion of biomass to electricity, transportation fuels and co-product chemicals, stationary power, and heat, through thermal, chemical, and biological mechanisms.
Researchers involved in biomass conversion technologies are listed below by subtopic. Links to their department webpage (if available), department affiliation, and e-mail address are provided.
Biodiesel and bio-oils
- Andrew Belmonte, Mathematics belmonte@math.psu.edu
- André Boehman, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering boehman@ems.psu.edu
- Dennis Buffington, Agricultural and Biological Engineering dbuffington@psu.edu
- Glen Cauffman, Farm Operations grc1@psu.edu
- Yongsheng Chen, Energy and Mineral Engineering yongsheng@psu.edu
- Siegfried "Zig" Herzog, Engineering hgn@psu.edu
- Jim Hilton, Agricultural and Biological Engineering jwh2@psu.edu
- Lysa Holland, OPP ljh17@psu.edu
- Jack Matson, Civil and Environmental Engineering jvm4@psu.edu
- Bob Nedwick, Chemical Engineering nedwick@engr.psu.edu
- Joe Perez, Chemical Engineering jmp13@psu.edu
- Linghao Zhong, Chemistry luz4@psu.edu
Microbial fuel cells
- J. Greg Ferry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology jgf3@psu.edu
- Bruce Logan, Civil and Environmental Engineering blogan@psu.edu
- Serguei Lvov, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering lvov@essc.psu.edu
- Tom Mallouk, Chemistry tom@chem.psu.edu
- Matthew Mench, Mechanical Engineering mmench@psu.edu
- Jay Regan, Civil and Environmental Engineering jregan@engr.psu.edu
- Ming Tien, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology mxt3@psu.edu
- Yeboah Yaw, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering ydy1@psu.edu
Combustion and gasification
- Said Elnashaie, School of Science, Technology, and Society sse10@psu.edu
- Jim Garthe, Agricultural and Biological Engineering jwg10@psu.edu
- Sharon Falcone Miller, Energy Institute sfm1@psu.edu
- Bruce Miller, Energy Institute bgm3@psu.edu
- Sarma Pisupati, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering sxp17@psu.edu
- Alan Scaroni, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering aws1@psu.edu
- Yeboah Yaw, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering ydy1@psu.edu
Bio-hydrogen
- Mary Ann Bruns, Crop and Soil Sciences mvb10@psu.edu
- Don Bryant, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology dab14@psu.edu
- Said Elnashaie, School of Science, Technology, and Society sse10@psu.edu
- J. Greg Ferry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology jgf3@psu.edu
- John Golbeck, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology jhg5@psu.edu
- Mark Guiltinan, Horticulture mjg9@psu.edu
- Ronald Hedden, Materials Science and Engineering hedden@matse.psu.edu
- Bruce Logan, Civil and Environmental Engineering blogan@psu.edu
- Sarma Pisupati, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering sxp17@psu.edu
- Jay Regan, Civil and Environmental Engineering jregan@engr.psu.edu
- Yeboah Yaw, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering ydy1@psu.edu
Photosynthesis
- Don Bryant, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology dab14@psu.edu
- Wayne Curtis, Chemical Engineering waynecurtis@psu.edu
- John Golbeck, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology jhg5@psu.edu
Anaerobic digestion
- J. Greg Ferry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology jgf3@psu.edu
- Robert Graves, Agricultural and Biological Engineering reg2@psu.edu
- Jim Hilton, Agricultural and Biological Engineering jwh2@psu.edu
- Ken Kephart, Dairy and Animal Science kbk2@psu.edu
- Rob Meinen, Dairy and Animal Science rjm134@psu.edu
- Jay Regan, Civil and Environmental Engineering jregan@engr.psu.edu
- Tom Richard, Agricultural and Biological Engineering tlr20@psu.edu
Biocatalysis
- Jeff Catchmark, Engineering Science and Mechanics jmc102@psu.edu
- Yongsheng Chen, Energy and Mineral Engineering yongsheng@psu.edu
- Patrick Cirino, Chemical Engineering cirino@engr.psu.edu
- Daniel Cosgrove, Biology dcosgrove@psu.edu
- J. Greg Ferry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology jgf3@psu.edu
- Tom Richard, Agricultural and Biological Engineering tlr20@psu.edu
- Chunshan Song, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering csong@psu.edu
- Ming Tien, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology mxt3@psu.edu
- Linghao Zhong, Chemistry luz4@psu.edu
Integrated Biorefineries
- Patrick Cirino, Chemical Engineering cirino@engr.psu.edu
- Caroline Burgess Clifford, Energy Institute ceb7@psu.edu
- Ali Demirci, Agricultural and Biological Engineering demirci@psu.edu
- Said Elnashaie, School of Science, Technology, and Society sse10@psu.edu
- Semih Eser, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering seser@psu.edu
- Costas Maranas, Chemical Engineering costas@engr.psu.edu
- Tom Richard, Agricultural and Biological Engineering tlr20@psu.edu
- Harold Schobert, Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering hxs3@psu.edu
- Steve Turns, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering srt@psu.edu
- Andrew Zydney, Chemical Engineering zydney@engr.psu.edu
Advanced Power Generation
- Domenic Santavicca, Mechanical Engineering das8@psu.edu
- Robert Santoro, Mechanical Engineering rjs2@psu.edu
- Karen Thole, Mechanical Engineering kat18@psu.edu
- Vigor Yang, Mechanical Engineering vqy@psu.edu
- Richard Yetter, Mechanical Engineering ray8@psu.edu