NCERC welcomes Dillenberger as new Policy and Business Development Specialist |
|
The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (NCERC at SIUE) recently hired Aimee Dillenberger as its new Policy and Business Development Specialist.
Dillenberger, from Waterloo, Ill., earned her Master’s in Business Administration last month from the University of Mississippi where she graduated with her Bachelor's of Arts and Sciences in 2019. Dillenberger majored in Public Policy leadership and minored in Spanish, and even studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain.
“NCERC is a shining example of a Public/Private Partnership success story. Public, meaning NCERC was created by Congress in the 1996 Farm Bill. The efforts of the United States Congress were complimented by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois General Assembly. The Illinois General Assembly recognizes NCERC as a Biorefining Center of Excellence. The efforts by Congress and the General Assembly were to drive private sector companies to the NCERC for proof of concept, validation and technology scale up. For nearly 17 years, NCERC has been the leading example of how Public/Private Partnerships should work,” said NCERC Executive Director John Caupert.
“With the onset of COVID-19, and the subsequent downturn in the economy, it became increasingly important for NCERC to have someone on staff who can work both public policy and business development, simultaneously. NCERC found that individual in Aimee Dillenberger. Aimee’s undergraduate degree in Public Policy, complimented by her MBA, made her the perfect candidate to handle the dual responsibility of policy and business development. We are thrilled to have Aimee on board as our Policy and Business Development Specialist.”
In her new position, Dillenberger will be responsible for developing internal business development plans for external sales of NCERC’s analytical, consulting, fermentation and pilot plant services. She will also develop programs to engage stakeholders and prospective clients about contractual research and collaboration opportunities with NCERC. Another primary responsibility of Dillenberger’s position will be to assist with biorenewables public policy and outreach to academic institutions, trade associations, and the private sector.
|
|
NCERC participates in Leaders of American Agriculture virtual symposium during DNC |
|
NCERC Executive Director John Caupert participated in the Leaders of American Agriculture virtual symposium, held in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this month.
With more than 300 people watching this year's event, the Leaders of American Agriculture unites members of the agriculture industry and policymakers to discuss key issues and occurs during every DNC.
"I was honored to participate with more than 200 of my fellow agriculture leaders, in an incredible event, held live from the 2020 Democratic National Convention. During the 'Leaders of American Agriculture' symposium, we heard from dignitaries including former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack," said Caupert.
There were five Welcome Rooms available for attendees prior to the main event, hosted by organizations such as the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Corn Growers Association, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), and Bayer.
Caupert attended the "Building Resiliency in the Agriculture Value Chain Through Innovation" Welcome Room, hosted by BIO, which featured speakers such as Congressman TJ Cox (CA), Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of BIO, Patrick R. Gruber, Ph.D., CEO of Gevo, Inc., Nikki Fried, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Ben Thompson, Director of the Montana Department of Agriculture, and more.
The key takeaway of the LAA virtual symposium was underlining the importance of utilizing science and innovation to solve complex problems such as the economy and climate change.
"The common theme of the event was science, and the fact America must invest more money in science. At NCERC, all of the work that we do is based on science. From scientific discovery, to proof of concept, to validation, to commercial scale up, science and the data derived from it is what keeps NCERC on the cutting edge of the biorenewables industry. To date, nearly 80 products and technologies have passed through the doors of NCERC on their commercialization pathway. Those products and technologies have created more than 5,000 direct jobs, and are generating in excess of $5.6 billion on an annual basis. The common denominator of each of those products and technologies is sound science,” said Caupert.
In addition to hearing from former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the Main Stage of the event featured members of the Senate Agriculture Committee and House Agriculture Committee, President and CEO of BIO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, National Farmers Union President Rob Larew, California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, and several other key members of our nation's agriculture industry.
In her address, BIO's Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath said, "...we’re creating biobased alternatives to environmentally harmful materials like plastics – as well as sustainable fuels to decarbonize our nation’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the transportation sector. Our agricultural sector has an outsized role to play in fighting climate change – to benefit ALL Americans. At BIO, we believe that science is the definition of progress. And if science is progress, then access to sound science is the definition of justice."
|
|
NCERC introduces new Visiting Research Fellow |
|
The NCERC at SIUE recently welcomed its new Visiting Research Fellow Brad Smith.
Funded by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the nine-month Fellowship Program is intended to provide training and hands-on experience to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists for work in mid- to high-skill jobs in the bioeconomy.
Hailing from Smithton, Ill., Smith completed his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from SIUE in May 2019. Smith worked at the NCERC as an Extra Help Operator and later, a Lead Operating Technician, during a contractual research project in 2019.
“NCERC is pleased to announce the hiring of Brad Smith, as an Engineering Fellow. NCERC benefits from mentoring recent college graduates, who have specialized areas of study in instrumentation, electronics, process control and mechanical engineering. In the role of Engineering Fellow, Brad will serve under the guidance of two supervisors: a Faculty Mentor/Adviser who will work with Brad to connect their industrial research to academic theory, and an NCERC Research Engineer who will oversee his daily projects and provide professional mentorship. This joint supervisory model ensures the connection of theory to practice, and builds upon the Fellow’s academic degree through applied, hands-on learning in an industrial setting,” said NCERC Executive Director John Caupert.
During his Fellowship, Smith will gain experience through hands-on assignments in process control and programming, project design and implementation, instrumentation and electronics coding and maintenance, revising and developing standard operating procedures, troubleshooting and maintenance, data collection, analysis, and reporting, and more.
When asked what he was most looking forward to about the Fellowship, Smith said “I’m hoping to familiarize myself with the PCS 7 so I can handle whatever it throws at me. I’m also looking to gain some leadership experience once more trials start up again, and hopefully when the Fellowship is over, I will have the opportunity to stay on full-time at NCERC.”
Upon completion of the Fellowship Program, graduates will be qualified to work in the biofuels, pharmaceuticals, refining, brewing, and chemical industries.
“NCERC extends a special thank you to the Illinois Corn Marketing Board for providing the funding necessary to conduct the Engineering Fellowship program,” said Caupert.
|
|
Former NCERC intern successfully defends thesis on agricultural land use |
|
Former NCERC Intern Krista Russell successfully defended her thesis "A Quantitative Policy Evaluation of the Renewable Fuel Standard and Agricultural Land use Changes in Three Mid-Western States: Analyzing Variables that Influence Significant Changes in Crop Decisions," this month.
Russell pursued her Master of Science from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Policy and Public Administration. She was even selected to make remarks on behalf of the Class of 2020 for the SIUE Graduate School Commencement Ceremony, which took place virtually on May 9, 2020.
For her thesis research, Russell studied agricultural land use changes and variables influencing these changes in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska for 11 growing seasons.
During the summer of 2018, Russell worked as the Marketing and Administrative Intern at NCERC, serving as inspiration for her thesis research.
"My experiences at NCERC inspired my research to focus on the RFS. I have a strong passion for agriculture and wanted my research to focus on a topic that is current and has a strong influence on the agriculture industry. An evaluation of the RFS was a perfect fit for my master's degree and emphasis in policy," said Russell.
"As my research progressed, the experiences I gained at NCERC continued to be valuable. As an intern, I gained a strong understanding not only of the RFS, but also of the topics and key issues surrounding the policy. This knowledge allowed me to design a research study that was relevant and connected to what was currently occurring within the industry. Being an intern at NCERC, not only grew my knowledge surrounding biofuels, but also allowed me to grow tremendously as a person. I developed a strong skill set that has been invaluable as I take the next steps forward within my career."
NCERC Executive Director John Caupert expressed his pride in Russell's achievements, and noted that her policy interest in the RFS lead to back-to-back scholarships from trade organizations. Russell was awarded a scholarship from the Renewable Fuels Association and recognized at the National Ethanol Conference in 2019. Shortly after, Russell also was awarded the William C. Berg Academic Excellence in Agriculture scholarship from the National Corn Growers Association and was recognized at Commodity Classic in 2019.
"When hiring Krista for a Marketing and Administrative Internship, it was clear the level of competence she had in analyzing complex data. Because of that, it was no surprise the achievements that were soon to follow. Krista found a passion for ethanol, and took a keen interest in the policy impact of the RFS," said Caupert.
"I was honored and humbled to see Krista take her passion for the RFS, and make it the focus of her thesis. Monday, August 17, was a special day, witnessing Krista present the findings of her research on the RFS. The combination of Krista’s bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Systems and Education, complimented by her master’s degree in Environmental Science, provides her the perfect academic background to have an outstanding career in agriculture or the biorenewables industry."
|
|
AAFCO Annual Meeting
Virtual
August 5-7, 2020
2020 AIChE Spring Meeting & 16th Global Congress on Process Safety
Virtual
August 17-21, 2020
|
|
USDA ARS National Center for Agriculture Utilization Research
Virtual
September 1, 2020
Growth Energy Biofuels Summit
Virtual
September 14-17, 2020
DOE Bioeconomy Initiative Forum
Virtual
September 15-16, 2020
Fuel Ethanol Workshop
Virtual
September 15-17, 2020
Joint Bioenergy Institute Annual Meeting
Virtual
September 17, 2020
Joint Bioenergy Institute Advisory Board Meeting
Virtual
September 18, 2020
|
|
Don't miss an issue of NCERC at Work! Click here to subscribe.
|
|
National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC)
400 University Park Drive, Edwardsville, IL 62025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
