Meet the directors
Steven Pueppke
Director, Office of Biobased Technologies
MSU Assistant Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
Director, Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station
517-353-9607
pueppke@msu.edu
As director of the Office of Biobased Technologies, Steve Pueppke works to identify, encourage and support research programs that will position Michigan State University as a world leader in the development of the bioeconomy.
"The OBT gives us a central place to focus attention on the subject and package all MSU's talents and expertise together," Pueppke said. "Private companies and citizens need one point of contact at MSU to meet all their bioeconomy needs. The OBT will be that point."
Pueppke came to MSU in 2006 from the University of Illinois, where he had been associate dean for research in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences since 1998.
In October 2006, Pueppke was named to the Michigan Renewable Fuels Commission by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. The commission promotes the production and distribution of alternative fuels in Michigan.
Pueppke is a member of the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In this role, Pueppke helps examine the long-term impacts of biotechnology on the U.S. food and agriculture system and helps guide the USDA on issues related to the application of biotechnology in agriculture.
Pueppke serves on several boards and committees within the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and is a past president of the board of the National Council on Food and Agricultural Research and a past chairperson of the National Agricultural Biotechnology Council.
He is also a member of numerous professional societies, including the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and Sigma Xi Scientific research society.
A Spartan alumnus and professor of plant pathology, Pueppke received his undergraduate degree in horticulture from MSU. He received a doctorate in plant pathology from Cornell University.
Bruce Dale
Associate Director, Office of Biobased Technologies
Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Faculty Adviser, MSU Biomass Conversion Research Laboratory
517-353-6777
bdale@egr.msu.edu
Bruce Dale is a nationally known leader in exploring alternatives to fossil fuels. He is an expert in research aimed at converting agricultural crops -- such as corn -- into fuel. Such materials, called plant biomass, have the potential to provide cost-effective and environmentally beneficial ways to generate fuels, chemicals, materials, foods and feeds from renewable resources.
As associate director of the Office of Biobased Technologies, Dale describes his role as providing "technical reality" stemming from his 30 years of work in biomass technology and taking such technology from the laboratory to the marketplace.
"I help put together large proposals and work to link plant science researchers and others with engineers to build relationships allowing us to move forward," Dale says.
"Our vision is that MSU will be the 'go-to' place for basic and applied research related to the development of the bioeconomy because of our outstanding faculty members, existing research strengths and strong private sector partnerships," he continues. "MSU is the premier place for this work to be done. We have one of the top three plant science programs in the world. MSU is the foremost university worldwide in the field of plant metabolism and biochemistry. The ultimate success of biofuels and biochemicals will be determined largely by the ability to manipulate plants at the genetic, seed and field levels. I strongly believe that biobased fuels and chemicals will become a reality. I want to help design the processes so they're environmentally sound."
Dale, who has been at MSU for 10 years, has developed a patented process called ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX), which makes the breakdown of cellulose more efficient, thus tackling one of the thornier problems of producing ethanol.
Dale received his doctorate in chemical engineering from Purdue University and his master's and undergraduate degrees from the University of Arizona. He has received 13 U.S. and international patents and has filed eight patent disclosures during the past 2 years.
Bryan Ritchie
Associate Director for External Strategy, Office of Biobased Technologies
Associate Professor of International Relations, James Madison College
Co-director, Michigan Center for Innovation and Economic Prosperity
517-353-8614
ritchieb@msu.edu
A former entrepreneur who started two computer companies and consulted for Novel, USRobotics, 3Com and Iomega before moving to academia, Bryan Ritchie studies the processes of innovation and technological development in the fast-growing economies of Southeast Asia. Ritchie's technological and research background allows him to understand the needs of both the university and the business world.
As associate director for external strategy for the Office of Biobased Technologies, Ritchie will ensure that the private sector has access to the full range of bioeconomy research and resources available at Michigan State University.
"I'm crafting and implementing a strategy to rapidly and seamlessly connect MSU with the bioeconomy private sector, including businesses, government and other universities," Ritchie says. "I'm also helping MSU organize to gain access to the private sector.
"This is truly the perfect position for me," he says. "It allows me to combine my entrepreneurial background and my academic research to help build Michigan's bioeconomy."
Ritchie continues as co-director of the MCIEP, focusing his work at the center on developing external strategies for the Office of Biobased Technologies. This, too, is a natural fit. The MCIEP was founded in 2006 to explore the industries and policies that can develop Michigan's 21st century economy. To many, this is the bioeconomy. Each year the center produces three sets of reports: an industry review, a policy review and a set of recommendations for industry leaders and policy-makers. In 2007, the MCIEP produced reports on the advanced automotive, medical technology, pharmaceutical, biofuels and telecommunication industries.
"The OBT position is a great opportunity to bring together university resources and make them available to people who seek them," Ritchie says.
Ritchie received his doctorate in political science from Emory University, his MBA from the Marriott School at Brigham Young University and his bachelor's degree from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
Bobby Bringi
President and CEO, MBI International
Adjunct Visiting Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
3900 Collins Road
Lansing, MI 48910-8596
517-337-3181
bringi@mbi.org
Bobby Bringi joined MBI International in late 2006 as president and CEO. Bringi has broad expertise in biobased technology development; scale-up and commercialization; strategic partnerships; licensing and intellectual property management; and entrepreneurial start-ups.
A proven technology innovator and entrepreneur, Bringi co-founded and built Phyton, Inc., a biotechnology company that pioneered and commercialized a plant cell fermentation technology to produce the cancer drug paclitaxel. After successfully commercializing the drug with partner Bristol Myers Squibb, he oversaw a merger with a private pharmaceutical company.
MSU scientists working in many areas of the bioeconomy work collaboratively with MBI scientists and take advantage of the organization's de-risking, scale-up, commercialization and pilot plant facilities.
"MBI is embarking on a new strategic direction, one that is aligned and integrated with MSU efforts in the bioeconomy," Bringi said. "Our vision is to synergize our collective talents and assets to help bridge research and commercial application -- and to create value as we take promising innovations from MSU to the marketplace."
Bringi received his doctorate in chemical engineering from Cornell University in 1991, which included training in plant and biochemical sciences. In December 2008, Bringi was named adjunct visiting professor in the MSU Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science.
Doug Gage
Assistant to the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
Adjunct Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
112B Olds Hall
517-355-8461
gage@egr.msu.edu
An experienced scientist in both academia and the corporate world, Doug Gage serves as assistant to the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies with responsibility for bioenergy research. From 1994 to 2002, Gage was a faculty member in the MSU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and also helped lead the MSU Mass Spectrometry Facility from 1987 to 2002. While at MSU, his research focused on analytical bioechmestiry, natural product biosynthesis and genetic manipulations of plant biosynthetic pathways.
In 2002, Gage left MSU to join Pfizer Global Research and Development in Ann Arbor where he founded and held various leadership positions in the Discovery Biomarkers Group. While at Pfizer he maintained his MSU connection as an adjunct professor. In 2007, Gage returned to MSU to take his current position.
"Within the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, I have primary responsibility for bioenergy and other alternative energy research issues," Gage said. "Among other roles, I'm the central administration point person for the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), MSU's $130 million Department of Energy project with the University of Wisconsin. I also serve as chairperson of the GLBRC's External Program Oversight Committee. This has been a great opportunity to reconnect with my plant biochemistry roots and help support a nationally important research effort. Working in the Office of Biobased Technologies to develop the bioeconomy in Michigan, I help to coordinate these efforts with the activities of the GLBRC, while assuring compliance with our obligations to the DOE. More recently, I have been asked to facilitate the integration of MBI into the MSU research effort so we can function together as a seamless enterprise; MBI is our derisking partner for moving MSU technology on the path toward commercialization."
Gage received his doctorate in botany from the University of Texas-Austin in 1986, and his master's degree in biology and his bachelor's degree in psychology and biology, both from Florida State University, in 1981 and 1977, respectively.
