OBT associate director selected for top USDA honor

Bruce Dale, MSU Office of Biobased Technologies associate director and professor of chemical engineering and materials science, has been selected as the 2007 Sterling B. Hendricks Memorial Lecturer. The lectureship was established in 1981 by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the primary research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to honor Hendricks and recognize scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the chemical science of agriculture. Hendricks is most frequently remembered for discovering phytochrome, the light-activated molecule that regulates many plant processes.

An international biofuel expert, Dale has studied cellulosic ethanol technology for more than 30 years and invented a patented pretreatment for biomass conversion called ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX). His work also uses life cycle analysis tools, including agricultural data and computer modeling, to study the sustainability of producing biofuels.

"I feel doubly honored to be recognized for this lectureship in agriculture," Dale said. "As a chemical engineer, to be recognized outside of my field is a great honor."

The topic of Dale's lecture is "Why cellulosic ethanol is nearer than you think: creating the biofuels future." Growing demand for petroleum alternatives and rapidly improving technologies will make large-scale cellulosic ethanol production a reality much sooner than most people may realize, Dale said. His lecture explores some of the consequences of large-scale biofuel production on sustainability and the opportunity to revitalize rural areas across the United States and the world.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the American Chemical Society divisions of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and Agrochemicals and will be presented at the American Chemical Society national meeting in August.