Ames, Iowa
July 3, 2006
To help Iowa State
University students prepare to enter the rapidly growing
biorenewable industry,
Cargill, Minneapolis, has invested $600,000 in the
school's Bioeconomy Initiative.
Iowa State's nationally recognized Bioeconomy Initiative
develops technologies for converting crop and plant
materials into chemicals, fuels, fibers and energy, and
educates students in these processes. Located in the
epicenter of ethanol, biodiesel and biomass production, Iowa
State has the rich tradition of research and leadership
needed for the emerging bioeconomy.
"Considering that both Cargill and Iowa State are squarely
at the intersection of agriculture and energy, Cargill's
investment in Iowa State's Bioeconomy Initiative makes sense
in many ways," said David Raisbeck, vice chairman, Cargill.
"Cargill is essentially an 'energy' company. Not only is
Cargill a leading producer of food products, providing
energy to humans, plants and animals, we're also a leading
biofuels producer in Europe and the United States."
The four new
components of Iowa State's Bioeconomy Initiative made
possible through Cargill's grant will be:
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Freshmen
Experiences in Biorenewables -- Using laboratory modules
in biorenewables, freshmen will create, analyze and
report on biobased processes and products. This will
provide them with early exposure to biorenewables and
help encourage them to consider pursuing a degree in
this subject.
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Common
Laboratory in Biobased Technologies -- This laboratory
will provide students with the skills needed to work in
biobased industries.
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Course
Work in Biobased Technologies -- Upper-class
undergraduate and graduate students will enhance their
knowledge of advanced biobased technologies by
developing and teaching interdisciplinary courses in
biorenewable resources.
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International Experiences in Biorenewables -- These
experiences will prepare graduate students to work in
the global bioeconomy by providing opportunities to
interact with researchers and students from the European
biorenewables community. Europe is aggressively pursuing
biorenewables as a fuel source; the European Union has
set a goal of replacing 5.75 percent of all transport
fossil fuels with renewable fuels by 2010.
Iowa State
established the nation's first graduate program in
biorenewable resources and is one of the few schools to
offer master's and doctoral degrees in this field. The
school will develop the Cargill-sponsored programs over the
next three years, with laboratory development starting this
fall and new courses offered as early as the spring of 2007.
"Iowa State is leading the nation in training students how
to transform biological materials into biobased products
that can substitute for products currently produced from
petroleum," said Robert C. Brown, professor and Iowa Farm
Bureau Director of Biorenewables Programs at Iowa State
University. "We are pleased to have Cargill supporting our
efforts to train future scientists and engineers for careers
in the emerging bioeconomy.
"By introducing undergraduates to biorenewables early in
their academic careers, students will gain interest, develop
skills and be prepared to make decisions that influence and
support work in biorenewables," Brown said. "These students
will have significant, real-world skills in a range of
disciplines that uniquely position them for success in the
growing bioeconomy."
Based in
Minneapolis, Cargill is an international provider of food,
agricultural and risk management products and services and
employs 142,000 people in 61 countries. Cargill has a
long-standing partnership with Iowa State, including giving
more than $1.6 million in cash and more than $16 million in
in-kind technology software since 1999, and hiring more than
400 Iowa State graduates since 1998.
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