REU Project

Rising gas prices have brought new vigor to the area of alternative fuels research. Fuels derived from biomass have the potential to power the mobile economy while helping to relieve dependence on foreign oil. When ethanol is mentioned, one typically imagines corn as a feedstock. However, many other types of biomass can be converted, including trees. While the technology exists to turn wood into ethanol, more refinement is needed to ensure good yields and high efficiency.

In particular, this research project will test the dilute acid hydrolysis method of wood pretreatment. During pretreatment, wood chips are broken down by an acidic solution under elevated temperature and pressure. Resultantly, sugars are extracted from the cellulose and hemicellulose present in wood. By examining four species of wood native to the Upper Peninsula, the results have the potential to affect the local economy via delivery of information that would be beneficial for commercial biofuel production. In addition, switchgrass will be studied due to its remarkable production of biomass per acre per year.

Personal Information

My home is in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I recently finished my junior year at Penn State and am looking forward to beginning my senior thesis project on thin film photovoltaics this fall. I have an interest in alternative energy, and I would like to attend graduate school and end up with a job in the energy industry, though at this point I am unsure if that means research in a laboratory setting or working as an engineer for a utility.

I am glad to be researching sustainable forms of energy. Last summer, I worked at an electric company named PPL, which happens to supply the electricity that my family consumes at home. I learned a good deal about power production and distribution, as well as the increasing challenges and expenses of fossil fuel generation. My father works at the same power company, so I have had ties to the energy industry all my life. However, I have always been more interested in clean production, due to my love of the outdoors. I am an Eagle Scout and I enjoy hiking, backpacking, skiing, soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, and a host of other outdoor activities. As the looming energy crisis casts its shadow, I intend to put my efforts into meeting the growing demand while preserving our natural capital.