Biomass and Biofuels: Advanced Biorefineries for Sustainable Production and Distribution

Dr. Shibu Jose is the Harold E. Garrett Endowed Chair Professor and director of the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Prior to his current appointment, he was professor of forest ecology at the School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. He earned his BS from Kerala Agricultural University, India, and MS and PhD from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. His current research efforts focus on ecosystem services of agroforestry systems and ecological sustainability of biomass and biofuel production systems. Dr. Jose leads a regional consortium focused on commercializing integrated bio- mass and biofuels production systems, the Mississippi/Missouri River Advanced Biomass/Biofuel Consortium (MRABC). Dr. Jose has authored over 150 refereed publications, edited eight books, and secured nearly $39 million in funding ($10 million as PI). He has also served as major professor for 14 PhD students and 24 MS students during the past 17 years. He serves as editor-in-chief of Agroforestry Systems, academic editor of PLOS ONE, and editorial board member of International Journal of Ecology. His awards and honors include Fulbright Fellowship (U.S. Department of State), Aga Khan International Fellowship (Switzerland), Nehru Memorial Award for Scholastic Excellence (India), Award of Excellence in Research by the Southeastern Society of American Foresters (SAF), Stephen Spurr Award by the Florida Division SAF, the Young Forester Leadership Award by the National SAF, Barrington Moore Award by SAF, and the Scientific Achievement Award by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO).

Dr. Thallada Bhaskar, a senior scientist, is currently heading the Thermo-Catalytic Processes Area, Bio-Fuels Division (BFD), at CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, India. He earned a PhD for his work at CSIR-Indian Institute