May 16

Lignin: Using The Entire Plant Lignin is one of the most common materials in the natural world and yet it is one of the least utilized commercially. Scientists are working on ways to use the whole plant, lignin included, but what will be lignin's breakout economic role? Find out more

Sorrel Brown: Women in Agriculture: Taking the Knife and Living the Dream   Thinking Safety First Genera - IBBS Partnership: Developing Proper Biomass Storage Methods Sorrell Brown is a creative problem solver and ag pioneer. She was the first woman field agronomist hired by Iowa State Extension in 1980 and learned creatively what it took to break the glass ceiling in agriculture. It’s always important to keep safety in mind. Improperly storing or handling switchgrass can lead to chronic respiratory problems. Luckily these problems can be avoided with a few simple steps! Switchgrass is a promising feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts - unless it degrades in storage. IBBS and Genera Energy have teamed up to research the most effective storage methods to maintain switchgrass quality for as long as possible. Read more Learn more Discover more

Taking the Road Less Traveled  Listening In with CenUSA  What can we do to encourage women to pursue STEM fields? Taking the Road Less Traveled teaches young female students how their knowledge in the classroom can lead to a successful STEM career. Recently we had the opportunity to catch up with two CenUSA leaders, Tom Binder, Board Chair for CenUSA and former Senior VP at Archer Daniels Midland and Rachael Ostrem a former CenUSA intern who starts vet school this fall. Follow the Journey Read more