Breakout Session II
Storage and Transportation of Biomass
Michelle Y. Long
Michelle Y. Long is feedstock manager for the Biofuels and Hydrogen business unit of Chevron Technology Ventures. In this role, she leads a team that is evaluating potential feedstocks and conversion technologies for manufacturing ethanol and biodiesel from non-food, cellulosic plant materials.
Long has more than 20 years in the manufacturing, plant management, and supply chain optimization areas of the energy industry. She continues to build expertise in inventory management and supply chain optimization in the biofuels area and actively participates with industry groups such as the American Production Inventory Control Society and Supply Chain Executive Board, where she focuses on supply chain responsiveness, optimizing supply in emerging markets, and managing an integrated supply chain. Through Chevron’s academic relationships, she has direct involvement with research projects focused on biomass production, transportation, and overall system-related issues.
Long earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University in 1984 and began her career with Texaco Refining and Marketing in 1988.
Shashi Nambisan
Shashi Nambisan is the Director of the Center for Transportation Research and Education and a Professor of Civil Engineering at Iowa State University. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master's degree from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras - all in Civil Engineering, with his graduate studies specializing in Transportation. He is a Registered Professional Engineer (Civil) in Nevada.
Prior to coming to Iowa State in February 2007, he was at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas from 1989 to January 2007, where he served in various capacities including as a Professor Civil Engineering and Director of the Transportation Research Center. He enjoys working with students and he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the area of Transportation systems as well as the undergraduate capstone design course sequence.
An active researcher, Shashi has led efforts on over 130 research projects that have addressed and responded to local, statewide, regional and national issues in transportation infrastructure and information systems management related to policy analysis, management, planning, development, safety, and operations. His efforts include the development and deployment of technology based decision support tools, and programs for transportation systems. He also has been very active in professional societies nationally and regionally. He has received several awards and honors for his contributions as an educator, researcher, and leader.
Tom Richard
Tom Richard is an Associate Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. As Director of the Biomass Energy Center, he works to enhance coordination and collaboration among the many and varied green-energy research projects underway at the university. Richard's Bioconversion Research Group applies fundamental engineering science to microbial ecosystems, developing innovative strategies for a more sustainable agriculture and the emerging bio-based economy. The group's particular emphasis is on microbial processes that occur in three-phase porous media, where solid, liquid, and gas phases all play critical roles. These porous media systems are referred to variously as 1) solid-state fermentation in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and food processing industries; 2) composting in the manure management and solid waste realms, 3) ensilage on dairy and beef cattle farms, and 4) soils in agroecosystems.
The complexity of these systems lies not only in their immediate physical,
chemical, and biological dimensions, but also in the human and natural
systems within which they are embedded. Understanding and improving the
performance of these microbial processes demands a multi-dimensional
perspective and invites interdisciplinary collaboration.