Stanley R. Johnson
Stanley
R. Johnson became Vice Provost for University Extension at Iowa State
University (ISU) in 1996. As Vice Provost for Extension, he is responsible
for nearly a $80 million budget and a full- and part-time faculty
and staff of more than 1,250. He was appointed as the Vice Provost
for Extension to undertake a major restructuring of Extension at ISU.
Since
1996, Extension has adapted its administrative structure and "culture."
Projects are defined with substantial constituent input. These projects
are also developed jointly with campus faculty and staff and field
professionals, and provide education and information services. The
projects incorporate joint research and education activities as well
as traditional education and information responsibilities of Extension.
Administratively,
Extension has become more entrepreneurial, decentralized, responsive
to local priorities and incorporated mechanisms to provide for effective
feedback to the University teaching and research programs. A state-wide
association of the elected county councils has been organized and
is functioning. Greater emphasis and stronger incentives have been
applied for grant and contract funding. The result has been to significantly
expand Extension programming and the linkages to the on-campus strengths
of ISU.
Prior
to his appointment as Vice Provost for Extension, Stanley Johnson
was the Director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development
(CARD). CARD has an internationally recognized multi-disciplinary
public policy research program.
Johnson
received the B.A. degree from Western Illinois University, the M.S.
degree from Texas Technological College in Lubbock, and the Ph.D.
from Texas A&M University, College Station.
back
to top
Merlin
Bartz
Merlin
E. Bartz was selected as special assistant to the under secretary
for natural resources and environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
in January 2002. In that position, Bartz assists in the policy direction
of the programs of USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources
Conservation Service.
Prior
to joining USDA, Bartz served as a state senator for his home state
of Iowa since his election in 1992. When leaving that position, Bartz
was an assistant majority leader, chair of the administrative rules
review committee, vice-chair of the natural resources and environment
committee, and a member of the agriculture and various other committees.
During his tenure, he played an instrumental role in the passage of
environmental legislation ranging from brownfield redevelopment to
watershed protection.
Bartz
served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1990 to 1992. Prior
to government service, he spent five years with the David Manufacturing
Company in Mason City, Iowa. Bartz’s farming roots stem from
his farrow to finish hog operation and 500 acres of cropland near
Grafton, Iowa, where his family has farmed for six generations.
Bartz
was born in Mason City, Iowa, and grew up in Grafton, Iowa. He holds
a bachelor’s degree in political science and music, with an emphasis
in composition, from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He was a member
of a Rotary cultural exchange team to India in 1990; was one of a
small group of state legislators chosen nationally in 1994 to participate
in the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia Leadership
Class; traveled with an economic trade mission to Japan in 1997; and
received numerous awards and recognitions throughout his legislative
career. He and his wife Lisa have three children.
back
to top
James
Fischer, P.E.
James Fischer is a member of the Board of Directors for the Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs of the U.S. Department of
Energy. He is an advisor to Assistant Secretary Garman on collaboration
with universities and key related organizations. He is seeking to
build partnerships and to develop new and innovative models of collaboration
with universities, especially land grant universities, foundations,
and the agricultural, industrial, and business communities.
Fischer
previously served in a variety of positions at Clemson University,
including Professor and Dean for Agricultural Research, Director of
the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station and Associate Dean
for Extension and Research Agricultural Programs. Prior to his time
at Clemson University, he was Professor and Associate Director of
the Agricultural Experiment Station at Michigan State University,
a Research Engineer with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, and
Associate Professor at the University of Missouri.
Early
in his career as a research engineer, he provided the leadership for
the development and implementation of a research program that determined
the design specifications for an integrated on-farm energy production
and utilization system. Fischer has also worked to develop a vision
and plans for the future of universities and agriculture to deal with
the ever-changing landscape of our agricultural system. He co-directed
the national project, From Issues to Action: A Plan for Action on
Agriculture and Natural Resources for the Land Grant Universities,
and was Executive Producer of a televised national satellite “town
meeting” series, 21st Century Land Grant Universities: Action
On Issues.
Fischer
holds a Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
He is also a registered Professional Engineer and has published more
than 100 papers, contributed book chapters, testified before Congress,
and served on peer review panels and advisory boards. Dr. Fischer
grew up on a family crop and livestock farm in Missouri.
back
to top
Georg
Anderl
Georg Anderl, has been with Genencor International, Inc. since 1990,
and general manager of the Cedar Rapids facility since 1997. Prior
to joining the company in 1990, he worked for Eastman Kodak Bio-Products
Division in Rochester, NY.
Genencor
International is a diversified biotechnology company with over $350
million in 2002 revenues. Genencor focuses on two markets: bioproducts
and health care. For the bioproducts market, Genencor discovers, develops
and sells biocatalysts and other biochemicals for the industrial,
consumer and agri-processing markets. For the health care market,
Genencor has drug development platforms in protein therapeutics and
immunotherapeutics targeting viral infectious diseases and cancer.
There are 8 manufacturing sites located around the globe. At the Cedar
Rapids site, Georg is responsible for a large part of the industrial
cleaning business. Their enzymes can be found in such well know brands
as Tide.
While
at Genencor, Mr. Anderl has served as Project and Plant Engineer,
Manager of Engineering and Maintenance, and Engineering Technology
Director. He received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering
from the University of Illinois, and has completed coursework toward
a master's degree in electrical engineering at the Rochester Institute
of Technology.
Anderl
is also actively involved in the community, serving on three nonprofit
boards. He is the current President of the BIOWA Development Association,
and he is also a board member of the Cedar Rapids Science Station
(a science and technology museum/IMAX) and Tanager Place (a treatment
center for abused children). Anderl, his wife Kathy and their children
Michael and Patrick reside in Cedar Rapids.
back
to top
Floyd
E. Barwig, AIA
Floyd Barwig is the Director of the Iowa Energy Center, located in
Ames, Iowa. The Energy Center, created by the Iowa General Assembly
and funded by the state's electric and natural gas ratepayers, conducts
and sponsors a broad range of research, demonstration, and education
projects on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
For
the past 20 years, Barwig's career has focused on energy issues. Immediately
prior to joining the Energy Center in 1996, he was the manager of
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's buildings research programs.
Before that, he was the Director of Technical Services for the New
York State Energy Office. In New York he lead a wide range of technical
assistance and energy codes and standards programs.
A
licensed architect and member of the American Institute of Architects,
Barwig holds bachelor of science and bachelor of architecture degrees
from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a masters in architecture
from the University of California at Berkeley.
back
to top
Kevin
Kephart
Kevin Kephart is the Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station
at South Dakota State University. He is on the National Board of Directors
for the Sun Grant Initiative.
The
Sun Grant Initiative is a national network of land-grant universities
and U.S. Department of Energy laboratories partnering to build a biobased
economy. Sun Grant institutions, including South Dakota State University,
would be charged with making significant advances in biobased industries
for the benefit of America's independent farmers, rural communities,
and public at large.
Kephart,
who grew up in the Flathead Valley near Kalispell, Mont., received
his Ph.D. degree in crop production and physiology from Iowa State
University in 1987, an M.S. degree from the University of Wyoming
in 1982, and a B.S. degree in soil science from Montana State University
in 1979.
Kephart's
research at SDSU has focused on crop physiology with an applied physiology
emphasis. He has developed a program that emphasizes quality of forages,
especially for ruminant livestock.
back
to top
Jeff
Stroburg
Jeffrey Stroburg has been the Chief Executive Officer of West Central
Cooperative since October of 1999. Prior to this appointment, Stroburg
was President/CEO of Countrymark Cooperative in Indianapolis, IN which
unified its operations into Land O'Lakes, Inc. in October 1998. At
that time, he assumed the responsibilities of Vice President/COO of
the Eastern Ag Region of Land O' Lakes.
West
Central is a diversified grain handling and soybean processing cooperative
with annual sales of $225 million. The company is headquartered in
Ralston, Iowa. During his term at West Central, Storburg has lead
efforts to commercialize new technologies in the production of biodiesel
which were discovered at Iowa State University. West Central and ISU
received a $1.19M grant in 2003 to implement these technologies.
Stroburg
currently serves on the board of directors for Agricultural Clean
Water Alliance (ACWA), Associated Benefits Corporation (ABC), Cooperative
Business International (CBI), Cooperative Development Services (CDS)
and National Grain and Feed (NGFA). Stroburg has served on the American
Egg Board, A.C. Toepfer Board of Directors and C.F. Industries Board
of Directors.
Stroburg
received his bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in 1974.
He and his wife, Nancy, have two sons and one daughter.
back
to top
Blake
Hollis
Blake
G. Hollis is general manager and co-founder of BioBased Industries,
LLC (BBI), a startup toll grease manufacturer located in Waterloo,
Iowa. BBI is a service provider for Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing,
a commercial outgrowth of the University of Northern Iowa's Ag-Based
Industrial Lubricants Research Program.
Hollis
owns and manages a farm that consists of a 1,400 sow farrow to finish
hog operation and 4,000 acres of corn and soybean production. He holds
a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business from Iowa State
University and a Masters of Business Administration from the University
of Northern Iowa.
back
to top
Lou
Honary
In 1991 Dr. Lou Honary founded UNI's Ag-Based Industrial Lubricants
(ABIL) Research Program, and today is considered to be one of the
most knowledgeable researchers in the biobased industrial lubricants
arena.
Dr.
Honary is a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Northern
Iowa (UNI). He received his Master's degree from Minnesota State University,
Mankato, Minnesota, and his doctorate in Industrial Technology from
UNI. He joined the UNI faculty in 1982 to teach fluid power and engineering
technology classes, and has been the founding Director of UNI's Ag-Based
Industrial Lubricants Research Program (UNI-ABIL) since 1991.
Dr.
Honary has issued numerous publications, including a book chapter,
in the area of ag-based lubricants, and is the recipient of the Distinguished
Industrial Achievement Award of the Fluid Power Society. He is an
active member of Governor Vilsack's Life Sciences Advisory Committee,
and was named a 1999 Soy Promoter by the Bremer County Soybean Association.
Currently,
Dr. Honary holds a total of three (3) US patents as issued by the
US Patent and Trademark Office, both individually and jointly, for
his work with soybean-based industrial lubricants. The first, #5,972,855,
for "Soybean-based Hydraulic Fluid", issued in October of 1999. The
second and third, #5,958,851 and #6,159,913, for "Transformer Oil
and Transmission Line Fluid", issued in September of 1999 and December
of 2000 respectively.
back
to top
Diane
Neuzil
Diane Neuzil, Associate Director of UNI's Ag-Based Industrial Lubricants
Research Program (UNI-ABIL), assists in planning and implementing
of long-term strategic plans for the ABIL program.
As
program liaison with external agencies, Neuzil manages budgeting,
reporting and administration of sponsored projects via industry, academia,
state and federal agencies. Finally, she assists the Director in overseeing
program growth to ensure it meets the University's missions and the
state's economic development objectives.
back
to top
Mike
Blouin
Mike Blouin was named to his current position in January 2003. With
over 30 years of public service and community development experience,
he brings a strong understanding of Iowa's economic needs and opportunities.
His appointment demonstrates Governor Vilsack's commitment to economic
development in the state of Iowa.
Blouin previously served as president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines
Partnership, where he led the consolidation of four economic and community
development groups into one unified development organization. Under
his leadership, the Greater Des Moines Partnership became the premier
economic and community development organization serving Des Moines.
Blouin
came to Des Moines from Cedar Rapids, where he was president of the
Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. He also has been a resource
director at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids; president
and founder of a Washington, D.C.-based consulting and lobbying firm;
and a presidential appointee to the Community Service Administration.
Additionally, Blouin was a member of Congress and a member of the
Iowa State Senate and the Iowa House of Representatives.
back
to top
Steve
Howell
Steve
Howell became the first permanent Director of the Plant Sciences Institute
on January 1, 2001. He is an internationally-known researcher in the
area of plant molecular biology and development. Most recently he
served as Vice President for Research at the Boyce Thompson Institute
at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he was the Boyce
Schulze Downey scientist. Prior to that, he was a faculty member in
the Biology Department at the University of California San Diego for
19 years.
Howell
holds a doctoral degree from Johns Hopkins University (1967) and a
bachelor's degree from Grinnell College. Howell has been editor-in-chief
of a major research journal, Plant Molecular Biology, and authored
the book, "The Molecular Genetics of Plant Development," published
by Cambridge University Press. He has more than 100 research publications
and has pioneered several developments in the field of plant biotechnology.
His current research involves the understanding of the complex gene
expression program that underlies shoot development in plants.
back
to top
Ken
Moore
Kenneth J. Moore joined the faculty of the Department of Agronomy
at Iowa State University as professor of crop production and physiology
in 1993. In 1998, he was a Senior Research Fellow at AgResearch Grasslands
in Palmerston North, New Zealand where he conducted research on pasture
biodiversity for six months.
Dr.
Moore and his colleagues have conducted several experiments on the
developmental morphology of forage grasses and its relationship to
forage quality. They devised a system for describing and quantifying
grass growth and development that enables quantitative studies on
the relationships between the morphological development of grasses
and variables related to their growth and quality. Their research
has shown that canopy architecture plays a significant role in the
quality of forage available to grazing animals. They are currently
developing models based upon this research that will be used to design
complementary grazing systems on the basis of available nutrients
rather than seasonal biomass accumulation.
Dr.
Moore has taught undergraduate and graduate courses, advised 7 M.S.
students, 7 Ph.D. students, 2 post-doctoral research associates, and
has served on the graduate committees of an additional 20 students.
Dr. Moore has been recognized with Outstanding Young Scientist and
Merit Awards by the American Forage and Grassland Council and the
Young Crop Scientist Award by the Crop Science Society of America.
back
to top
Robert
Brown
Dr. Robert C. Brown is the Bergles Professor of Thermal Sciences in
Mechanical Engineering, Professor of Chemical Engineering, and Director
of the Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies (CSET) at
at Iowa State University. Professor Brown teaches courses in thermodynamics,
fluid dynamics, and heat transfer in the undergraduate program. He
teaches courses in combustion, fluidized bed technology, biorenewable
resources at the graduate level.
Dr.
Brown's research interests include conversion of biorenewable resources
into bioenergy and biobased products, combustion, gasification, and
pyrolysis, hydrogen energy, and hydrodynamics and heat transfer in
fluidized beds.
back
to top
Doug
Stokke
Doug
Stokke joined the ISU Forestry Department as an Associate Scientist
in August, 1998. He was appointed as an Assistant Professor on July
1, 1999. Doug's areas of responsibility are split 50/50 between forest
products research and extension.
Doug
received his B.S. degree in Forest Products with a minor in Industrial
Engineering from Iowa State University in 1980. In 1982, he received
his M.S. degree from University of Minnesota in Forest Products/Industrial
Engineering-Operations Research.
Doug's
Ph.D. degree is in Forest Biology/Wood Science from Iowa State University,
received in 1986. Following his graduate studies, Doug served five
years as an Assistant Professor in the School of Forestry and Wood
Products at Michigan Technological University and then for six years
as a Forest Products Technologist with the USDA Forest Service, North
Central and Northeastern Forest Experiment Stations.
back
to top
Robert
Anex
Rob
Anex joined Iowa State's agricultural and biosystems engineering department
in August. His position was created as part of the new BioEconomy
Initiative supported by ISU President Gregory Geoffroy's office.
Anex
is nationally and internationally recognized for his application of
a technique called "life cycle analysis" to biorenewables and biobased
manufacturing. He uses this type of analysis to determine the viability
of new biobased products, and to identify potential improvements at
plants where biobased products are being manufactured.
Iowa
State recently established the first graduate program in biorenewable
resources and technology in the United States. In addition to his
research, Anex is teaching in the new program, plus in the agricultural
and biosystems engineering department.
Anex
is a California native and earned his three advanced degrees from
UC Davis. Most recently he was at the University of Oklahoma.
back
to top
Marvin
Duncan
Marvin Duncan is a senior agricultural economist in
the Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, within the Office of the
Chief Economist, in the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Duncan primarily
works in the area of biobased products, where he has been involved
in implementing Section 9002 of the 2002 Farm Bill. That section provides
for preferred procurement of biobased products by Federal agencies.
He also monitors the U. S. electric utility industry and the restructuring
underway in that industry.
Duncan
previously has held research and management positions in the Federal
Reserve System, senior management and appointive positions in the
Farm Credit Administration, and has been a department chairperson
and faculty member at a land grant university.
Duncan
holds a B.S. degree in agronomy and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in agricultural
economics.
back
to top
Steve
Devlin
Steven L. Devlin is an Industrial Specialist with the Center for Industrial
Research and Service at Iowa State University. He is currently serving
as the project manager for Iowa State’s cooperative agreement
with the USDA – Office of Energy Policy and New Uses to develop
and implement systems supporting Section 9002 of the Farm Security
and Rural Investment Act of 2002. He works with government officials,
university faculty, staff and students, and private contractors to
develop testing resources for biobased products, management procedures,
and infrastructure for long-term program operation.
Mr.
Devlin received a Bachelors Degree of Industrial Science from Truman
State University in 1993 and a Master of Science Degree in Industrial
Education & Technology from Iowa State University in 2003. He
has worked as an Engineering Analyst and Product Designer with John
Deere Sprayer Production and as Office Manager of a small contract
design firm.
back
to top
Bruce
Coney
As Program Manager for the Iowa Procurement Outreach Center (IPOC),
Bruce Coney manages staff and finite resources to deliver procurement
services to firms across the state of Iowa. The IPOC is a service
available to Iowa business firms that is supported and hosted by the
Center for Industrial Research And Service (CIRAS) at ISU College
of Engineering/Extension. This program is a cooperative agreement
between Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and the Defense Logistics
Agency (DLA).
The
mission of the IPOC is to support the DoD in maintaining optimum readiness
and reliability in the Iowa industrial-base for the needs of each
branch of the military and other federal agencies. In addition, the
program supports large commercial prime contractors in the sourcing
of supplies, supply-chain management and benchmarking initiatives
as required for federal subcontracting requirements.
Coney
has the skills to conduct Supply-Chain management, Supply-Chain integration
and analysis and implementation initiatives. His industry experience
includes developing and initiating supplier development /supplier
management initiatives, Quality Control, Continuous Improvement, Lean
Production and E-Commerce.
back
to top
Dr.
Ramani Narayan
Ramani Narayan is professor of chemical and biochemical engineering
in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at
Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., a position he has
held since 1990.
In
addition to his professorship at Michigan State, Narayan served as
director of the Biomaterials Program at MBI International and as MBI
distinguished professor of chemical and biochemical engineering. His
first academic appointment was as group leader and research professor
of the Renewable Resources Engineering Laboratory at Purdue University.
He holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry (biopolymers) from Bombay University.
Since 1989, Narayan has been an active member of ASTM Committee D20
on Plastics, receiving the committee's William N. Findley and Outstanding
Achievement Awards. He is the current chairman of subcommittees D20.92
on Terminology and D20.96 on Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products.
He serves as U.S. technical expert and representative to the Working
Group on Degradable Plastics of International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) Technical Committee 61 on Plastics, and convener of Working
Group 1, Subcommittee 1 on Terminology. He is also a member of ASTM
Committees D10 on Packaging and E02 on Terminology.
In
addition to ASTM International, Narayan is a member of the American
Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the
Society of Plastic Engineers, and the American Society of Engineering
Educators.
back
to top
