The U.S. Department of Energy’s Center for Bioenergy Innovation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory added three new members to its board of directors.
Deborah Crawford, vice chancellor for research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Susan Hubbard, deputy for science and technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn.; and Maureen McCann, director of the Biosciences Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., have been named to the board, a Jan. 23 news release said.
“I am excited to add Deborah, Susan and Maureen to our board of directors,” Jerry Tuskan, the center’s chief executive officer and Oak Ridge National Laboratory corporate fellow, said in the release. “They bring a wealth of expertise in research planning and development and will ensure our continued success in pursuit of feedstocks-to-fuels innovations for a sustainable, decarbonized energy future.”
Crawford, Hubbard and McCann join board member Lawrence Hornak, associate vice president for research and integrative team initiatives at the University of Georgia. Hornak, who also is a professor and distinguished faculty scholar in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been on the Center for Bioenergy Innovation’s board since 2008, the release said.
The Center for Bioenergy Innovation is developing biobased jet fuels to decarbonize the aviation sector, according to the release.
Crawford, McCann and Hubbard said they look forward to joining the board in advancing U.S. leadership in bioeconomy, according to the release.
“CBI has a proven track record of well-managed, mission-inspired scientific impact that is foundational for the emerging bioeconomy,” McCann said in the release.
Hubbard said the Center for Bioenergy Innovation is an example of team science that addresses “complex challenges important for national priorities,” according to the release.
“CBI’s progress in and plans for accelerating the development of bioenergy-relevant plants and microbes to enable production of sustainable aviation fuel is critically important for meeting national decarbonization goals,” Hubbard said in the release.
