Director of MSU research center named to national biomass committee
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EmailRaymond O. Miller has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee.
Raymond O. Miller, director of the Michigan State University (MSU) AgBioResearch Forest Biomass Innovation Center (FBIC) in Escanaba and adjunct professor in the MSU Department of Forestry, has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee.
The group advises the secretaries of energy and agriculture on the allocation of resources for the commercialization of bioenergy systems to meet the goals of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for transportation fuels. This is a particularly challenging responsibility because of reduced and uncertain funding for bioenergy programs, Miller said.
“I look forward to participating in the committee’s work and hope to be able to bring important information back to MSU about future opportunities, as well as to share information about what the federal government might focus on to move this important issue forward,” he said.
Miller also recently attended a meeting of the Pan American Biofuels and Bioenergy Sustainability Research Coordination Network in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is a project funded by the National Science Foundation through Michigan Technological University. It is a network of scientists, agency personnel, industry partners and educators throughout the hemisphere that explores grant and education opportunities to address challenges surrounding the sustainability of producing bioenergy from biomass crops, from sugar cane to trees.
“I hope we can expand MSU’s presence and participation in this organization over the next year so that we can be more active participants at next year’s meeting in Brazil,” Miller said.
Miller was instrumental in the establishment, development and management of the FBIC and Dunbar Forest in Sault Ste. Marie, two of the three MSU AgBioResearch research facilities in the Upper Peninsula. He continues to coordinate resources and personnel and implement budget and mapping systems. In addition, Miller has conducted independent research to address statewide biomass production concerns, and continued long-term forest research programs in the region.
MSU AgBioResearch engages in innovative, leading-edge research that combines scientific expertise with practical experience to generate economic prosperity, sustain natural resources, and enhance the quality of life in Michigan, the nation and the world. It encompasses the work of more than 300 scientists in seven MSU colleges -- Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arts and Letters, Communication Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Natural Science, Social Science and Veterinary Medicine -- and has a network of 13 research centers across the state.
