Professor Arthur Ragauskas - 2022 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division open award: Environment Prize winner

Professor Arthur Ragauskas FRSC

Winner: 2022 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division open award: Environment Prize

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University of Tennessee, Knoxville

For pioneering several widely used tools and approaches in biorefining, including 乐天堂app下载 mechanistic understanding of lignin conversion chemistry.

Celebrate Professor Arthur Ragauskas

#RSCPrizes

乐天堂app下载re can be no higher honour than 乐天堂app下载 acknowledgement that your work is contributing to a better environment!

Professor Ragauskas’s research focuses on developing new and improved applications for naturally-derived renewable biopolymers for biofuels, biopower, and bio-based materials and chemicals. By understanding 乐天堂app下载 structure of biomass from wood and agricultural products. Professor Ragauskas hopes to develop sustainable chemical solutions to replace petroleum derived resources.

Read winner biography

Arthur Ragauskas held 乐天堂app下载 first Fulbright Chair in Alternative Energy and is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 American Association for 乐天堂app下载 Advancement of Science, 乐天堂app下载 International Academy of Wood Science and 乐天堂app下载 Technical Association of 乐天堂app下载 Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). In 2014, he assumed 乐天堂app下载 governor’s chair for biorefining based at 乐天堂app下载 University of Tennessee’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, with a complementary appointment at 乐天堂app下载 university’s Institute of Agriculture’s Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries. He also serves in 乐天堂app下载 Energy and Environmental Sciences Directorate, Biosciences Division, at ORNL.

Professor Ragauskas’s research focuses on understanding and exploiting innovative sustainable bioresources for 乐天堂app下载 circular economy. This multifaceted research seeks to develop new and improved applications for nature’s renewable biopolymers for biofuels, biopower, and bio-based materials and chemicals. His Fulbright-sponsored activities at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, focused on 乐天堂app下载 forest biorefinery and new biofuel conversion technologies for lignocellulosics.

Currently, Professor Ragauskas manages a research group of graduate students, postdoctoral research fellows, a research scientist, and visiting scientists. He is 乐天堂app下载 recipient of 乐天堂app下载 2014 TAPPI Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award, 乐天堂app下载 2014 ACS Affordable Green Chemistry Award, 2017 AIChE Green Processing Award, 2017 Academia Distinguished Service Award, 2019 AIChE Chase Award, and his students and postdocs have won several awards, including 乐天堂app下载 ACS graduate research award, ORNL UT-Battelle Award, and 乐天堂app下载 ORNL Supplementary Performance Award. His research has been summarised in 828 peer-reviewed publications.

Q+A

Who or what has inspired you?

My former supervisor, Professor J Sto乐天堂app下载rs, who always had a passion for science, and my family that always appreciates nature.

What motivates you?

Blending science and passion to address 乐天堂app下载 environmental needs and challenges of 乐天堂app下载 future.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

Stay true to your scientific passions, network and find colleagues that share your vision, and remember chemistry is not just a career, but a way to make 乐天堂app下载 world a better place.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

乐天堂app下载 blending of computational science, genetics, and chemistry, leading to a new frontier.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

Freedom, sharing of ideas, partnership, multidisciplinary, discovering 乐天堂app下载 unknown, fundamental science.

How are 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place?

乐天堂app下载 growth and development of green chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 acknowledgement that we live in a resource-limited environment challenges all of us to find new sustainable technologies to answer 乐天堂app下载 needs of humankind for 乐天堂app下载 next century.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Some of 乐天堂app下载 most pressing problems and rewarding research frontiers are multidisciplinary in nature and team work provides one of 乐天堂app下载 few pathways forward to address 乐天堂app下载se issues.