Dr. Ning Li published research in Nature

Dr. Ning Li (2018 Ph.D.) developed an innovative process to produce biobased bisphenols, the feedstock for polycarbonates, epoxy resins, and vinyl ester resins currently produced from petroleum, from lignin in wood with the co-production of high-grade pulp for cellulose products and hemicellulose-based chemicals. The research paper was published in Nature (2024, 630, 381–386). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07446-5. This story was highlighted and reported by WEI (Wisconsin Energy Institute, https://energy.wisc.edu/news/uw-madison-grad-turns-biomass-safe-replacement-bpa) and WPR (Wisconsin Public Radio, https://www.wpr.org/news/uw-madison-research-bpa-alternative).

Jiansong Chen won Graduate Student Award

Jiansong Chen (Ph.D. student, the 2nd from the left in the photo) won the Graduate Student Award at the 7th International Conference on Nanogenerator and Piezotronics (NGPT 2024) held in May 19 – 23, Madison, WI. His presentation at the conference is “Chemical functionalized cellulose films for high-performance triboelectric nanogenerators in energy harvesting and self-powered sensing”.

Dr. Haishun Du won Young Investigator Award

Dr. Haishun Du (Postdoc) won the Young Investigator Award from the Division of Forest and Plant Bioproducts in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) to recognize his accomplishments in nanocellulose research. The award will be presented at the 2024 AIChE Annual Meeting, Oct. 27 – 31, in San Diego, CA. A dedicated session with 7 invited speakers has been organized in honor of Dr. Du at the meeting.