A 1980 Ph.D. graduate of the Michigan State University College of Engineering has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
Robert C. Brown, the Anson Marston Distinguished Professor and Gary and Donna Hoover Chair, at Iowa State University, is among the 128 new members and 22 international members elected to the Class of 2025.
Brown was selected for his engineering processes for controlled oxidation of lignocellulosic biomass and plastic wastes into low-carbon-footprint energy, fuels, and chemicals.
Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. NAE members are among the world’s most accomplished engineers from business, academia, and government. Founded in 1964, the NAE provides independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation, offering leadership and insights for a complex world.
The following is courtesy of Iowa State University.
About Robert C. Brown
Brown has built multi-disciplinary teams at Iowa State distinguished by the use of thermochemical technologies to produce fermentable sugars from cellulose, provide substrate for gas fermentation, and convert waste plastics into substrate for production of single cell protein and oleochemicals. He has received over $150 million in research contracts and grants during his academic career.
He is the founding director and currently co-director of the Bioeconomy Institute (BEI), which coordinates Iowa State’s research, educational, and outreach activities related to biobased products and bioenergy. He also helped launch Iowa State’s Biorenewable Resources and Technology graduate program, the first such degree-granting program in the United States.
Brown received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from MSU in 1980. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
Written by Patricia Mroczek
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page