By:
Chuck Woods (352) 392-1773 x 281Source(s):
Timothy White tlwhite@ufl.edu, 352-846-0850
Alan Long ajl2@ufl.edu, 352-846-0891
GAINESVILLE, Fla.—Thomas Jeffries, director of the Institute of Microbial and Biochemical Technology at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis., will speak April 21 at the University of Florida’s John Gray Distinguished Lecture series. The topic of his presentation is Wood Product Innovations Through Biotechnology.
Jeffries’ lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be at 10 a.m. at the Paramount Hotel in Gainesville. His lecture keynotes the 35th annual spring symposium for the Florida Division of the Society of American Foresters. Hosted by UF’s School of Forest Resources and Conservation, the symposium begins April 21 and concludes April 22.
Since 1990, Jeffries has been a faculty member in the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin where he teaches a course in biotechnology and industrial microbiology. In 1999, he became director of the Institute of Microbial and Biochemical Technology at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory.
Jeffries, whose major research interest is in engineering novel metabolic pathways in yeasts, has authored numerous research papers, book chapters and reviews about the role of biotechnology in the pulp and paper industry, metabolic engineering for xylose fermentation and bioconversion of lignocellulosics into useful compounds. He serves on the editorial board of four journals.
He has presented many invited lectures in the United States and abroad. In 2003, he was the recipient of the Charles D. Scott Award for technology to advance fuels and chemicals from biomass.
From 1976 to 1977, he worked on strategic planning for renewable energy resources at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he developed concepts for the production of renewable fuels from biomass. In 1978, he joined the scientific staff at the USDA Forest Service Products Laboratory in Madison.
He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in microbiology from California State University in Long Beach, and completed his doctoral degree in biochemistry at Rutgers University in 1975.
The John Gray Lecture Series was established in 1994 to recognize Gray who served as director of the UF forestry school from 1963 to 1977. He developed outstanding research and teaching programs that have served as models for other universities.
Timothy White, director of the school, said Gray’s leadership included development of programs in forest biology, wildlife and range sciences, fisheries, outdoor recreation resource management and cooperative programs with USDA, the Florida Forestry Association and the Florida Division of Forestry as well as the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service. The school is part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
For information about the UF symposium, contact Alan Long, associate professor of forestry, at 352-846-0891 ajl2@ufl.edu or visit the symposium Web site: http://continuinged.sfrc.ufl.edu.
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