Contact: John Schlup
Email: jrsch@k-state.edu

This certificate is offered through the Graduate School , currently through the collaboration of the Departments of  Agronomy , Biological and Agricultural Engineering , Chemical Engineering , and Grain Science and Industry . Chemical feedstocks, materials, and fuels derived from biomass have received increasing emphasis nationally and are seen as being very desirable from a number of standpoints. Private industry now actively recruits individuals with specific training in bioprocessing and biobased materials. With the interest in green chemistry and in sustainability increasing along with the escalation of crude oil prices during 2008, emphasis on the utilization of biomass for energy and materials can only continue to increase. This rapidly expanding industry has a growing need for a trained workforce. This Graduate Certificate Program is designed to identify students’ focus in their graduate training as well as provide post-baccalaureate educational opportunities for industry practitioners for whom a full graduate degree program is not appropriate at that point in their career. Students can develop a truly interdisciplinary background in a specific area, and yet the certificate will permit any given individual to tailor their program of study to their specific interests.