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Richard Gustafson is a professor in the College of the Environment who specializes in chemical engineering. His research focuses on creating fuels and chemicals from biomass instead of petroleum, tackling significant technical and economic challenges while ensuring minimal environmental impact. He investigates the use of agricultural residues, such as wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse, along with energy crops like hybrid poplar. Gustafson's work emphasizes the development of low-value products from biomass, which can be grown with minimal inputs. He has collaborated with colleagues to secure a $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to broaden the biofuels industry, which has traditionally been centered in the Midwest, to include regions like Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, and northern California. His core project involves working with numerous partners across industry and agriculture to address scientific and technological questions that will advance biofuel science and production while considering potential social and economic impacts. Richard Gustafson also holds the Denman Chair in Bio-Resource Science Engineering.
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