ORGANISING AND SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Scientific Committee
Prof. Lee Rybeck Lynd is a Professor of Engineering and an Adjunct Professor of Biology and of Earth Science at Dartmouth College, Professor Extraordinary of Microbiology at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and Director and Chief Scientific Officer of Mascoma, Mascoma Corporation, a biomass energy start-up he co-founded. Professor Lynd is an expert on utilization of plant biomass for production of energy. Professor Lynd has received several prestigious awards, including the inaugural recipient of the Lemelson-MIT Sustainability Prize for inventions and innovations and Charles D. Scott Award for distinguished contributions to the field of biotechnology for fuels and chemicals.
Prof. Lynd is the chairman of the Organizing Committee of an new global initiative “Global Sustainable Bioenergy : Feasibility and Implementation Paths” with five global meetings as stage 1, the third meeting been in Stellenbosch on 15-17 March 2010 under the co-chairmanship of Profs. Emile van Zyl and August Temu.
Prof. August Temu taught at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania (1973 - 92) where he held various senior management positions, including serving as the first Dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Nature conservation. He also served as Chief Technical Advisor and visiting professor at Chittagong University in Bangladesh under FAO/UNDP; Executive Secretary of The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE); and he is currently the Director of Partnerships at the World Agroforestry centre (ICRAF).
He has written extensively on forestry, agricultural and natural resources education and research. He is currently the vice chair of the International partnership for Forestry Education. From 2000 he was admitted as an International Fellow of the Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry (KSLA).
Prof. Emile van Zyl is a Professor in Microbiology at Stellenbosch University and the SANERI Senior Chair of Energy Research in Biofuels, leading a large research team towards developing technologies for the conversion of plant biomass to biofuels. Prof. van Zyl obtained his PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University in 1989. He received both the Rector's Awards for Excellent in Teaching (1997) and Research (2001).
The laboratory of Prof. van Zyl is well established in the microbiology and biochemistry of plant degrading enzymes and he gained international recognition as research leader in the development of recombinant yeast for biofuel production from total plant biomass.
Organising Committee
Prof Lee Lynd (GSB Chair, Dartmouth College)
Prof Emile van Zyl (African Co-Chair, Stellenbosch University)
Prof August Temu (African Co-Chair, ICRAF)
Prof Marinda Bloom (Programme Manager, Stellenbosch University)
CONGRESS SECRETARIAT
For further information, please contact: Nelda Rousseau, African Bioenergy Convention 2010, ConsultUS (Pty) Ltd, P O Box 19063, Tygerberg, 7505
TEL: 021 938-9651, FAX; 021 933 2649 E-MAIL: neldar@sun.ac.za
