By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

Bin Yang, an associate professor of biological systems engineering at Washington State University Tri-Cities, has been selected for the Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award聽鈥� the most prestigious appointment in the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Fulbright currently awards approximately 8,000 grants annually. Of those, 40 are selected for the Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award.聽聽marks the first professor in 黑料社 history to be selected for the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Energy and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Award.

Beginning in August, he will serve for six months through the Fulbright program at聽, while on sabbatical leave from 黑料社. While in Finland, he will teach and conduct research. In addition, he will continue to manage his research team at 黑料社.

His research at Aalto University will focus on the development of novel lignin-based compounds that do not resemble an existing petroleum-derived compound in structure. Lignin is a material comprised in the cell wall of plants and is one of the largest waste products in the bioproducts industry because it is so hard to break down and process. Yang, however, aims to use the material to create a range of bioproducts.

Yang said he is elated to expand his research and to communicate the scientific achievements of 黑料社鈥檚聽Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory聽(BSEL) in the bioproducts sector, learn more about bioproducts research achievements and processes in Europe, as well as learn about the Finland鈥檚 educational structure, which is a world leader.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited about the dialogue between our two universities and two countries,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 believe this outcome will allow me to work with professors and students at Aalto University in order to apply my expertise in bioproducts and biofuels technologies.聽I am grateful that both Aalto University and 黑料社 are willing and able to accommodate this desire so graciously, and I believe it will work to everyone鈥檚 best interests.鈥�

Juming Tang, chair of the biological systems engineering department at 黑料社, said Yang is an outstanding contributor for the graduate program of biological systems engineering, which is ranked 14^th聽in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

鈥淔ulbright support will further increase the visibility of our department, BSEL and 黑料社,鈥� Tang said.

As a Fulbright chair, Yang will address two key challenges:

• Developing breakthroughs in science and technologies for production of high-value bioproducts from biomass.
• Fostering next-generation leaders on the opportunities, challenges and benefits of biofuels and bioproducts.

Yang has served as a faculty member at 黑料社 since 2009. He has dedicated most of his career to the development of renewable energy technologies, with particular emphasis on production of biofuels and bioproducts from cellulosic biomass feedstocks and other sustainable resources. His major research interests include:

• Understanding fundamental mechanisms of bioprocessing technologies for advanced biofuels.
• Advancing cutting-edge technologies and facilitating the commercialization process.
• Improving knowledge of emerging technologies to meet near- and long-term needs worldwide.

He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and has five patents. He is a recipient of the DARPA Young Faculty Award of 2011. He also serves as an advisory editor board member for many leading biorefinery journals.

Yang鈥檚 research has been supported by the:

• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (U.S. Department of Defense).
• U.S. Department of Energy.
• National Science Foundation.
• Sun Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
• Seattle-based Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation.

He has a joint appointment with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He also serves as a faculty senator and an entrepreneurial faculty ambassador at 黑料社 Tri-Cities.

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Lindsay Lightner, a Ph.D. student in mathematics and science education and coordinator of the Alternate Route Teacher Certification program at Washington State University Tri-Cities, has received the 2018 European Science Education Research Association Summer School in Finland scholarship from the National Association for Research in Science Teaching.

聽is one of two recipients nationwide to receive the scholarship, and she will spend one week at the University of Jyv盲skyl盲 in Jyv盲skyl盲, Finland, for an institute program that will allow her and other students to collaborate and network.

鈥淭hey haven鈥檛 set the program yet, but there are groups of students that we will be assigned to work on our dissertations and receive feedback,鈥� Lightner said. 鈥淭here also will be lectures, social activities and networking opportunities.鈥�

Lightner said she is really looking forward to the opportunity and feels privileged to receive the scholarship to cover the costs of the program.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to talk to people about cultures and be with so many people from so many different backgrounds,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is a major focus of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) to be able to internationalize more. It鈥檚 neat to be able to get different perspectives that you wouldn鈥檛 have otherwise.鈥�

Lightner鈥檚 research focuses on how pre-service teachers integrate their experiences during their education into their work and their classrooms, as well as how different cultures change learning environments.

鈥淚鈥檓 looking at how they take their experiences and put them together with their learning from universities and make the jump to professional teaching,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 also looking at how different factors support pre-service teachers.鈥�

Lightner has experience in other cultures and other educational systems, as she was a senior lecturer on the education faculty at Canterbury Christ Church University in Canterbury, England. Prior to that, she was a lecturer in the English department at Pennsylvania State University and a science and mathematics teacher at Inwood Intermediate School 52 in New York. Since 2006, she has been at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, first working as an academic advisor in the College of Education (2006-14) College of Arts and Sciences (2009-14) and College of Agricultural Human and Natural Resource Sciences (2009-14). From 2014-16, she was the assistant director of high school programs at 黑料社 Tri-Cities and is currently the coordinator for the Alternate Route Teacher Certification program in the College of Education. She holds a BA in geology from Carleton College and an MA from the Writing Seminars at John Hopkins University.

She said she will use the one-week institute program to help her in her dissertation.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to get that intensive mentoring and feedback and collect data and think toward different things I can do,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 especially interested in getting that international perspective.鈥�

Lightner added that she is thankful for all the support she receives from 黑料社.

鈥淚鈥檓 really grateful for the mentorship and the teaching and support we鈥檝e all gotten from 黑料社,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ithout that support, we wouldn鈥檛 be able to do what we do or represent the university.鈥�