RAPID CITY (September 7, 2011) -- The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has awarded the 2011 Mines Medal to Dr. Lee Rybeck Lynd, co-founder of biofuels start-up Mascoma Corp. and professor of engineering at Dartmouth College. Lynd will receive the Mines Medal, a national award honoring engineers and scientists who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation, at the third annual Mines Medal Dinner and Award Ceremony to be held September 29 at the Rushmore Civic Center Plaza in Rapid City.
Lynd’s distinctively broad contributions span science, technology, entrepreneurial and policy domains, and include leading research on fundamental and biotechnological aspects of microbial cellulose utilization. He has been instrumental in developing a breakthrough cost-effective processing method called consolidated bioprocessing or CBP for the production of ethanol and other transportation fuels from inedible cellulosic biomass, such as switchgrass, a plant native to South Dakota’s prairies.
As initiator and co-leader of the Role of Biomass in America’s Energy Future project and more recently the Global Sustainable Bioenergy Project, Lynd played a leading role in identifying ways to reconcile large scale bioenergy production with feeding humanity and maintaining environmental quality.
In 2006, Lynd and his colleague Charles Wyman co-founded bioenergy startup company Mascoma Corp. to commercialize CBP technology. Mascoma has raised $100 million in private investment and $50 million in government funds and has partnerships with GM, Marathon Oil and Chevron.
A frequent presenter on the technical and strategic aspects of biomass energy, Lynd has testified three times before the U.S. Senate, and his work has been featured in both national and international media such as Wired, Forbes, Nova, and the Nobel Conference.
To schedule an interview with Dr. Lynd, please contact Amy Gribb at (608) 512-7961 or amy.gribb@sdsmt.edu.
