SIUE Biofuels Research Center Hosts Fueling Fun Workshop for Girl Scouts
More than 50 Brownies, Juniors and parents from the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSOFSI) learned about the benefits of biofuels, fermentation and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) during the “Fueling Fun” biofuels workshop at the NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
From fermentation in Amish Friendship Bread to a tour of the Center’s 24,000 pilot plant and a Shark Tank-style badging session, all of the workshops had a common theme: women and science.
“It’s awesome, because it’s showing them that they can make a change, as women and girls, they can step up,” said Sarah Odens. “Having a woman be the one who is explaining the experiments gives them something to look forward to and show them it’s attainable.”
Funding for the workshop was provided by the Meridian Society, an organization of women dedicated to supporting SIUE programs through philanthropy and financial education, through a grant proposal titled “Solving the Equality Equation: Providing Hands-On Workshops in STEM.”
Jackie Pohlman, event coordinator and NCERC commercialization specialist, said the Meridian Society’s support was another example of women inspiring women.
“The Meridian Society inspires women to become leaders in supporting SIUE and community causes, and we are grateful for their support in helping us show these young women a whole range of careers in STEM and related fields like communications, marketing and business,” Pohlman said. “Not only did the girls learn about careers, but they also learned that fermentation is the pathway to the bioeconomy, and that pathway begins right here at NCERC. I hope we see some of these young women back here in a few years as undergraduates.”
The NCERC at SIUE is a nationally recognized research center dedicated to the development and commercialization of biofuels, specialty chemicals and other renewable compounds. The Center’s fully functional dry grind pilot plant and laboratories are equipped with advanced biofuels capabilities including corn fractionation, pretreatment and a fermentation suite with 5, 30, 150 and 1500L scale-up. Facilities are staffed by industry veterans with more than 100 years of collective experience in fermentation and biofuels production.
PHOTO: NCERC Assistant Director for Communications, Courtney Breckenridge, takes a group of Girl Scouts on a tour through the NCERC’s 24,000 square foot pilot plant and laboratories.
