WASHINGTON — The Renewable Fuels Association and the Renewable Fuels Foundation are proud to announce Daehwan Kim and David Orrego as winners of the student scholarship that will send them to RFA's 22nd annual National Ethanol Conference: Building Partnerships, Growing Markets next month in San Diego. The RFA/RFF scholarship provides students enrolled in higher education with complimentary registration at the conference, giving scholarship recipients the chance to connect with hundreds of leaders, policymakers, and experts associated with the renewable fuel industry. Only students who focus on renewable fuels in their studies and intend to pursue a career in the industry are eligible to receive the scholarship. This is the eighth consecutive year in which this scholarship has been made available to students. Kim is a Ph.D. candidate at Purdue University, pursuing biofuel research in the Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering and the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. His Ph.D. thesis addresses enzyme-catalyzed liquefaction of corn pericarp and fermentation to cellulosic ethanol, and also the development of inhibitor tolerant yeast strains. Orrego is also a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University. His work focuses on the design, optimization and scale-up of bioprocesses, with a focus on biochemical catalysis and bioreactor design. "The NEC is the most widely attended ethanol industry conference and provides a great opportunity for those interested in pursuing a professional career in ethanol. With more than 1,500 attendees expected, these students will have access to a wide variety of participants in the ethanol industry, providing for unique networking opportunities," said Bob Sather, chairman of the RFF and chairman of ACE Ethanol. "We congratulate Mr. Kim and Mr. Orrego and look forward to them attending NEC to learn much more about our global industry." The National Ethanol Conference will take place Feb. 20–22 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. For more information, visit www.NationalEthanolConference.com. For additional resources, visit the RFA and RFF at www.EthanolRFA.org and www.RenewableFuels-Foundation.org.
