By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� A Washington State University Tri-Cities business professor will travel to Austria as part of a Scholar grant to research tasting offerings and pricing practices in winery tasting rooms.

Beginning in March 2021, Byron Marlowe, clinical assistant professor of hospitality business management and program coordinator of wine and beverage business management, will teach and conduct research at the in Krems an der Donau, Austria. The four-month experience will support Marlowe���s ongoing research project identifying best practices for winery tasting room experiences throughout the world.

Marlowe has a background in wine and beverage business management and has published research examining price points of tasting offerings for comparison in different countries and regions. He and fellow authors recently earned ���Best Book for Professionals��� in the U.S. by the Gourmand International Cookbook Awards for their book ���Wine Sales and Distribution: The Secrets to Building a Consultative Selling Approach.��� His research interests include terroir, focusing on the attributes of a region and place that have become important for winery marketing and sales in the Pacific Northwest and across the globe.

As part of the Fulbright experience, Marlowe will teach master���s-level marketing courses in business and work directly with graduate students in one of three tracks: sales, import and export or international business. He will supplement the courses with his knowledge of the wine and beverage industry, also using his recently published book as a text in those courses.

For his research, Marlowe will visit an assortment of wineries, examining what consumers experience online before visiting the Wachau wine valley region wineries as part of their tasting room journey. Some areas he will examine include how wine is served, additional experiences offered by the winery such as a vineyard tour, the types of wine served and the general customer service provided by the winery to include price of tasting.

He will combine that research with studies he has conducted so far on wineries in Walla Walla, Washington, and the Franconia region of Germany.

���The idea of the project is to try to set international standards for the tasting room experience and wine offerings,��� he said. ���There may have been research completed on certain regions, but not globally. I���m excited to expand the project to specifically include Austria, which is the ninth largest imported wine location in the U.S.���

Marlowe said he is looking forward to developing his knowledge of the wine industry in Austria and the associated experiences.

���It will provide a great opportunity to truly immerse myself in Austria���s wine culture,��� he said. ���I look forward to being a resource for understanding Austrian wine culture and being able to share that with local businesses and the wine industry here in the Pacific Northwest. It truly is an exchange program meant to share information between countries and across the globe.���

Visit the Wine and Beverage Business Management Program���s website for more information.

 

Media contacts:

Byron Marlowe, 厙ぴ勛圖 clinical assistant professor of hospitality business management and program coordinator of wine and beverage business management at WSU, 509-372-7436, byron.marlowe@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 public relations/communication coordinator, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

RICHLAND, Wash. – Fulbright scholar Fitria is using her educational experience at and the to find new and improved ways of creating successful biofuels and bioproducts.

In her home country of Indonesia, Fitria, who goes by one name, is a team member and former project leader in biomass process technology and bioremediation at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences Research Center for Biomaterials.

There, she works to convert lignocellulosic biomass���the cellulose and lignin-rich substances that give plants their rigidity���from agricultural residues to ethanol and other bioproducts such as wood adhesives, biocomposites, pulp, and paper.

In recent years, the Indonesian government has focused more heavily on the production of biofuels. And while ethanol, which in Indonesia is mostly made from cassava, a starchy root from a tropical crop, is readily available, they are exploring other options, especially lignocellulosic-based biomass from local vegetation. Cellulose from the remains of pressed, harvested oil palm fruit bunches could be a viable option, as Indonesia is the largest producer. Other potential products include rice straw and sugar cane bagasse.

In order to fulfill her career goals, Fitria joined a team led by Bin Yang, associate professor of biological systems engineering at 厙ぴ勛圖, in August 2016. Over the past three years, she has worked in the at 厙ぴ勛圖 to improve the understanding of fundamental mechanisms of pretreatment technologies for cellulosic-based fuels. Her work helps advance cutting���edge biomass conversion technologies and to facilitate the commercialization process.

At 厙ぴ勛圖, she is studying several types of lignocellulose biomass, such as corn stover and wheat straw, which are among the most common agricultural waste products in the U.S.

���Wheat straw is abundant in eastern Washington,��� she said. ���The remnant material in the harvesting process is usually left on the field, and about 60 percent is used for ground cover. But you can���t remove all of the residue on the field. We want to use the remaining material to make biofuels.���

Fitria is specifically examining how to improve the pretreatment process in turning remnant lignocellulosic materials into biofuels with Yang.

In the early stages, cellulose, which is the main component of cell walls in plants, must undergo a pretreatment process to separate it from other major components, hemicellulose and lignin, to help enzymes convert it to sugar. After that, it is fermented into ethanol. Other components in plants, such as mineral components, however, might hinder this process, which she is now investigating.

Fitria is also working with Jian Liu, a senior chemical engineer at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to study the impact that mineral components have on the pretreatment process. She will also start as part of the this fall. This WSU-PNNL collaboration not only aids in her doctoral study, but also provides her with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory.

���Working at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will be very important to her future research career,��� Yang said. ���Fitria has displayed remarkable skill in science, engineering and leadership, and she will continue to grow and make significant contributions to the field of biomass to bioproducts.���

Fitria���s research at 厙ぴ勛圖 is in line with WSU���s identified of providing and in . It is also in line with WSU���s .

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

Bin Yang, an associate professor of biological systems engineering at Washington State University Tri-Cities, has been selected for the Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award����� 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.����marks the first professor in WSU 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��, while on sabbatical leave from WSU. While in Finland, he will teach and conduct research. In addition, he will continue to manage his research team at WSU.

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 WSU���s��Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory��(BSEL) in the bioproducts sector, learn more about bioproducts research achievements and processes in Europe, as well as learn about the Finland���s educational structure, which is a world leader.

���I���m excited about the dialogue between our two universities and two countries,��� he said. ���I 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.��I am grateful that both Aalto University and WSU are willing and able to accommodate this desire so graciously, and I believe it will work to everyone���s best interests.���

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

���Fulbright support will further increase the visibility of our department, BSEL and WSU,��� 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 WSU 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���s 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 厙ぴ勛圖.

By Maegan Murray

In graduate student Kenny Nyirenda���s home country of Zambia, access to clean water sources can be challenging, especially in remote areas.

That is why he has committed his graduate research as a Fulbright scholar at Washington State University Tri-Cities to improving access to clean sources of drinking water and finding solutions to prevent water pollution.

The Fulbright Scholarship allows students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The prestigious program awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.

As part of his Fulbright program, Nyirenda is studying under Yonas Demissie, assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at 厙ぴ勛圖, to look at the impacts of mining on groundwater resources, as well as how climate change is impacting groundwater resources.

���Because of what is happening in terms of climate change and in terms of pollution, people are now resorting to the ground for their water sources,��� he said. ���Groundwater is often a clean source of water and is readily available in the ground, although it can get depleted and polluted especially by anthropogenic activities.���

Nyirenda said Zambia is largely known for its mining, which puts pressure on water resources as a result of excessive pumping and pollution from the activity.

���We want to make sure that this resource is protected, and many surface water bodies are drying up in some parts of the country due to prolonged dry seasons attributed to climate change,��� he said. ���There is fresh water available in the ground and we need to make sure we are protecting the resource, especially in these areas that are prone to climatic change.���

Currently, as part of a graduate seminar, he is reviewing the data and literature on the impacts of mining on groundwater in Zambia and around the globe, assessing the potential of acid mine drainage and its impact on groundwater sources.

���What they are mining in Zambia are mainly base metal sulfide-rich mineral deposits, which have the potential to generate acid when exposed to air, moisture or rain water,��� he said. ���Once that acid is generated, it becomes a nuisance because it spreads into the environment together with the dissolved heavy metals it carries and ends up in groundwater.���

Solving the issue of access to clean drinking water and preventing pollution from occurring within not only his home country, but throughout Africa, he said, could solve many more problems throughout the continent.

���Many diseases that are prevalent in Africa stem from consumption of poor quality drinking water,��� he said. ���If you sort out the problems with water, you sort out problems with most of Africa. We need to figure out how to protect the resources that we have, as well as improve access to good quality water across Africa.���

Nyirenda said he has never personally suffered from lack of access to clean drinking water, as he grew up in a military barrack where his father served in the military. As a result, he and his family were provided with water and electricity. Across rural parts of Zambia and in other parts of Africa, however, people may not have regular access to the same resources.

���For one, many might not have the knowledge to know whether a water source is OK,��� he said. ���Additionally, because there are natural sources of pollution, people may collect water thinking that it is of good quality, when in fact, there may be serious issues with it.���

Nyirenda said he plans to take the research he develops through 厙ぴ勛圖 and inform people, as well as implement changes, in his home country. His home university, The Copperbelt University, was selected by the World Bank as an Africa Center of Excellence in Sustainable Mining. One of its aims is to promote a balance between environmental sustainability and mine production. The pairing of his Fulbright experience at 厙ぴ勛圖 with the resources afforded to him at his home university will allow him and his colleagues to make a true difference when he arrives back home.

���One of the great things about the Fulbright program is the mutual understanding between the two countries that I can take my work back home to implement positive changes,��� he said. ���When I go back home, my network here will still be there as a result of this Fulbright experience. My work doesn���t have to end here. We will still be in touch to communicate about developments and regarding new opportunities once I return home.���

Nyirenda hopes to work with the United Nations Environment Programme or United Nations Water to bring about positive change regarding water infrastructure and policies surrounding the resource in his home country. From there, he hopes to become a politician so he can help lead initiatives that will improve access to good quality water.

���Politicians have the opportunity to be more powerful to implement most of these innovative ideas regarding water access and policy,��� he said. ���I want to use this influence to implement these ideas.���