Talk
Presentation Title: Novel polymer applications of lignin

Bio
Biljana holds degrees in Environmental Protection Engineering (BS, 1984) and Wood Chemistry (MS, 1993; PhD, 2000) from Belgrade University, Serbia, as well as a PhD in Paper Science and Engineering from Western Michigan University, MI, USA (PhD, 2003). She worked as an Assistant Professor at the College of Forestry at Belgrade University (1986-1999), and as an Assistant and then an Associate Professor at the Chemical Engineering Department at SUNY-ESF, Syracuse, NY (2006-2020). She has served as a Supervisory Research General Engineer at the USDA-FS-Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI, in the Fiber and Chemical Sciences Research group since 2020. She is focused on developing novel delignification methods for lignin recovery and transforming lignin into functional polymers for sustainable applications. During her career so far, she has published >50 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, and presented >90 poster and oral presentations at national and international conferences. She is a member of ACS and TAPPI.

Talk
Presentation Title: Lignin for formaldehyde-free resin applications

Bio
Prajakta Dongre is a postdoctoral researcher at the Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research spans lignin chemistry, biomass processing, and polymer science, with a strong focus on lignin-based polymers. She completed her PhD working on the synthesis and characterization of lignin-derived thermosets and thermoplastics, and previously worked at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory on green solvent-based lignin extraction. Her current work involves oxidative depolymerization of lignin to produce platform chemicals for renewable materials.

Talk
Presentation Title: Lignin-based Polyurethane Coatings for Sustainable Paper Packaging

Bio
Julia is a forest engineer with a master’s degree in Forestry Sciences from the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), where she was a member of the Pulp and Paper Laboratory (LCP) research group, and a PhD in Environmental and Forestry Sciences from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ). During her PhD program, she participated in an exchange program at SUNY-ESF in Syracuse, NY, conducting research at the Lignocellulosic Biorefinery Laboratory (LBL) in partnership with Paper Packaging and Beyond (PP&B). Throughout her academic career, she has developed expertise in biomass characterization, kraft and chemo-mechanical pulping, TCF and ECF bleaching, and refining operations. More recently, she has focused on lignin and tannin for the creation of new materials and sustainable applications.

Talk
Presentation Title: Synthesis of Lignin-Polystyrene Copolymer from Forest Residues: A Case Study with Ponderosa Pine

Bio
Jiae Ryu is a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and she also holds a master's degree in Paper Science Engineering from Kyungpook National University. She began her Ph.D. in 2022, and her work centers around the sustainable valorization of lignocellulosic biomass, particularly lignin, through innovative chemical modification, solvent systems, green chemistry, and interdisciplinary approaches.