• David Kramer, PhD
  Professor, Institute of Biological Chemistry; College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences

  As people worldwide struggle to meet our increasing energy needs, plants and algae make the job look easy. What if we could peer inside living plants and see how they convert and store energy from the sun? Could we tell which plants are best for making food or fuel and which algae can help curb climate change? Could we use our window on photosynthesis to boost food-crop production and engineer plants to have super-bioenergy capacity?
  
  WSU scientists are at the forefront of a new revolution in plant science. Dr. David Kramer and his research team are leading the quest to harness the tremendous energy potential of plants and algae using tools they developed to tap green power without compromising our food supply or damaging our environment.

Prospective Competitive Grant Proposals
John Gardner outlines WSU's work in alternative fuels with Beoing and PNNL as the new type of partnerships between public and private sectors needed to more quickly and efficiently bring research to market.

Moderator:
Daniel Malarkey, CTED

Panelists:
John Gardner, Washington State University
Daryl Maas, Farm Power Northwest LLC
Dan McConnon, CTED

Green Building:Jobs of the Future

More than ever before, our economy is affected by environmental factors.  Our need to find alternative energy sources to reduce our dependence on international oil and reduce greenhouse emmissions has created a need for a labor workforce trained in green building and Washington State stands as a potential leader in this field.

This installment of Extension Engaged explores the role that WSU's Small Business Development Centers are playing in the development and enhancement of small businesses in Washington State and the connection between the SBDC's and WSU Extension.

Guests included Brett Rogers, State Director for the Washington Small Business Development Centers and John Gardner, VP for Economic Development and Global Engagement.

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The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program presented their report: Energy Discovery-Innovation Institutes: A Step toward America's Energy Sustainability on February 9th, 2009 in Washington D.C. The event included testimonies from several experts from various sectors, all explaining the innovative idea to create a network of regional energy-oriented discovery-innovation institutes (e-DIIs). See the two videos below for highlights. More coverage of the event can be found here.

University of Michigan president emeritus, James Duderstadt highlights the importance of investing more than money into the e-DIIs. The will to take on the challenge of creating innovative new energy sources, and the recognition that this vital new part of our economy needs significant redirection of research and development dollars, must both be present to succeed with these institutes.

WASHINGTON STATE'S GLOBAL HEALTH IMPACT: "The Washington Global Health Alliance (WGHA) works to enhance and expand Washington’s global health impact and showcase our region’s role as a leading center for global health activities."
The global health cluster is rapidly growing in Washington, providing jobs and economic stimulus for the state, while helping to solve the world's tough problems. Washington State University and the School for Global Animal Health are significant players in the WGHA, providing research and leadership in animal related pathogens as related to human health.
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