The Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI) has announced its newest cohort of 12 fellowship projects, an expansion that reflects both growing interest and a broader vision for bioproducts research at Georgia Tech.  

This year’s cohort is one of the largest in recent years, signaling renewed momentum in the research areas it supports.  

“This year’s projects reflect the strength of our core areas while also showing how the field is expanding,” said Carson Meredith, executive director of RBI. “We’re seeing faculty from more disciplines engage in bioproducts research in ways that open up new opportunities for collaboration and impact.” 

That expansion is reflected in where the fellowships are being awarded. For the first time, RBI has selected faculty from the School of Architecture (ARCH) in the College of Design and the School of Biological Sciences (BIOS) in the College of Science, continuing to broaden participation beyond its traditional base in chemistry and engineering. 

The projects themselves reflect that shift. This year’s projects work on topics ranging from microbial approaches to strengthening forest health to developing next-generation packaging materials, including high-performance barrier coatings and cellulose-derived materials. 

The projects also advance the use of AI and machine learning in bioproducts development, the physics of fiber networks, and converting biomass into pharmaceuticals and synthetic leather. 

Many of these efforts align closely with industry priorities, particularly in packaging, papermaking, and sustainable materials—areas where demand for scalable, sustainable solutions continues to grow. 

Together, the 2026 cohort points to a program that is expanding its reach across disciplines while staying focused on real-world applications of bioproduct research. 

The 2026 RBI Fellowship projects and associated faculty are listed below. 

Physics-Guided Learning of Mechanical Behavior in Forming-Stage Fiber Networks
Shuman Xia*, Ting Zhu*, John Xu (ME/RBI)

Upcycling Wood-Derived Cellulose Nanomaterials into Circular Barrier Coatings for Postharvest Preservation
Vida Jamali*, Amirali Aghazadeh*, Lily Cheung (ChBE/ECE)

Reimagining Southern Forests: Microbial Biotechnology for High Value Climate-Ready Biomass Feedstocks
Joel Kostka*, Ulrika Egertsdotter (BIOS/RBI)

Integrated Experimental-Computational-ML Framework for Accelerated Evaluation and Design of Biodegradable Barrier Coating for Paper-Based Packaging
Aditya Kumar*, YuHang Hu*, Danny Smyl* (CEE/ME)

Direct Method for Analysis of Fiber Orientation in Multiphase Forming
Suhas Jain*, Cyrus Aidun (ME)

Robust Packaging Insert via Phase-Separated Lignin Aerogel Particle-Supported Cellulose Hydrogel Composites
Shucong Li*, Julene Tong (MSE/ChBE)

Towards Continuous Processes from Biochar to Pharmaceuticals
Andy Bommarius, Anthony "Bo" Arduengo, Jesse McDaniel (ChBE/CHEM)

ALD Modification of Nanocellulosic Films for Ultra-High Barrier Performance
Mark Losego, Meisha Shofner (MSE)

Biomass-Derived Glycosyl Furans for the Development of Novel Value-Added Materials
Stefan France, Chris Jones (CHEM/ChBE)

Design and Scale-Up of Mechanochemical Reactors for Cellulose Biorefining
Fani Boukouvala, Carsten Sievers (ChBE)

Xylohyde™: The Sustainable Production of Synthetic Leather from Cellulose
Anthony "Bo" Arduengo, Chris Luettgen (CHEM/RBI/ChBE)

Tailorable PLA-Alginate High-Performance Bio-Nanocomposites via Chitosan Cationic Bridging of Sargassum-Derived Alginate and Polylactic Acid (PLA)
Karl Jacob, Ingebourg Rocker*, Kyriaki Kalaitzidou, Hamid Garmestani (ME, ARCH, MSE)

*Indicates first-time RBI fellowship recipients.