A group of faculty, graduate students and a high school teacher are visiting Portugal in July 2009. The students will be writing a blog about all the events as they travel.

Obrigado and Adios from Portugal!

Professor Arthur Ragauskas is leading a team of graduate students and faculty (university and K-12) on a recent visit to Portugal to investigate sustainable energy, biofuels, and new biomaterials research initiatives in paper science as part of the CIBER, Center for Innovative Biomaterial Education and Research program.

CIBER is a multidisciplinary program sponsored by the National Science Foundation focused on developing biomaterials from renewable resources and educating the public and other scientists and engineers on the needs, opportunities, issues, benefits, and issues surrounding biomass conversion. The group had the opportunity to meet with Portuguese faculty, students, scientists and see facilities at the University of Beira Interior in Colviha, University of Aveiro, and University of Coimbra, and RAIZ (a forestry products company closed aligned with all three schools). In addition to learning about biorenewable and biomaterials research, participants gained insight into Portuguese culture and language.

Personnel on this trip are graduate students Tina Dreaden, Anthony Baldridge, Kathy Woody, Matyas Kosa along with faculty, Dr. Arthur Ragauskas, Dr. Cameron Tyson, and Gwinnett County High School Educator, Mr. Greg Marr.

To learn more about the group’s trip, check out the blog: Portugal trip BLOG