Kevin Puckett
Last December 9th, UK’s chapter of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Traineeship (NRT) alongside the Center for Applied Energy Research (UK CAER) hosted the first annual Food, Energy and Water Symposium in the Jacobs Science Building. The day-long hybrid event featured scientific and industrial experts from across the country, sparking collaborative conversations across the vital nexus of food, water and energy. Over 80 students, faculty and staff attended the symposium in person and via zoom. Professor Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez, of UK CAER, chaired the event.
Speakers included:
Dr. Capucine Dupont
Senior Lecturer-Researcher in Bioresource Technology, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
Dr. Dupont’s talk, From waste to biochar added-value materials in the Food-Energy-Water nexus context, examines ways to use waste from nature, for instance biochar, and convert those materials into parts of applicable, usable products like batteries, filtration systems, and many others.
Prof. Akinbode Adedeji, PhD. CQE-ASQ
Carnegie Fellow & Associate Professor of Food Process Engineering, University of Kentucky Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Professor Adedeji in his talk, “The Age of ‘ALT’ Proteins: Impact on Water and Energy Conservation,” looks at what we eat, particularly livestock, and how that effects the other parts of the nexus, water and energy. Heavily fact-driven, Adedeji examines the feasibility of alternatives, including cultured meat.
Samuel Kelty
Chemical Research Engineer, LG&E and KU
Samuel Kelty presents the highlights, opportunities, and questions of energy in Kentucky from the perspective of LG&E and KU in his presentation. He examines the current state of coal, natural gas, and renewable energy in Kentucky, including featuring the E.W. Brown Solar Farm, the largest solar farm in the commonwealth.
Prof. Lindell Ormsbee, PhD. P.E., P.H., D.WRE, F.ASCE, F.EWRI
Director, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, Professor, University of Kentucky Department of Civil Engineering
Professor Ormsbee in his talk, “The Importance of a Systems Approach for Addressing Water Challenges,” breaks down the gravity and complexity of our fresh water resources for the future, and urges the scientific community to use system analysis method to help break down this complicated problem.
Jonathan Webb
Founder & CEO, AppHarvest
Jonathan Webb’s presentation“Leveraging Kentucky’s Renewable Resources for the Betterment of People and Planet” gives an overview of the founding of AppHarvest, their mission, and how Kentucky is geographically and culturally ready to be at the center of an agricultural revolution in America.
