Kona: 2023 Sustainable Circular Economies
Putting the Pieces Together, July 17 – 19, 2023
Successful transformation to the Bioeconomy requires cross-disciplinary understanding informed by robust guiding principles on what it means to be sustainable. This three-day conference addresses this need for multidisciplinary "conversancy" so Bioeconomy professionals can be more effective leaders.
Attendees will be prepared to better understand technical, business, regulatory, and social issues for moving away from fossil fuels towards a bioeconomy that sustainably maintains well-being through bio-based solutions.
Leading industry mentors will discuss agricultural technology, soil carbon, biomass processing and fermentation, regulatory issues, sustainability, community acceptance, and economic and environmental analyses of new approaches for renewable, circular economies.
The session is aimed at industry professionals, and students and members of the community are invited.
2023 Sustainable Circular Economies Agenda Summary
Detailed three-day schedule now available as a PDF
Monday, July 17
- Sustainable agriculture
- Soil carbon
- Feedstock processing
- Tour of HOST Park at NELHA: unique faciity for marine Bioeconomy and ocean sustainability
Tuesday, July 18
- Parallel hands-on, interactive activities:
- Soil microbiomes and sustainable agriculture, soil carbon
- Fermentation and strain engineering: opportunities, implications
- Regulatory issues in the Bioeconomy
- Life cycle analysis
- Native American cultural perspectives on sustainability
Wednesday, July 19
- Participating by video in opening of Hilo Conference:
- Keynote Speaker Nainoa Thompson: Polynesian Voyaging and Sustainability
- Climate change in the Pacific: Pacific Islander perspectives and experience
- Tour of Kona Brewing Company's new brewpub designed for sustainability in an island environment
HOST Park (Hawaiʻi Ocean Science and Technology Park) at NELHA (Natural Energy Laboratory Hawaiʻi Authority) was originally built to demonstrate Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, and its continuous supply of deep and surface ocean water has led to a globally unique combination of R&D and commercial entities focused on ocean sustainability, food, energy, aquaculture venture activity, and marine bioeconomy. Visit the NELHA website for more information.
Kona Brewing Company recently opened its new brewpub to expand production, increase community engagement, and push the boundaries for sustainable operations on an island. The brewpub incorporates numerous innovations, and Kona Brewing continues to seek ways to expand sustainability in its operations. See here for more information.
We are now at capacity for the Kona conference. We regret we are no longer able to accept registrations for the Sustainable Circular Economies conference. Thank you for your interest in both the conference and in your commitment to sustainable economies, healthy communities, and solving climate change.
Special Note to Students: Thanks to the generosity of Par Pacific and the Ka ʻAno ʻAno Fund, a limited number of current students are eligible for a waiver of registration fees. If you are a current student, please register but before paying any student fee email bioecon@hawaii.edu_ and express your interest in waiving the registration fee. Please include your name, institution, year of study, and major. Upon acceptance, you will be registered at no charge for attendance and food.
For more information, please contact Peter Matlock or email bioecon@hawaii.edu
Sustainable Circular Economies Mentors
Dr. Blake Simmons
Joint BioEnergy Institute
Dr. Blake Simmons serves as the Chief Scientific and Technology Officer and Vice President of the Deconstruction Division at the US Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) in Emeryville. He earned his BS in chemical engineering from the University of Washington, and doctorate at Tulane University in the same field. Dr. Simmons was a Senior Manager at Sandia National Laboratories for 15 years, most recently as Senior Manager of Advanced Biomanufacturing as well as the Biomass Program Manager. He joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in February, 2016 as Division Director of Biological Systems and Engineering. He is an Adjunct Professor at University California-Berkeley and University of Queensland in Australia. His expertise includes advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, biomanufacturing, ionic liquids, abiotic-biotic interfaces, biomass pretreatment, enzyme engineering, biofuel cells, templated nanomaterials, microfluidics, desalination, and biomineralization.
Dr. Richard E. Engler
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.
Dr. Richard E. Engler is Director of Chemistry with Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®). Dr. Engler is a 17-year veteran of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is one of the most widely recognized experts in the field of green chemistry, having served as senior staff scientist in EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and leader of EPA's Green Chemistry Program. He has participated in thousands of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) substance reviews at EPA, as well as pre-notice and post-review meetings with submitters to resolve complex or difficult cases. Dr. Engler's expansive understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities TSCA presents for green and sustainable chemistry is a powerful asset for those seeking to commercialize green chemmistry solutions. He assists in performing toxicological reviews, performing environmental fate modeling using Sustainable Futures tools, and preparing scientific and test data for regulatory submission.
Dr. Steffen Mueller
University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Steffen Mueller leads the Bioenergy and Transportation Emissions Research Group at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Selected research activities focus on life cycle emissions analyses of different bioenergy and electric vehicle pathways as well as quantification of emissions and sequestration effects from production agriculture and certification of sustainable energy supply chains. Dr. Mueller has published over 30 peer reviewed papers on life cycle analysis and is a co-author of the land use change interface of the Argonne National Laboratory GREET model. Steffen served on the Expert Working Group on Land Use during the establishment of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the National Academies of Sciences Committee on Current Methods for Life Cycle Analyses of Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels. Since 2013 he has been serving on the Board of International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). Steffen holds a PhD in Energy Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an MBA and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Karlsruhe, Germany.
Dr. Laura Kavanaugh
Genome Insights LLC
Dr. Laura Kavanaugh is an engineer, scientist and entrepreneur. She has degrees in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and holds a Ph.D. from the University Program in Genetics and Genomics from Duke University. She has had a varied and extensive career which includes over 13 years working in the Space Shuttle Mission Control Center in Houston, TX and over 10 years working for Syngenta Biotechnology in Research Triangle Park, NC, working on bioinformatics, DNA sequencing, and soil microbes. She is currently founder and CEO of Genome Insights LLC which applies the latest DNA sequencing technologies to enhance regenerative farming and large composting operations. She also oversees the compost and liquid biological amendment operations for Union Grove Farm Vineyard in Chapel Hill, NC. The vineyard uses regenerative farming methods to grow a new seedless variety of muscadine table grape.
Dr. Marty Matlock
University of Arkansas
Dr. Marty Matlock is Executive Director of the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center and Professor of Ecological Engineering in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department. He received his Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering from Oklahoma State University, is a registered professional engineer, a Board Certified Environmental Engineer, and a Certified Ecosystem Designer. Dr. Matlock’s research focuses on technologies and processes to increase the resilience of ecosystem services in human-dominated ecosystems. His focus is on the interface of food, water, and community systems. He works with ecologists, engineers, architects, social and political scientists, agricultural scientists, economists, and business leaders to create new understanding and framing of vexing human challenges. His interdisciplinary work has been recognized by the leading organizations in agriculture, engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, and sustainable design with over 30 national and international awards. He serves on the USEPA Science Advisory Committee for Agriculture, previously served on the US Secretary of Agriculture’s Committee for the 21st Century, is Chairman of the Cherokee Nation Environmental Protection Commission, and serves as sustainability science advisor for 12 food and agricultural product companies.
Dr. Jim DeKloe
Solano College
Dr. Jim DeKloe, Professor of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, serves as the director and founder of the Industrial Biotechnology program at Solano College. In the past, he served as the regional director of the Southwest Region of Bio-Link, the nationwide consortium of community and technical colleges that teach biotech. On sabbatical he worked in the manufacturing department of biotech pioneer Genentech Inc. He also served as a consultant to help biotech giant Amgen redesign the training programs for their biomanufacturing technicians and for their quality assurance associates. He currently serves on the advisory committee for the Explorer Education Division of BioRad, and on the advisory committees of multiple college and high school biotechnology programs. In 2000, the Association of Community College Trustees chose Jim as the Distinguished Faculty Member of the Pacific Region which includes the Western United States and Canada, Hawaiʻi Alaska and Guam. In 2011 Solano College faculty chose Jim as the Distinguished Faculty Member of the Year. In 2015, he became a finalist for the Award of Excellence for Faculty Innovation by the American Association of Community Colleges. In May, 2023 Jim was cited by Manufacturing USA, the oversight organization for the 16 Manufacturing Innovation Institutes including BioMADE, as a Modern Maker
Dr. David Blum
Alloy Therapeutics; (Recent) University of Georgia, Bioexpression and Fermentation Facility (BFF)
Dr. David Blum is the prior director of the Bioexpression and Fermentation Facility (BFF) and is now with Alloy Therapeutics. Dr. Blum received his Bachelor of Science and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Georgia. His graduate research under the direction of Dr. Lars G. Ljungdahl, focused on biochemical and genetic characterization of enzymes involved in the degradation of plant cell walls. After graduation, Dr. Blum joined Diversa Corporation where he continued his research on discovery and characterization of biomass degrading enzymes. While at Diversa, he was responsible for the direction of several sponsored research programs including one project concept that was awarded Phase I and Phase II SBIR funding from the Department of Energy. In addition, he was the original project manager leading research that resulted in the development of Diversa’s Luminase product line. After leaving Diversa, Dr. Blum joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center where his research focused on mammalian protein expression and antibody discovery, including novel technology to generate monoclonal antibodies from human peripheral blood. Dr. Blum has coauthored 15 peer-reviewed articles and has presented his work at national and international scientific meetings.
Dr. Angela Fa‘anunu
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Dr. Angela Fa‘anunu is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Tourism at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo where she teaches courses in Sustainable Agribusiness & Island Food Systems, Sustainable Tourism, Tourism Marketing & Management, International Travel and Tourism Policy, and business. She developed and maintains a Certificate of Sustainable Tourism in the College of Business & Economics. Angela’s research is in sustainable tourism planning, particularly in agriculture-, indigenous-, and culture-based tourism. Angela grew up in the remote island of Vava‘u, in the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific and received her higher education in the United States at Middlebury College, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her ability to operate within multiple worlds has shifted her current focus to developing indigenous and alternative frameworks for tourism and sustainability. She is influenced by her background in Urban and Regional Planning as a community and environmental planner. She continues to work with rural communities throughout the Hawaiian Islands to facilitate the management of their natural and cultural resources against the threats of tourism impacts while leveraging tourism for sustainable self-determination.
Dr. Johanna Anton
Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy
Dr. Johanna Anton currently teaches at Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA) in Waimea, Hawaii where she teaches AP Chemistry, Honors Chemistry and STEM-based Capstone classes. Johanna is currently a fellow and mentor teacher with the Aina Informatics genome science program and in 2023 received the Ellbogen Meritorious Teaching Award for her work in the classroom. Prior to teaching at HPA , Johanna taught biotechnology classes at City College San Francisco and was the Executive Director of the Bay Area Biotechnology Education Consortium. (BABEC). Under her leadership, BABEC received the "Educator of the Year Award" from BayBio (now the California Life Sciences Association). In addition to her career in education, Johanna has also worked at both large and small companies in the biotech industry including Cellana, a company focused on algal production and research in Kona, Hawaii where Johanna served as a Senior Vice President. Prior to her work at Cellana, Johanna worked at DuPont in various science and business leadership roles which included conducting basic research in the Materials from Biology Program, supporting customer manufacturing operations in technical service, managing a large customer service organization, and managing a 50-person engineering consulting group in particle and polymer science. Johanna has a B.S. from Rhodes College and a PhD in Polymer Science from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Dr. Yan Zhang
National Corn to Ethanol Research Center
Dr. Yan Zhang is the Director of Research/Associate Research Faculty at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, received her Ph.D in analytical chemistry from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. After graduation, she worked at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as an environmental chemist for a few years, Her career focus has been at NCERC to work on DDGS, the co-product from corn to ethanol processing, and on making cellulosic ethanol from various waste material including municipal solid waste, corn stover, hemp, orchard waste, etc.. She has led the NCERC research team to develop several proprietary processing on making cellulosic ethanol from corn kernel fiber and on using low-temperature low-cost pretreatment to convert waste material to fermentable sugars. She also spent five years working at a pharmaceutical company developing analytical methods, and helping with production trouble shooting and FDA submissions.
Dr. Nicholas Krueger
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Dr. Nicholas Krueger’s research interests include tropical grazing systems and management, forage production and soil-plant-animal relationships. He received a B.S. in Agriculture from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and a M.S. in Agronomy from the University of Florida. He is now an instructor at UH Hilo.
Peter Matlock, Engr.
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Peter Matlock, Engr. is the ALAKAʻI Principal Investigator and currently works for UH Hilo as their Bioeconomy Research & Commercialization Specialist and as a consultant to the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) to advance commercialization of renewable bio-products. His career in commercializing advanced life science technologies includes technology commercialization at JBEI, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Stanford University. He co-founded three cutting-edge companies: Ventria Biosciences (plant-based biomanufacturing of recombinant proteins), Viridis (pioneering metabolic pathway engineering of industrial chemicals), and Bioren (synthetic biology for antibody maturation, acquired by Pfizer). He also worked with start-ups to multinational corporations, including Calgene and Seminis. He has a B.A. from Swarthmore College and M.S. and Engineer's Degrees from Stanford University in Management Science and Engineering.
Register Today
2023 Mālama Honua: Indigenous Perspectives in Sustainability (Hilo)
We are now at capacity for the Kona conference. We regret we are no longer able to accept registrations. Thank you for your interest in both the conference and in your commitment to sustainable economies, healthy communities, and solving climate change.
For more information please email bioecon@hawaii.edu