Biobased Industry Outlook Conference
August 29-30, 2005
Iowa State University - Ames, IA
John Verkade
John Verkade, professor in the Department of Chemistry at Iowa State University, is currently working with a team of researchers to develop a process for a more efficient catalytic method for transesterifying soybean oil to biodiesel than is currently commercially available. His research team also discovered a very efficient method for converting soybean oil to a high-grade biodegradable drying oil for alkyd resins and inks. Additionally, the team recently developed a powerful and recyclable catalyst for many important reactions carried out in the fine chemicals and pharmaceutical industries.
During his 45 years at Iowa State University, Verkade has won numerous awards. Among those is the Harry and Carol Mosher Award, a national award for contributions in research, teaching, and service to the chemistry profession sponsored by the American Chemical Society's Santa Clara Valley Section. Verkade and one of his graduate students won the BFGoodrich Collegiate Inventors Program Award, an award sponsored by the BFGoodrich Foundation to foster creative invention and technology transfer in university research groups. He received his B.S. with high honors from the University of Illinois, his A.M. from Harvard, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.
