Initiated in 2008, the Raphael Katzen Award recognizes individuals who have made distinguished contributions to enable and further the deployment and commercialization of biotechnology to produce fuels and chemicals from renewable resources. This award is named in honor of Dr. Raphael Katzen, a pioneer in scaling up and commercializing technologies for converting renewable feedstocks into fuels and chemicals. Since the 1940s, when he first began working on converting wood waste to ethanol, Dr. Katzen played a major role in developing and improving corn dry milling technologies and in continuing to advance the commercialization of lignocellulose conversion technologies.

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The Raphael Katzen Award is presented at the Symposium on Biomaterials, Fuels, and Chemicals. The nominee must have made substantial contributions to the development of commercial biotechnology for the production of fuels and chemicals from renewable resources. These contributions should be of exceptional merit, reflecting significant advancements in technology or commercial practices leading toward implementation. Activities such as fundamental research, publications, journal editing, organizing and chairing conferences, and serving scientific societies in official capacities may be considered, but the most important factor in selecting an awardee will be accomplishments in commercialization. The recipient of the Raphael Katzen Award will receive a plaque and complimentary registration for three successive annual meetings of the Symposium. To read the full article, click here