TRAINING PROFESSIONALS IN BIORENEWABLE SYSTEMS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Our proposal aims to strengthen and modernize the Penn State BioRenewable Systems (BRS) program and position it as an innovative model program to train professionals for the U.S. bioeconomy. The BRSprogram at Penn State combines world-class education in sustainability, technology, science, and business to train a workforce capable of assuming leading roles in the growing agricultural and bioproducts industries.The rapidly growing bioeconomy has a need for diverse professionals with a holistic view of the agricultural and bioproducts sectors, and the BRS program has the potential to become a model program to train those professionals. We propose a set of innovative approaches that will strengthen the institutional capacities of the BRS program, while increasing student diversity, and preparing our graduates to be future leaders in the agricultural and bioproducts industries. Our approach will support the multidisciplinary education of our BRS students at the undergraduate and master's level and will provide a framework that can be replicated in other institutions.Our project supports the HEC Program goals since it strengthens educational capacity of the BRS program through curriculum development and student recruitment and retention, responds to the National need of professionals for the bioeconomy, attracts and supports students to follow careers in the food and agricultural sciences, increases the number and diversity of students pursuing BRS degrees, and enhances the quality of instruction in the BRS B.S. and M.S programs to meet the current and future workforce needs of the bioeconomy.