Biobased feedstock industry and research leaders honor University of Tennessee Executive Vice President
VONORE, Tenn. Sept. 25, 2015 – Standing amid more than a dozen types of biomass energy crops towering over a unique energy garden, a local research and education leader, Dr. David E. Millhorn, was honored for his contributions to building a renewable, bio-based economy in Tennessee. The dedication ceremony for the Dr. David E. Millhorn Energy Garden took place at the Biomass Innovation Park in Vonore, Tennessee on September 25. Attending the event were representatives from the University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, Genera Energy Inc., TennEra LLC, and many others who have benefited from Dr. Millhorn’s leadership. Genera Energy Inc., a recognized leader in biomass feedstock innovation, organized and hosted the event.
Dr. Millhorn is Executive Vice President for the University of Tennessee System and president of the UT Research Foundation. His work has included over 250 published articles in scientific journals, along with teaching, research and leadership roles in the biotech sector. He has created strong research and development initiatives in renewable energy working alongside the Governor’s Office.
“David Millhorn has developed key research partnerships with industry leaders and world-class scientists that will have a transformational impact on the University and benefit Tennesseans for generations,” said University of Tennessee System President Joe DiPietro.
Genera Energy CEO Kelly Tiller thanked Dr. Millhorn for his facilitation of bio-based energy partnerships, in particular.
“We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Millhorn for his visionary leadership and passion for bio-based energy over the past decade,” Tiller said. “He has established a strong foundation for growing a bio-based economy. The perennial energy crops established in the David E. Millhorn Energy Garden are a present reminder of the new ground he plowed, the wide variety of seeds he planted, his constant tending during critical periods of emerging growth, and the potential heights that can be reached as a result of his hard work.”
Dr. Millhorn’s leadership has led to the investment of over $250 million of federal, state, and private funds into the bioeconomy in Tennessee. His work at UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory has rapidly accelerated progress in the science of renewable energy. Dr. Millhorn also played a key role in the development of the UT Biofuels Initiative and the subsequent creation of private companies like TennEra LLC and Genera Energy Inc. Additionally, the Tennessee Solar Institute was developed under his guidance and more recently, the launch of the new Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation. His leadership has created a strong foundation that has enabled remarkable advancements in scientific knowledge and in rural economic development in Tennessee.
The Energy Garden is part of the Biomass Innovation Park that showcases research and demonstration test plots of multiple varieties of switchgrass, miscanthus, biomass sorghum, sweet sorghum, short rotation hybrid poplar, willow, arundo donax, and other crops from leading biotech companies.
For more information on Genera’s Biomass Innovation Park, visit https://generainc.com/about/facilities.
About Genera Energy, Inc.
Genera Energy Inc. supplies biomass feedstocks for the advanced bio-based industries, offering scalable industrial scale agriculture biomass supply solutions ranging from full service energy crop production to customizable supply chain solutions and managing biomass supply. Genera’s proprietary Supply ASSURE® feedstock management system and its BIN-SPEC® material handling and milling system offer Genera’s customers maximum feedstock reliability and quality while minimizing variability and cost. Based in Vonore, Tenn., Genera operates the country’s largest and most comprehensive industrial biomass management and processing facility. Focus on innovation and sustainability in delivering industrial biomass supply systems has earned Genera the World’s Biofuels Market’s prestigious 2013 Sustainable Feedstock Innovation Award. For more information, visit https://generainc.com.
About The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
A member of the statewide University of Tennessee system, the UT Institute of Agriculture provides instruction, research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch with its 10 research and education centers and UT Extension offices in every county of the state. http://ag.tennessee.edu.
