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OSU Biodiesel Initiative - About Us

The OSU Biodiesel Initiative is composed of students, faculty, and community members. We have members of all ages, and diverse backgrounds. We are currently focused on achieving the use of Biodiesel on the OSU Campus for all diesel functions and aiding others in the local community extending throughout Oregon and the world toward their goals and aspirations with Biodiesel. We have interacted with individuals working toward sustainable fuels around the world, and are happy to communicate with anyone we can aid. Since we are composed of a population from OSU, we have individuals with expertise in many fields in our group. Just a few examples: Anthropology, Biology, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Agriculture are all fields of study for active members.

Click here for a list of some of the events our group participated in.

Our Partners (groups and organizations)

Partnerships

Philomath High School - Students and faculty from Philomath High School have been involved with the OSU Biodiesel Initiative since September 2004. Students have researched and performed gas chromatography which will be important for evaluating fuel quality. PHS students in the "Future Business Leaders" program wrote a business plan for a commercial processing facility based on a design by Biodiesel Initiative engineering students. PHS students plan to undertake a community survey regarding perceptions of biodiesel over the next few months.

Corvallis Biodiesel Cooperative - Grassroots innovators for biodiesel production, distribution, and use in Corvallis. Provided and delivered biodiesel for shuttle demonstration project and offered frequent technical support from founding member Justin Soares' extensive experience in the biodiesel business.

Sequential Biofuels - major distributor for commercial biodiesel throughout the state of Oregon; have provided information and expertise valuable to the project; potential investor in local commercial processing facility

OSU Campus Recycling - Offered to pick up waste vegetable oil from campus dining facilities in exchange for fuel produced by the Initiative. Offered committed Initiative members internship stipends and project funds for working toward sustainability.

Crescent Valley High School - Student team researched the effects of biodiesel on fuel line hoses to provide experimental data regarding biodiesel safety concerns

OSU Sustainability Group - publicized Initiative events and accomplishments through extensive e-mail listserv network. Hosted panel discussion on biodiesel in October 2004 involving major regional players, which was of great benefit for collecting information and establishing partnerships.

Corvallis Environmental Center - Invited Initiative to participate in a tabling event for an environmental film series in February and to participate in 2005 Corvallis Earth Faire on April 23

Oregon State University Parking Services - Owners of OSU courtesy shuttles, allowed shuttle to be used in biodiesel demonstration and willing to continue use of biodiesel in the future

Laidlaw Bus Services - Provides drivers, fuel and maintenance services for OSU shuttles; agreed to store barrels of biodiesel at their depot and hand pump the fuel into the shuttle to produce a B50 blend (licensed expertise required to legally pump fuel in the state of Oregon so only Laidlaw employees can accomplish this task); willing to continue extra work of hand-pumping fuel as long as Initiative wants to provide the biodiesel fuel

City of Corvallis - Uses B20 in maintenance vehicles and willing to share experiences with biodiesel use in large transport vehicles; have a policy of promoting sustainability and highly supportive of biodiesel use, lacking only proper funding to use it in all city vehicles

City of Philomath - In favor of Initiative's plan to use new Philomath Business Enterprise Center industrial park space for a large-scale commercial biodiesel processing plant.

Philomath Business Enterprise Center - Will contact us if opportunities arise. Concept of including biodiesel production facility and gas pump plan has support of Board and Industrial Park owner. Offered assistance to Philomath High School Future Business Leaders of America research project

Oregon State Legislature - In January, the club's advisor Dr. Hackleman spoke to the state legislature's Committee on Agriculture about the potential for biodiesel in Oregon. Several Initiative members attended in support. In March biodiesel incentive bills were introduced and Initiative members joined other biofuels supporters to lobby in favor of the bills

Oregon Biofuels Network - formed by Oregon Environmental Council in response to state-wide interest in biofuels; coordinated biofuels lobby day and invited OSU Biodiesel Initiative to make special presentation which brought group greater exposure and fostered new partnerships

Dr. Jan Auyong, Director of Oregon Sun Grant Program - highly supportive of the Initiative, interested in leveraging funding to the group as soon as federal funding for the new program comes through

Corvallis Social Change Conference - invited Initiative members to give public outreach presentation

Oregon State University Austin Entrepreneurship Program - invited faculty advisor to give presentation on the entrepreneurial potential of biodiesel in the region; supportive of sustainability; expressed interest in working with Initiative and lending expertise in creating business plan for commercial processing facility

OSU Center for Water and Environmental Sustainability - provided finding for an Initiative member to attend the Education for Sustainability West conference in October 2004; publicized Initiative's awarding of P3 grant in university newsletter

Bill Ford - founding partner of Harvest Moon LLC who would like to provide mobile crushing for oil and livestock feed production; represented the Benton Economic Cooperative at our early meetings in 2003-2004. Provided the opportunity to discuss the OSU Biodiesel Initiative with the Corvallis Economic Vitality Partnership for future partnership possibilities; used connection with Oregon Senator Frank Morse to leverage his support of biofuel legislation at lobby day

Hewlett-Packard Sustainability Network - invited faculty advisor and Initiative members to give a presentation before a large and receptive audience; interested in donating member time and expertise to assist Initiative on technology-related issues; possible source of monetary donations and networking with potential investors

Marys Peak Natural Resources Interpretive Center Board of Directors: Feel that when sustainability-themed outreach center is ready (currently under construction) biodiesel education displays could be appropriate.

OSU Organic Growers Club: has been a strong ally in providing publicity for Initiative at various sustainability-themed events and linking us with other key players; has shared knowledge and expertise on organic farming practices; has expressed interest in growing test plots of oil seed crops and using biodiesel in farm equipment, so a stronger partnership, like that with campus recycling, will be forged in the near future.

OSU Departments:

Chemical Engineering - provided faculty advisor, space and fume hood construction for campus biodiesel processing facility; nucleus of Initiative research

Crop and Soil Science - OSU Biodiesel Initiative advisor gave a presentation on biodiesel for a seminar series on bioenergy in Oregon; have provided information and expertise on agricultural aspects of biodiesel production; arrangements underway to provide biodiesel fuel for departmental farm equipment and acquire land to use for oil seed crop test plots.

Anthropology: Research of mid-Willamette Valley growers' values and concerns regarding local production of canola

Food Science and Technology - donated time and expertise on supercritical machine for research project on high-pressure non-catalytic biodiesel process; secured donations of canola oil and methanol for campus biodiesel production

Cellular and Molecular Biology - provided student researching enzymatic biodiesel production with necessary equipment and supplied