Scene from last Sunday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
The Stony Brook women’s basketball team (16-9, 10-4 CAA) dominated the UNCW Seahawks (4-21, 1-13 CAA), 64-46, in Wilmington, NC on Feb. 19.
The Seawolves were led by three student-athletes who scored in double digits. Senior guard Gigi Gonzalez led the way with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor and 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range.
Sophomore forward Sherese Pittman dropped 18 points and tied a team-high with nine rebounds on the afternoon. Pittman shot 6-of-15 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Graduate guard Annastasia Warren added 11 points and four rebounds. She shot an efficient 4-of-8 from the field in the win.
It took Stony Brook a little more than a quarter to find its groove. UNCW held a 14-11 lead after the first frame, but the Seawolves exploded for a 21-point second quarter as a team.
With about 8:30 remaining in the first half, Gonzalez drove down the right side of the lane and dished off to Pittman, who fought through contact and finished a tough layup to give Stony Brook a 15-14 lead.
The Seawolves began to control the remainder of the game, after outscoring UNCW, 21-8, in the second frame. The squad led 32-22 at the break.
Stony Brook came out strong to start the second half, going on a 11-0 run. About 1:30 into the third quarter, graduate guard Daishai Almond dumped off a no-look bounce pass to Pittman who finished the layup. The play gave the Seawolves a 14-point lead.
After trailing going into the second quarter, the Seawolves dominated for the remainder of the game and picked up their third-straight win and a season sweep of the Seahawks.
“Proud of our team for closing out the weekend with another win. I thought we executed defensively and rebounded the ball well. Wins are hard in February and especially on the road. Glad to be going home 2-0,” said head coach Ashley Langford.
The team will return to Island Federal Arena to take on the Hampton Pirates on Friday, Feb. 24. Tip-off is set for 6:31 p.m. and the game will be broadcast
Following a competitive national search, Andrew Singer, PhD has been appointed Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) at Stony Brook University, effective July 3, 2023. Singer will come to Stony Brook from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. While there, he has held a number of administrative and service positions, with activities focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, capital building projects, new degree development, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“Stony Brook’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences has quickly become one of the most exciting drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship across the state. Andy’s compelling leadership experiences and vision are a perfect combination to accelerate the trajectory of growth and excellence of CEAS,” said Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis.
“Andy’s experience is an ideal match for CEAS at Stony Brook. Throughout our search process, he demonstrated a deep understanding of the opportunities and needs for CEAS to grow as a nationally renowned hub of excellence and innovation,” said Carl Lejuez, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “I look forward to partnering with him and our extremely talented faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the college to implement his vision.”
Currently, Singer serves as Associate Dean for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In this role, he oversees activities of the college’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, including the Technology Entrepreneur Center, Innovation Living Learning Center, and the cross-disciplinary Innovation, Leadership, and Engineering Entrepreneurship (ILEE) degree program. He also advises the dean on matters related to innovation, translational research, and entrepreneurship. Illinois’ Grainger College of Engineering enrolls more than 16,500 students, with more than 600 faculty members, and 40 degree programs ranked in the top 10.
Singer has led large-scale administrative and research efforts, including serving as Co-PI and associate director for the Systems on Nanoscale Information Fabrics, a $35 million research center across 10 universities and 10 sponsors. He also played a leadership role in securing a $50 million gift for the Siebel Center for Design at Illinois, and oversaw the development and construction of the center as chair of a campus faculty committee. He has worked extensively to broaden participation across Illinois’ innovation ecosystem, including development of the Advancing Women And under-Represented Entrepreneurs (AWARE) program, which helps launch Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) teams led by women and researchers underrepresented in the university’s ecosystem.
He is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of statistical signal processing and communication systems, having won numerous awards for his research and is a fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). An accomplished entrepreneur, he co-founded two companies in the areas of optical communications and underwater acoustic communication systems, and he has served frequently as a consultant and expert witness for the communications, audio, and sensing industries. Singer holds the Fox Family Professorship, one of only 18 university and campus-wide endowed positions on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.
“I’m excited by the opportunity to serve as Dean and to lead in the expansion of the educational, research, and innovation activities of another great institution and flagship university. This is a momentous time in history, with the state of New York and the nation investing deeply in our future,” Singer said. “As a leader in social mobility, Stony Brook University has had a tremendous impact on the lives of the students and the economy in the region and will continue to lead in developing the diverse and inclusive engineering teams and leaders needed for this next exciting chapter of American engineering innovation.”
Singer earned a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Singer will succeed Jon Longtin, PhD, who has been serving as interim dean since June 2021. Longtin has led several endeavors for the college, including launching a new graduate program in Data Science, increasing overall research expenditures and research expenditures per faculty in CEAS by 40%, partnering to secure funding for a $100 million multi-disciplinary engineering building, and leading CEAS’s contributions to Stony Brook’s bid for the Governors Island Center for Climate Solutions.
Dr. Bettina Fries. Photo by Jeanne Neville/Stony Brook Medicine
Bettina Fries, MD, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Professor of Medicine, and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, has been named a 2022 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
The AAAS is dedicated to elevating the quality of science and technology across the world for the benefit of humankind, and its fellows represent members of the association who have made exceptional contributions to that mission.
Dr. Fries is a nationally recognized physician-scientist who specializes in mycology and also conducts research of antibodies in relation tovaccine development. Under her leadership, the Division of Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook has greatly expanded and rose to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic and lead clinical care and research throughout the pandemic and its changing circumstances.
From expanding clinical and basic research and improving patient care to allocating essential resources and protecting health care providers, Dr. Fries’ work in healthcare and infectious disease researchhas impacted both Stony Brook and other institutions.
In addition to her appointment as an AAAS fellow, the East Setauket resident is also a fellow of the Academy of Microbiology of America, a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society, and a fellow of the American College of Physicians. She has served as President of the Medical Mycological Society of the Americas, and the Infectious Diseases Society of New York.
Dr Fries’ work spans a wide range of disciplines, but her research chiefly investigates the pathogenesis of chronic fungal infections and the development of monoclonal antibodies against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Bettina Fries was one of TBR News Media’s 2022 People of the Year.
#32 Keenan Fitzmorris helped lead his team to victory on Saturday. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
The Stony Brook men’s basketball team (9-17, 5-8 CAA) secured a 69-59 come from behind victory over North Carolina A&T (12-15, 7-7 CAA) on Feb. 11 in front of the faithful at Island Federal Arena.
Stony Brook’s offense was paced by four student-athletes who tallied double figures for the team. Leading the way for the Seawolves were graduate center Keenan Fitzmorris and senior guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore scoring 14 points each. Graduate forward Frankie Policelli scored 12 points and hauled in a team-high 11 rebounds. He tallied his team-leading tenth double-double of the season. Junior Tanahj Pettway contributed 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in the victory for Stony Brook.
After falling behind, 23-10, with just over nine minutes left in the first half, the Seawolves stormed back on a 13-2 run over the next five minutes to cut the deficit to just two points. The Stony Brook big men led the charge for the team, as Fitzmorris and freshman Leon Nahar combined for eight of the 13 points.
Following an Aggie three pointer that gave North Carolina A&T a five point lead with 5:15 left in the half, the Seawolves went on an 11-3 run to end the half and give the squad a 34-31 lead. Pettway provided the energy for the squad after a block on the defensive end that led to a Fitzmorris dunk which tied the contest at 28-28 with 2:52 left. Freshman guard Toby Onyekonwu and sophomore guard Kaine Roberts drilled back-to-back three pointers, giving Stony Brook the three point lead heading into the break.
Carl Mills, assistant vice president for government relations at SBU, above in tie, met with the members of the Three Village Civic Association. Photo by George Hoffman
Three Village Civic Association meeting attendees received news Feb. 6 on recent developments at Stony Brook University.
Carl Mills, assistant vice president for government relations at SBU, answers questions from members of the Three Village Civic Association. Photo by George Hoffman
Carl Mills, assistant vice president for government relations at SBU, was on hand for the meeting to provide university updates, answer questions and receive feedback from members.
Mills said it was important for the university to have a dialogue with the civic association, calling them “the voice of the community.”
He added, “From the president on down, it’s very important for us to be good neighbors and to really be a strong beacon for the community.”
Local improvements and developments
Mills informed the group that the federal government approved a grant for a pedestrian bridge that will be constructed over Nicholls Road. It would enable pedestrians to safely walk from the university’s main entrance to the hospital side and back again. Separate funds will also be used for safety and structural improvementsfor an existing underpass that Mills said many pedestrians don’t use because it’s further south on campus and, instead, cross the main intersection. The pedestrian bridge, with provision for cyclists, is currently in the process stage.
In April, the new Stony Brook Medicine Lake Grove facility at the Smith Haven Mall will open. He said the facility will be similar to the 500 Commack Road location in Commack. After the current roadwork by the state along Route 347, traffic concerns are not anticipated.
He said legislation passed both houses in the state Legislature last year to make Flax Pond in Old Field an estuary, but Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) asked for revisions and Mills said the bill will have to pass both houses again. The Flax Pond Marine Laboratory is operated for research purposes by SBU’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. The laboratory building and the Flax Pond Tidal Wetland Area are owned by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Bill A10187, sponsored by former State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) and state Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James), establishes the tidal wetland area as a sanctuary. Initially, the intent was to amend the navigation laws to prohibit the use of motorboats within Flax Pond. Mills said with the revisions, motorboats up to 10 horsepower and certain hunting will be allowed. However, jet skiing will be prohibited as well as commercial fishing, hunting and trapping.
In conjunction with Englebright, university officials have been working to clean up and improve a parcel of land at the end of Dogwood Drive that SBU owns, near the house of 19th-century painter William Sidney Mount. Within that parcel is 635 square feet of land that belongs to a woman, who until recently, didn’t realize she owned it. The land is a gravesite where it is believed slaves and Native Americans are buried. Two of the gravestones are at the Long Island Museum and grave markers stand in their place
Englebright, who was in attendance for the civic meeting, said one gravestone is significant as a fiddle is carved into it.
“It’s also unique to have an apparent slave given this much dignity,” he said.
Many of Mount’s paintings featured musicians, including those who were enslaved.
SBU is working to acquire the property with the gravestones and also contact homeowners who have encroached on the parcel. The hope, Mills said, is to produce a documentary or podcasts about the people buried at the site.
“We’re not going to exhume the bodies but make sure that they’re protected and dignified,” he said.
State matters
SBU is one of the State University of New York’s flagship schools, along with the University at Buffalo.
“We have felt we’ve been for a long time, but that designation has profound impacts on where we can go and really what we can bring back to the local community,” Mills said.
U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Colleges publication rated SBU as No. 77 nationally and No. 31 among public universities.
While SBU tuition has been flat since 2019, and it’s one of the lowest in the country, Mills said Hochul has proposed a 3% tuition increase in SUNY schools and then up to 6% for University at Albany, Binghamton University, Buffalo and SBU.
“But we look at that in the context of the fact that we have not gotten an increase in operating aid since 2012,” he said. “Since 2012, the state has funded us at the same amount to keep the lights on, to pay salaries, when all of those costs, as we all know, will increase each year.”
Last year, SBU received state capital funding due to being designated as a flagship. A new engineering building will be constructed from $100 million of funding and another $25 million will be used for a neuroAI facility that will be part of the engineering building.
“One of the big determinants of whether you’re successful as a higher education institution is how much federal research dollars you can bring in,” he said. “Stony Brook by far has the most research dollars of any SUNY campus, even more so than Buffalo, but our facilities, many of them are very, very outdated.”
He gave the example of the 1960s chemistry building where specific lab/spaces in particular need to be brought up to best practices and codes.
He said Hochul’s affordable housing proposal, which includes increasing multi-home developments by transit hubs, would affect the university the same as the community.
In her State of the State message in January, Hochul proposed a housing strategy calling for 800,000 new homes to be built in the state over the course of a decade to address the lack of affordable housing. Among the plan’s requirements would be municipalities with Metropolitan Transportation Authority railroad stations to rezone to make way for higher-density residential development. All downstate cities, towns and villages served by the MTA would have a new home creation target over three years of 3%, compared to upstate counties that would need to build 1% more new homes over the same period.
“With Stony Brook train station there’s not a lot of room, but how that plays out, will be very important to the issues that you guys care about but also for us,” he said.
Concerns by local town supervisors of planning controls possibly being taken out of their hands were noted by the audience.
Mills added, “Off-campus housing is a challenge not just for the university faculty or for students, I’m sure for you in the community to find affordable housing as well.”
#22 Kenan Sarvan at Saturday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
The Stony Brook men’s basketball team (8-16, 4-7 CAA) found itself tied, 20-20, with the Hofstra Pride (17-8, 10-2 CAA), but could not keep pace with its Long Island rival on Feb 4 at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex in Hempstead.
With about eight minutes remaining in the first half, freshman guard Toby Onyekonwu found graduate center Keenan Fitzmorris open in the paint and Fitzmorris slammed home a deuce to tie the game, 20-20.
Onyekonwu had one of the best performances of his career, despite the loss. He finished with a career-high 15 points, tied his career-high with six assists, and added five rebounds. The freshman started and played in 39 minutes.
Junior forward Kenan Sarvan had one of his better games of the season too. He finished with 14 points, his first time scoring in double figures since he scored 12 against Towson on Jan. 7 and his most points since scoring 16 against Sacred Heart on Dec. 12.
Sarvan nailed four three pointers in the game, his most since Jan. 7.
Despite Hofstra being without the reigning CAA Player of the Year in Aaron Estrada, Stony Brook struggled to keep pace with the Pride. Hofstra redshirt senior guard Tyler Thomas dropped a season-high 29 points, including 13 points in the second half. Thomas shot 13-of-17 from the field and grabbed 11 boards in the win.
The Seawolves and Pride will meet for the second ‘Battle of Long Island’ this season on Feb. 18 in Stony Brook.
“We did some good things; obviously not the result we wanted but I thought we battled tonight. Tyler Thomas had the game of his life and we were unable to defend him. I thought he used his size on the perimeter and shot over the top of us easily all night. Toby has strung some good games together which has helped, but clearly we have some depth issues right now,” said head coach Geno Ford.
#24 Daishai Almond at Sunday afternoon's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
The Stony Brook women’s basketball team (13-8, 7-3 CAA) was narrowly edged by Drexel (17-5, 9-2 CAA), 66-65, in a thriller at Island Federal Arena on Feb. 5. The Seawolves and Dragons battled back-and-forth down the stretch with the lead changing hands four times over the final 2:11 of the game.
Ultimately, Drexel took the final lead of the game with 27 seconds to play when graduate guard Keishana Washington connected on a jumper that put the Dragons ahead by what would be the final score, 66-65. Washington, the nation’s third leading scorer recorded 40 points en route to the win for the Dragons.
The Seawolves were paced by the trio of sophomore forward Sherese Pittman, graduate guard Daishai Almond, and junior guard Shamarla King who all scored in double figures. Pittman led Stony Brook as she recorded a near double-double with a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds.
Stony Brook used a big second quarter to take a 37-34 lead at the halftime break. The Seawolves outscored the Dragons, 22-15, in the second quarter and used a 12-2 run to close the frame. Pittman fueled Stony Brook over the first 20 minutes of the contest as she scored 15 of here 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in the first half.
The Seawolves locked in defensively in the third quarter as they limited Drexel to 10 points on 4-of-18 shooting (22.2%) and took a 49-44 lead into the fourth.
The final quarter of action featured a thrilling back-and-forth finish, with the Dragons coming away with the upper hand. With 2:11 to play senior guard Gigi Gonzalez drilled a jump shot to put the Seawolves out in front, 63-62.
After the Dragons and Seawolves traded possessions, Washington put Drexel back in the driver’s seat, 64-63, with 49 seconds to play. Pittman came through in the clutch for Stony Brook as she knocked down a pair of crucial free-throws with 31 seconds to go to put the Seawolves back up 65-64. Washington’s final bucket with 27 seconds remaining in the game proved to be the game-winner.
Next up, the team hits the road for a mid-week matchup with Northeastern on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. The meeting between the Seawolves and Huskies marks the first for the teams since December 6, 2008. Stony Brook is 5-5 all-time against Northeastern.
#2 Frankie Policelli takes a shot during Saturday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
The Stony Brook men’s basketball team (8-14, 4-5 CAA), led by a second half explosion from graduate forward Frankie Policelli, stormed past the Hampton Pirates (5-17, 2-8 CAA) on Jan. 28 at the Convocation Center in Hampton, VA to pick up a 71-66 victory.
Policelli scored a career-high 34 points, shooting 11-of-20 from the floor and 12-of-14 from the free-throw line. The New Hartford, New York, native exploded for 31 points in the final 20 minutes, shooting 11-of-16 from the field and 9-of-10 from the line in the second stanza.
Policelli also hauled in 12 rebounds, giving him his team-leading eighth double-double of the season.
The Seawolves trailed the Pirates, 37-30, at halftime and used a second half comeback to upend Hampton. Stony Brook began the frame on a 12-4 run to regain the lead and backed by Policelli they never looked back.
Policelli fooled Hampton freshman forward Kyrese Martin with his pump fake and step-through move that gave the Seawolves the lead with less than 14 minutes remaining. At that point, Policelli had scored 10 points in the half. The graduate helped maintain control of the lead and continued to build on it. He also got help from freshman forward Leon Nahar, who splashed the second three-pointer of his career.
The Seawolves opened the second half on a 27-9 run and built a lead of up to 13 points, at 65-52. Policelli exploded in the second half scoring 31 of the Seawolves’ 41 points. The team shot 55.6 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line in the second stanza.
With the victory, Stony Brook picked up its fourth conference win of the season.
“Great team win for us. I couldn’t be prouder of how we competed and found a way to win tonight. A lot of guys made huge plays and were factors in the game, but Frankie’s second half is the best 20 minutes of offensive basketball I’ve been a part of. Our guys are competing and battling as hard as they can,” said head coach Geno Ford.
#15 Sharmarla King eyes the basket during Sunday's game.
Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
The Stony Brook women’s basketball team (13-7, 7-2 CAA) moved into a tie for second-place in the CAA, after sprinting past the Towson Tigers (12-8, 6-3 CAA), 83-66, at Island Federal Arena on Jan. 29.
The Seawolves were led by three student-athletes, who each scored 20+ points. Junior guard Shamarla King, sophomore forward Sherese Pittman, and senior guard Gigi Gonzalez all dropped 20 or more points in the game.
Stony Brook and Towson played a very tight game throughout the entire first half and most of the third quarter, until the Seawolves regained control and never looked back.
With just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, King nailed a huge three-pointer, off an assist from graduate guard Daishai Almond, to tie the game at 52-52. King’s three sparked the Seawolves on both ends of the floor. King erupted for a career-high 22 points and she hauled in 10 rebounds. It was her first-career double-double and she set career-highs with eight field goals made and four threes made.
On the following possession, Almond stole the ball and drove all the way to the basket to finish the layup in transition. It gave Stony Brook a two-point lead. After another stop defensively, Gonzalez turned on the jets and sprinted to the basket where she finished a layup and drew a foul in the process.She would complete the three-point play and Stony Brook led 57-52, going on a 8-0 run.
Gonzalez exploded for 14 points in the third quarter and totaled 18 points in the second half. The point guard finished the game with one of her most complete stat lines of the season. She dropped 20 points (7-of-13 from the floor, 5-of-5 from the free-throw line) and added seven assists and six rebounds.
Stony Brook led 57-54 at the end of the third frame and maintained its lead the rest of the way with a stifling defensive attack and contagious scoring on the offensive end.
Stony Brook forced Towson into multiple scoring droughts of over two minutes, which allowed the Seawolves to go on a 7-0 run and 8-0 run in the final quarter. The Seawolves outscored the Tigers, 26-12, in the fourth quarter. The Seawolves snapped Towson’s six-game winning streak and have now won nine of their last 11 games.
Next up, the team will remain home to take on the Drexel Dragons on Feb. 5. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on SNY and FloHoops.
From left, Darren Martin and Benjamin Hsiao during a visit to Ram’s Head Inn on Shelter Island. Photo from Darren Martin
By Daniel Dunaief
One person’s garbage is another’s treasure.
Benjamin Hsiao
Benjamin Hsiao has plans to convert garbage — from dog poop to food waste and even cardboard boxes — into the kind of low cost materials and fertilizers that can help combat climate change. His primary target is agricultural residues because of their volume and collectability.
A Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Stony Brook University, Hsiao and collaborator Darren Martin at the University of Queensland in Australia recently were awarded one of 16 multidisciplinary grants totaling $11.4 million from the National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator program.
Hsiao, who is the primary investigator, will receive $570,000 over the next nine months in Phase I of the research effort while Martin will collect $180,000 from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia.
The researchers plan to take a zero waste approach to create a circular system that will generate efficiencies, reduce pollution and combat climate change.
The research is focused on creating immediate solutions for current problems, Hsiao said.
The NSF received “many quality submissions” and chose the winners after a rigorous review process, the NSF said.
The proposal from Hsiao and Martin stood out as it is “based on strong science” and make a clear connection to climate change,” NSF officials said.
Hsiao and Martin were delighted with the award and the opportunity not only to make contributions through their own research, but also to work with some of the other recipients.
“I am so pleased on many counts,” Martin explained in an email from Australia. First, Martin and Hsiao, who met at a conference in 2014, followed through on long standing plans to work together. Second, this program, which the NSF started in 2019, is about “early engagement with the market to get feedback on new technologies and platforms.”
Martin suggested it was akin to a “business model boot camp” that includes support and opportunities to pressure test ideas early. “This approach could really accelerate and compress the number of years traditionally taken to see helpful new technologies out in society sooner.”
If they are successful and effective, the scientists can apply for competitive Phase II funding within the year, which includes $5 million for two years and which four or five of the Phase I recipients, who are from a host of A-list research institutions, will receive.
Solids and liquids
Hsiao has been working with solid plant-based waste to create filters that can purify water at a low cost since 2009.
“Nanoscale cellulose materials can be used for water purification,” said Hsiao.
The needles of plants, from shrubs to bushes to feedstock, all have the same cellulosic nanostructure. Hsiao’s technology can convert these different feedstock into similar carboxy-cellulose nanofibers that can be used as purifying agents with negative charge. These filters can remove oppositely charged impurities.
Additionally, Hsiao plans to use solid plant based biomass to create a biogel. Rich in nutrients, the biogel is like the naturally occurring residue that is at the bottom of streams, which is a nutrient-rich mix of dead trees and grass.
The biogel, which is also funded by the NSF, has three applications. First, it can replace soil to grow food or for seed germination, which could be useful to grow food in space. It can also reduce the impact of drought.
Second, it can make a farm more resistant to drought because the material in biogel retains water for a longer period of time and amid drier conditions.
Third, the biogel can induce vegetation or plant growth in drier or sandier areas. Such growth, which could occur along the shoreline of Long Island, could help reduce erosion, Hsiao said. The biogel can also reduce desertification.
Martin explained that Stony Brook University and the University of Queensland have two different biogel platforms that they may hybridize.
Hsiao’s team is “very strong in the chemistry and physical chemistry side,” Martin wrote. “Being based in a Chemical Engineering School, we have been pretty good over the years at finding the most efficient, cost-effective ways to manufacture bio-based materials and composites at scale.”
Fertilizer
Building and expanding on this work, Hsiao is focusing on the liquid waste from biomass as well.
“With the new thinking, we have a circular design,” he said.
Using a nitric acid treatment that is similar to composting and that removes human pathogens, liquid biomass can become an effective fertilizer, which sanitizes animal and human waste.
Nitric acid also releases the existing nutrients in feedstock, which provides more nitrogen and phosphorous to help plants grow.
The ideal treatment would involve providing a controlled amount of fertilizer each day, Hsiao explained.
Farmers, however, can’t put that kind of time and resources into spraying their fields. Instead, they spray a fertilizer that becomes run off when it rains. Artificial intelligence and robots can deploy fertilizer in a more cost effective manner.
The nitrogen from the run off winds up in streams and other water bodies, where it can cause a process called eutrophication, leading to the kind of algal blooms that rob oxygen of water, making it more difficult for desirable marine life to survive and close beaches to swimming.
By using an efficient process for producing fertilizer that includes taking the inedible parts of plants, and making them a part of the circular process, run off could decrease by “half or even more,” Hsiao said.
Martin added that he and Hsiao have, in the back of their minds, a plan to create scalable fertilizer for single family farms in developed and developing nations.
“Our modeling may indeed show that ‘distributed manufacturing’ of the biogels from agricultural residues using a ‘mobile factory placed on the farm’ may be the smartest way to get there,” Martin explained. “This is exactly the sort of question the Convergence Accelerator is designed to test.”
Martin said that he hopes this technology lead to an array of jobs that support farming under a variety of circumstances.
Sorghum, which is one of his favorite crops, is ultra resilient and is of increasing global importance. Its ability to withstand environmental stress and thrive on low input marginal farmland make it the ‘golden crop of the future,’ Martin added.
This crop makes it an “attractive option to transform infertile land into profitable agrivoltaic farms supplying raw materials for emerging non-foo markets such as these biogels,” Martin wrote.
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