BIO: Prior to joining Novozymes, Kurt held several positions with NC State University (NCSU), beginning with Assistant Director of the Office of Technology Transfer, where he was responsible for managing university intellectual property and commercializing university inventions.  He later joined the North Carolina Solar Center at NCSU, managing projects in the areas of biomass energy and the production of biofuels.  On behalf of the NC State Energy Office, Kurt organized the North Carolina Biomass Council to promote economic development, a reduction in greenhouse gas and other emissions, and energy security through the utilization of biomass (including biofuels, bioproducts and biopower), in the State of North Carolina.  In this role, Kurt produced and co-authored The North Carolina Biomass Roadmap: Recommendations for Fossil Fuel Displacement through Biomass Utilization.  While at NCSU, Kurt also managed the “Energy Crops for North Carolina Program”, funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation to evaluate energy crops for North Carolina.  Crops included canola (an oilseed crop that is used to make biodiesel), switch grass (for lignocellulosic ethanol production or combustion/gasification), and hulless barley (for starch-based ethanol production). He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University and received an M.S. in Engineering from the University of California at Davis.  http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/forest/feop/biomass-south/proceedings/Creamer.html.

Contact Carl Pray for information and appointments:  pray@AESOP.Rutgers.edu