WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BIOWC19?src=hash" target="_blank"gt;#BIOWC19lt;/agt;–The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today announced that
former U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary and former
two-term Governor of Iowa Tom Vilsack will receive the 12th annual
George Washington Carver Award for Innovation in Industrial
Biotechnology. The award will be presented on Wednesday, July 10, 2019,
during a plenary session at the 2019 BIO World Congress on Industrial
Biotechnology and AgTech. The world’s largest conference on industrial
and agricultural biotechnology and partnering event will be held July
8-11, 2019, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
“I am humbled to receive this award,” said Vilsack. “Every day there are
scientists and researchers in the bio-based industry helping to meet the
twin challenge of adapting to and mitigating the consequences of a
changing climate while also increasing our capacity to feed an
ever-increasing world population in a safe and sustainable way.”
“Secretary Vilsack has been one of the strongest advocates in promoting
America’s bio-based economy,” said BIO President and CEO James C.
Greenwood. “From his time serving as governor of Iowa—America’s top
ethanol producer and a leading state in biomass and renewable chemical
production—to his leadership at USDA, Secretary Vilsack consistently
championed policies that advanced industrial biotechnologies and grew
America’s rural economy.”
The George Washington Carver award is sponsored by the Iowa
Biotechnology Association. “Secretary Vilsack represents a leader who
has tirelessly championed biotechnology, and truly embodies the
characteristics of George Washington Carver,” said Jessica Hyland,
Executive Director of the Iowa Biotechnology Association. “Through this
award, we recognize his focus on ensuring biotechnology in its diverse
forms can thrive. IowaBio is proud to have Secretary Vilsack receive
this award. He has contributed so much to Iowa and to this country
through his service and leadership. His impact on advancing
biotechnology and recognizing its impact on rural economy is unmatched.”
As the longest serving cabinet appointee in President Barack Obama’s
administration, serving as secretary of USDA from 2009-17, Vilsack
championed the bio-based economy as one of the four pillars that support
our country’s rural economy. As a result, USDA created several
initiatives and programs that promoted renewable biomass and feedstocks,
bio-based products and renewable chemicals, advanced and cellulosic
biofuels, and rural infrastructure and manufacturing.
As the two-term governor of Iowa from 1999-2007, Vilsack was a strong
supporter of the role of biotechnology for both food production and
industrial processes. During his tenure he was chair of the Governors
Biotechnology Partnership and the Governors Ethanol Coalition as well as
vice chair of the National Governors Association’s committee on Natural
Resources, where he developed policies around farming and energy. Prior
to his governorship, Vilsack served in the Iowa State Senate from
1993-99 and as mayor of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, from 1987-92.
Vilsack currently serves as the president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy
Export Council (USDEC), where he provides strategic leadership and
oversight of USDEC’s global promotional and research activities,
regulatory affairs and trade policy initiatives.
Each year, the BIO World Congress recognizes an individual who has made
a significant contribution to building the bio-based economy through the
George Washington Carver Award. It serves as a lasting memorial to the
original vision of George Washington Carver, who—over a century
ago—pioneered bio-based products, materials and energy derived from
renewable agricultural feedstock. Industrial biotechnology is the
modern-day equivalent of Carver’s vision.
Secretary Vilsack becomes the 12th recipient honored with the award.
Past recipients include:
-
Dr. Sang Yup Lee, distinguished professor, Korea Advanced Institute of
Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2018; - Jeff Broin, Founder, chairman and CEO, POET in 2017;
-
Dr. J. Craig Venter, co-founder of Synthetic Genomics and executive
chairman of Human Longevity in 2016; - Jonathan S. Wolfson, CEO of Solazyme in 2015;
- Ellen Kullman, CEO & chair of the board, DuPont in 2014;
-
Dr. Jay Keasling, Hubbard Howe Jr., distinguished professor of
biochemical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley in
2013; - Steen Riisgaard, president and CEO of Novozymes in 2012;
- Feike Sijbesma, CEO of Royal DSM in 2011;
-
Gregory Stephanopoulos, the Willard Henry Dow professor of chemical
engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010; - Charles O. Holliday, Jr., chairman of the board, DuPont in 2009;
- Dr. Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo, Inc., in 2008.
All programs for the 2019 BIO World Congress are open to members of the
media. Complimentary
media registration is available to editors and reporters working
full time for print, broadcast or web publications with valid press
credentials.
For more information on the conference, please visit https://www.bio.org/worldcongress.
For assistance, please contact worldcongress@bio.org.
About BIO
BIO is the world’s largest trade association representing biotechnology
companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and
related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other
nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of
innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental
biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO
International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the
biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and
partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW
is BIO’s blog chronicling “innovations transforming our world” and the
BIO Newsletter is the organization’s bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe
to the BIO Newsletter.
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Contacts
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cmckoy@bio.org
202-312-9288
Web:
www.bio.org
Blog:
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