The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center has recognized eight members for their contributions to the center’s mission through science, public engagement, entrepreneurship, leadership, and service. Look for stories about each of the award recipients to be published in the coming weeks.
Yaoping Zhang Research Award
Staff scientist Avery Vilbert received the second annual Yaoping Zhang Bioenergy Research Award for her work in the lab and beyond.
Established in 2024 in memory of the late scientist Yaoping Zhang, the award is given annually to recognize GLBRC members who have made important research contributions through high-impact, peer-reviewed publications that advance the center’s scientific mission to develop sustainable lignocellulosic biofuels and products.
“Avery is an extremely gifted researcher and always happy to lend her experience to help someone,” said research scientist Kevin Myers, who adds that Vilbert has contributed to multiple GLBRC projects, delivered guest lectures, and presented at scientific conferences. “She is always eager to help anyone in her lab or beyond with any project.”
Jennifer Reed Science Award
In recognition of her research accomplishments and engagement with the community, Elise Rivett is the winner of the 2025 Jennifer L. Reed Bioenergy Science Award.
Originally called the GLBRC Early Career Woman in Bioenergy Sciences Award, the award was established in 2018 to recognize the impacts of early career women on the success of the center. It was later renamed in honor of Jennie Reed, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at UW–Madison who served as a GLBRC co-investigator until her death in 2020.
Industry and Entrepreneurship Award
Steven Karlen, Canan Sener, and Jason Coplien have been awarded the first GLBRC Industry and Entrepreneurship Award, established to recognize members who have demonstrated entrepreneurial excellence or fostered collaboration with industry partners to support the center’s mission.
Through a startup company called Phenolvation, the trio of scientists are working to commercialize technology developed through GLBRC research that can produce sustainably sourced replacements for common petroleum products.
These chemicals include acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and para-aminophenol, a precursor molecule used to make ink, dyes, adhesives, and other polymers with a global market value of more than $1.5 billion.
Service and Impact Award
Kevin Myers, a bioinformatics scientist and lead of the computational biology group at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, is the first recipient of a new Service and Impact award for the support he provides fellow researchers.
The award, established this year, recognizes GLBRC members who have demonstrated leadership or participation in community building opportunities.
Myers and his team help other GLBRC researchers use computational tools to answer questions about microbes and microbial communities in support of the center’s mission to advance fuels and bio-products made from inedible plants.
Education and Outreach Award
Sam Davison, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is the recipient of the 2025 Outreach and Education award from the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center for his dedication to programming and outreach events.
The annual award recognizes GLBRC members who have demonstrated a spirit of generosity in sharing science with the public, including outreach programming, dedicating time in support of service activities, or sharing expertise with public audiences during their time in the GLBRC.
In addition to his work in the lab, Davison is a regular volunteer at outreach events, including the Wisconsin Science Festival, Madison Parks Alive, Science Expeditions, and Grandparents University, where he builds connections through imagination and creativity.