MSU Press Release for Inventors Day

MSU students create first-ever event to showcase biofuels proposals

by Andy Henion

April 9, 2008 - From examining corn genetics to exploring fungus and enzymes, the future of Michigan’s biofuel economy may be in the hands of college students.

Inventors Day, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, April 11, at the Henry Center for Executive Development, is a first-time event created by students at MSU’s James Madison College to showcase student innovation and ideas to help improve the biofuel economy.

“We want companies that aren’t in Michigan yet and companies that don’t even exist yet to look at Michigan as a place where there is an environment for growth, entrepreneurship and talent,” said Alex Plum, an international relations and political theory senior and one of 11 undergraduate students who created the event. “We want to expose the student talent.”

The first-ever event is part of the annual Michigan Futures Seminar, a public policy research consortium at James Madison College. The seminar focuses on the biofuels economy and how assets of Michigan’s universities can provide connections with corporate and government sectors.

Sponsored by a grant from Lansing-based Prima Civitas Foundation, Inventors Day will allow undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students to showcase their ideas and research and present their work to business leaders, government officials and university faculty and administrators.

University students from across the state submitted proposals. Those with the top five proposals will be awarded $1,000 and will give a 20-minute presentation to industry and government experts at the event Friday. All proposals will be on display.

The five winning proposals address the topics of biogas; marginal lands; corn genetics; carbon sequestration; and fungus and enzymes.

“This has been a student-directed and student-led initiative,” said Ross Emmett, James Madison associate professor. “While it comes out of the research of the (Michigan Futures) seminar, it was not an assignment for the class. The students are taking Inventors Day on as a way to publicly demonstrate what students of Michigan universities have to contribute to the thinking of technological developments in the biofuel economy.”

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