(488b) Industrial and Academic Partnership: the Genencor Experience

Genencor International, a Danisco company has developed an educational partnership with the University of Iowa (UI) over the last several years starting in 1999. The relationship has progressed from occasional internships to an annual undergraduate design project and opportunities for industrial experience as a graduate student for UI chemical and biochemical engineering students. The undergraduate design projects require the students to learn analytical techniques and experimentation planning. The projects have included: determining potential for wastewater recycle options within the plant and determining the feasibility of novel product formulation unit operations. The graduate experience is a combination of full time work in the summer (at the plant) and part time in the fall and spring. The presentation will cover the history of the partnership, the undergraduate design program, the industrial graduate program, and benefits for both the University of Iowa and Genencor International. This partnership has resulted in three graduate students being hired as full time employees in the last three years.