Michael Wolcott serves as Co-Project Director for NARA. In this capacity, he coordinates efforts on the project’s education, outreach, and system metrics teams. These teams will study the various metrics assessing the sustainability of the biofuels supply chain, engage stakeholders and communities, while developing a regional workforce through education programs from K-12 through to PhD levels. As a researcher, Dr. Wolcott will work with colleagues on development of new biobased resins and plastics to add value to the aviation fuel refineries.
Wolcott, professor in Washington State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a member of the interdisciplinary Materials Science and Engineering faculty, and director of WSU’s Institute for Sustainable Design. He is an international leader in the field of natural fiber composites and biopolymers while he has led the development of advanced materials to improve durability, reduce manufacturing costs and pollution, and improve structural performance. He has previously managed nearly $20-million in funding and large research teams for numerous federal agencies, including the Office of Naval Research, the Department of Energy, the USDA, the US Forest Service, and the Federal Highway Administration. He holds five patents for innovative materials and structures from wood and natural fibers. He has been actively engaged with industry to commercialize his research and has participated in projects for more than 50 companies.
Dr. Wolcott has received numerous national awards for research excellence, including the prestigious Society of Wood Science and Technology’s George Marra Award (in 1991 and 1995), and he has been an invited keynote lecturer at renowned international conferences.
He holds a Ph.D. in materials engineering science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and BS/MS in Forestry from the University of Maine. A member of the WSU faculty since 1996, he previously served as as an associate professor at West Virginia University.