Utilizing Biorenewable Materials for the Production of Bio-Based Products in Sustainable Ways: Learning Its Opportunities and Challenges

  Utilizing Biorenewable Materials for the Production of Bio-Based Products in Sustainable Ways: Learning Its Opportunities and Challenges

  Justinus A. Satrio, Ph.D.

  Biomass Resources & Conversion Technologies Laboratory and Department of Chemical Engineering

  Presented at Faculty of Agricultural Technologies Lecture Outline

• – About Villanova University 2. Graduate studies in the U.S.

  Joined Villanova in 2010

• – My 15 Minutes of Fame

  

Publication Opportunity

  About Villanova University

  Where is Villanova University at ?

• Villanova is located in a suburban community 12 miles (20 km) west of Philadelphia, easily accessible by train. _th largest city in the
• Philadelphia is the first capital of USA and the 5 country.
• Two hours drive south of New York City and north of Washington D.C.
• Large Indonesian community (about 5000) in South Philadelphia

  Indonesian Communities in Philadelphia

• Villanova University, founded in 1842, is the oldest and largest Catholic university in the State of Pennsylvania.
• Over 10,000 undergraduate, graduate, and law students, take

  part in a wide variety of degree programs throughout the University's five colleges

  College of Liberal Arts and Sciences ,

  About Villanova University

• – 1)

  2) College of Engineering, 2) College of Nursing , 4) School of Business and 5) Villanova School of Law .

• Villanova has 583 full-time faculty, nearly 90% of whom hold the highest degree in their fields.
• Endowment: US $ 425 millions (2013)

  About Villanova University

  Academic Quality

• #1 University (Regional Universities—North), U.S.News & World

  Report

• Top U.S. Producer of Fulbright Students (Master’s Institutions), The

  Chronicle of Higher Education

• Villanova School of Business: #7 Nationwide, Best Undergraduate Business Schools, Bloomberg Businessweek • College of Engineering: #9 Nationwide, Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (Bachelor’s/Master’s Category), U.S.News &

  World Report

• College of Nursing: Designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing

  

Student Life

  Villanova students actively participate in charitable and philanthropic activities and organizations:

• Special Olympics – Largest student run event in the world
• Habitat for Humanity • Engineers Without Borders - non-profit organization that focuses on helping to improve the living conditions of communities worldwide
• Rays of Sunshine – Caring for the elderly, sick and disabled people
• Campus Ministry & Service – Integrating personal faith into the academic and social environment of the university

  Department of Chemical Engineering

  

Department of Chemical Engineering

• Faculty members: 12 and growing
• Size of undergraduate classes: 50-60
• Increasing enrollments of graduate students pursuing M.S. and Ph.D. degrees

  Faculty Research Areas

• Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Designs • Biotechnology/Biochemical Engineering • Supercritical Fluid Applications • Industrial Wastewater Treatment Processes • Biomass Resources and Conversion Technologies • Sustainability/Alternative Energy • Heterogeneous catalysis

  Biomass Resources and Conversion Technologies BRCT Laboratory

  Graduate Studies in U.S.A.

  Why Graduate School in the U.S.

• Graduate school in the U.S. provide strong background for those who are becoming university teachers.
• A big portion of program include graduate level courses
• Research is a partial requirement in graduate pro
• MS Degree:
• 36 course credits, including 6-18 credit from research
• Completed in 2 years
• PhD degree : 72 course credits, including 30-36 credits from research
• 72 course credits, including 30-36 credit from research

How about the Cost?

• Study in the U.S.A. is expensive, but most graduate schools provide financial aids for selected students.
• Research and development is a very important role for universities.
• Graduate students are employed to work with faculty on various research projects.
• Tuition scholarship
• Full scholarship - pay for tuition and monthly stipend
• Stipend ranges from $1,500 to $2,500 monthly

• Most universities admit new graduate students based on the number of scholarships that they can provide yearly
• Funding comes from yearly allocation from university and from external grants obtained from individual faculty members • Very competitive, but chances are good.
• High percentage of the number of graduate students in the U.S.A.

  are foreign students (> 50% in many places)

  

What are the Chances of Getting Assistantships?

• Large number of graduate foreign graduate students are from China and India.
• Opportunities for university teachers in Indonesia to

  

I am thinking of pursuing a graduate

degree in the U.S. Where should I start?

• Find out what are your interests in research • You will spend 2-5 years doing research.
• You better like the resea>Do research to find universities and faculty researchers who do research that you are interested in.
• Ask around through your network connections.
• Find out from journal arti>Primary authors and their affiliation
• Find their contact information,

  

I am thinking of pursuing a graduate

degree in the U.S. Where should I start?

• What to look for about individual faculty researchers:
• Research area
• Years of graduation,
• Where they are in professorsh>Assistant professor
• Associate professor
• Professor • Emeritus profe
• Publications • Size of their research groups

  I am thinking of pursuing a graduate degree in the U.S. Where should I start? • Contact the individual faculty members directly.

• Many university professors have research projects with grant money and need researchers to work on their projects.
• Write a brief E-mail explaining your interest in doing research with the faculty memb>Letter should be professional, i.e. concise and to the point:
• Introduce yourself and background
• Where/how your find out about them and their research
• Why you are interested to work for them

  I am thinking of pursuing a graduate degree in the U.S. Where should I start?

• Write a brief E-mail … (Cont’d) : • Attached a 2-page resume .
• In the letter, invite the faculty researcher to review your resume.
• Your 2-page Resume : • Should be brief and concise and professional.
• Interests, educational background, work experiences, publications, skills and knowledge, awards received
• Show of your accomplishments. Don’t exagerate, but don’t be bashful either.

  I am thinking of pursuing a graduate degree in the U.S. Where should I start?

• You may/may not get a response from the faculty researchers
• They may not be interested in you
• They may not have funding support
• When they respond they are lik>Want to know more about you if they have funding support
• Will respond by telling you to submit application forward your E-mail to the Graduate Program Director • Start preparing your applications.
• Prepare yourself for taking GRE and TOEFL

• Content: Typical Application Package • Completed application
• Application fee (varies)
• Resume (can be longer than 2 pages)
• Official transcripts of previous degrees
• Test scores (GRE and TOEFL)
• Reference letters (typically 3)
• Personal statement (500-700 words)
• Financial aid applica>Successful application:
• Show evidence that applicant is a distinguish individual
• Demonstrate that the interests of the applicant match the

GRE and TOEFL Tests

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
• Standardized test of English language proficiency for non- native English speakers used by most U.S. universities for evaluating foreign student applicants.
• Tests: Internet Based Test (IBT) and Paper Based Test (PBT)
• Knowledge/skills tested: Reading, Listening, Speaking and

  Writing

• Scoring/grading:
• IBT: 0 – 30 for each of the 4 sections. Total: 0-120 • PBT: 310 – 677 (Listening, structure and reading). Writing: 0- 6 • Minimum score requirement varies for different universities.

GRE and TOEFL Tests

• GRE (Graduate Record Examination) • Standardized test used by most graduate schools in the U.S.
• Tests: Internet Based Test (IBT) and Paper Based Test (PBT)
• Knowledge/skills tested: Analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning • Minimum score requirement varies for different universities.
• Scores valid for 5 y>When to take TOEFL and GRE?
• Ideally 6-12 months before application to make sure the best scores are submitted for the application.

  

Biomass Resources and Conversion Technologies

BRCT Laboratory

Thank you for Listening!

Questions/Comments?

  

Contact:

Dr. Justinus A. Satrio, Ph.D.

  Villanova University

Dept of Chemical Engineering

800 E. Lancaster Avenue

  

Villanova, PA 19085

E-mail:

Phone: 610-519-6658