Month: December 2020

Congratulations to Cabell Lamie for successfully defending his dissertation titled “Synthesis, Supercritical Fractionation, And Kinetic Modeling of Pyrene Pitch Oligomers” on November 24th.

Cabell’s research during his studies here at Clemson focused on developing and utilizing supercritical extraction techniques for furthering the fundamental knowledge in the field of pitch research, with a focus on modeling the reaction kinetics of pitch formation and determining how the oligomeric composition effects the bulk properties of the pitch.

Cabell is continuing his career at Clemson as a Post-doctoral Researcher for Mark C. Thies, his graduate advisor.  Here, he will continue his research in pitch fractionation and pass on the reins to the next pitch researcher in the Thies Research Group.

Cabell had this to say about his time here at Clemson; “I am grateful for the opportunity to do my PhD studies here at Clemson, and though it has been difficult and stressful, has made me feel ready for any challenge I may encounter in my career. I am excited to see what the future holds for me”

Allison Yaguchi successfully defended her dissertation titled “Development of Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus to Convert Lignin-Derived Phenolics to Oleochemicals” on November 18^th.

Her research identified a novel yeast able to robustly convert an aromatic-rich waste stream, called lignin, into lipids. These microbially-derived fats can be converted into value-added oleochemicals, such as biodiesel or omega-3 fatty acids. Her findings regarding the metabolism and genetics utilized by Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus will enhance the body of knowledge regarding aromatic catabolism in yeast systems – an area that remains largely unexplored. She is an author on 8 publications, presented at over 20 conferences, and mentored over 15 undergraduates during her time at Clemson.

Yaguchi says she will look back fondly on her time at Clemson, though it was a long, hard road. She reflects, “I joke that if I redid my whole PhD knowing what I know now, I could probably do the whole thing in at least half the time. There will be a lot of missteps, failures, and unfortunate surprises. It might feel like you take three steps back for every one step forward. My advice is to surround yourself with people who will support you through those rough waters. Remember that you are here at Clemson because someone saw potential in you. Find good mentors who can help you turn that potential into success and a positive group of friends to keep you going when you feel discouraged.”

After graduating, Yaguchi will take a position at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO as a post-doctoral researcher before returning to academia as a faculty member.