Dr. Katrina Cornish is the Ohio Research Scholar and Endowed Chair in Bioemergent Materials at The Ohio State University, and is Director of Research for the Program of Excellence in Natural Rubber Alternatives, a private/public consortium. She holds a joint appointment in Horticulture and Crop Science, and Food, Agricultural and Biological Science, a courtesy professorship in Chemistry and Biochemistry and Adjunct Professorships at the University of Akron in Polymer Science and the University of Western Cape in Biotechnology. She is the leading global expert on alternate rubber production, processing and products, from circumallergenic latex to liquid biofuels and platform chemicals, and her research and intentions from the foundation of the alternate rubber industry. Katrina leads a program on alternate rubber production from biotechnological crop improvement to product development. Her program is coupled to conversion of non-rubber constituents to fuels, and exploitation of opportunity feedstocks from agriculture and food processing wastes for value-added bioproducts/biofuels. Katrina has worked in academia, USDA and industry. She serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of NARA (North American Renewable Fuels Alliance), on ASTM and ISO rubber standards committees, and on several journal Editorial Boards. Katrina is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventor, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has more than 220 publications and approximately 23 patents/patents-pending. In addition, she is CEO of four start-up companies, EnergyEne Inc., EnergyEne Australia Pty. Ltd, EnergyEne Africa, and DamSafe LLC. Dr. Cornish received a BSc (first class honors) in Biological Sciences (1978) and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology (1982) both from the University of Birmingham, England.