Free Educational Event

Hemp Extension Specialist
Department of Agronomy, Purdue University

"Hemp in the 21st Century: Innovations, Opportunities, and Challenges"

Marguerite Bolt is the hemp Extension specialist in the Department of Agronomy. Marguerite received her M.S. in Entomology from Purdue University, and her B.S in Entomology from Michigan State University. She uses online resources, field days, seminars, large and small outreach events, and one on one consults to reach her stakeholders. Her current research focuses on studying suitable hemp cultivars for Indiana and addressing agronomic production questions.

Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University

"Hemp-Based Biopolymers for High-Performance Electronics and Biomedical Devices"

Alex Chortos did his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, working on wearable sensors for prosthetic devices. He subsequently did his postdoc working on 3D printing of soft electronics for wearable actuator arrays. His lab at Purdue focuses on materials sets for multimaterial printing, oriented towards applications in electronics and biomedical.

Feed Administrator
Office of Indiana State Chemist

"Cluck and Bloom, Banish the Gloom"

Trish started with the Office of Indiana State Chemist in 2006 as an analytical chemist after receiving her degree in Animal Sciences from Purdue University. Before assuming responsibility as Feed Administrator, Trish worked in various roles across the whole agency. She spent several years in the lab before becoming a field inspector and later served as the fertilizer control specialist for the whole state.

Post Doc Research Assistant
Food Science, Purdue University

"Super Absorbent Materials from Lignocellulosic Biomass"

Divya earned her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, where she focused on developing mechanically robust nanofiber yarns for textile and biomedical applications. Her dissertation centered on optimizing process parameters and exploring the structure-property relationships of nanofiber yarns created from a sustainable polymer that is bacterially fermented. At Dr. Simsek’s lab, Divya aims to leverage her engineering expertise to scale up the extraction process of nanocellulose. She recently was selected for a commercialization fellowship that is a collaboration between Purdue University Colleges and Purdue Innovates to launch research into the market. She is eager to contribute to advancing the lab’s innovative work with hemp, driving research forward in this exciting area.

Assistant Professor
New College School of Mathematical & Natural Sciences, Arizona State University

"Environmental contaminants in Cannabis sativa"

Dr. Maxwell C. K. Leung is an assistant professor at the New College School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences. He is a faculty affiliate at the ASU College of Health Solutions and the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center. He is also a research affiliate at the Mayo Clinic. He received his Ph.D. at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in 2012 under the tutelage of Dr. Joel Meyer. After graduation, he worked with Dr. Thomas Knudsen as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Center for Computational Toxicology at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). Dr. Leung has published 28 peer‐reviewed articles and two book chapters. His publications lay the groundwork for toxicological applications of Caenorhabditis elegans and virtual tissue models, including a comprehensive C. elegans toxicology review that has been cited over 1,000 times.

Assistant Professor
Food Science, Purdue University

"Hemp Seeds and Gut Health: Functional Insights into Their Health Benefits "

Dr. Wang’s research explores the roles of dietary fatty acids in oil seeds as well as their bioactive metabolites on gut microbiota and gut health. Dr. Wang also works on nutraceuticals for disease prevention as well as foodborne risk factors on gut microbes.

Senior Research Assistant
Food Science, Purdue University

"Utilization of Hemp in Food Formulations"

Kristin joined the Department of Food Science at Purdue University as a Senior Research Associate in 2021 under Dr. Senay Simsek. She completed her BS in Food Science and MS in Cereal Science at North Dakota State University. She previously worked in the Department of Plant Sciences at NDSU as a research specialist in the Carbohydrate Chemistry and Wheat Quality group. Kristin assists with research projects related to structure-function relationships of carbohydrates and grain macromolecules. She is responsible for coordinating research projects and sample analyses related to crop utilization, carbohydrate functionality, and functional ingredients in baking.

Partner
Consolidated Carbon

"Hemp and Carbon"

Jona Williams is a seasoned executive known for driving growth and profitability through strategic leadership. With a BBA and MBA from Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University, he has delivered transformative results across industries. Currently a Partner at Consolidated Carbon, Jona oversees the largest USDA grant for industrial hemp, one of the country’s biggest hemp farming and processing operation, and a tech platform for regenerative agriculture and carbon credits. Previously, he served as CEO of the largest U.S. industrial hemp operations and prior to this founded the largest CBD hemp operation in the country. Before hemp, Jona had successful ventures in tech and home services and held a Product Manager role at National Oilwell Varco in oil and gas. Featured in Forbes and a global speaker, Jona excels in strategic planning, financial management, and team leadership.