Media Contact:
Lesley Grieco Wirt, 919/515-7709

June 24, 2005

Science Teachers Explore Biomaterials Conversion at NC State

Teachers from North Carolina, Virginia and Arkansas will convene at North Carolina State University to learn how materials from plants have the potential to replace petroleum-based products in items ranging from animal feed to plastics.

The Department of Wood and Paper Science is host for a three-day workshop on the science of biomaterials conversion – the processes by which wood becomes paper, plastic and fuel – featuring lectures, labs and field trips.

The workshop, titled “Conversion of Forest and Agricultural Materials to Valuable Products: Examples in Chemistry, Physics and Engineering,” runs from June 27 to 29 in Biltmore Hall on the NC State campus.

Media are invited to attend the conference and speak with the teachers and the scientists. There will be hands-on science opportunities both inside the lab and outdoors in Schenck Forest.

Teachers participating in the free workshop receive two license renewal credits or one graduate credit. They also return to the classroom with about $250 in laboratory equipment and relevant, practical lab activities they can incorporate into their high schools’ chemistry, physics and engineering courses.

For more information about the workshop, visit www.cnr.ncsu.edu/biomatteacherwksp.htm. A complete schedule of workshop lectures and labs is available online.

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