• Bioprocessing of biobased resources for renewable energy and value-added products
• Biodiesel production technologies
• Biomass conversion technologies

Brian is a chemical engineer by training and has had more than 7 years of industrial experience. He is a licensed PE of Chemical Engineering in Idaho. Brian’s expertise is in the areas of bioprocessing of biobased resources for renewable energy and value-added products. He teaches in the areas of transport processes, bioprocess engineering, engineering analysis and design, and agricultural process engineering at the University of Idaho.

As a PI / co-PI, he has conducted multiple research projects totaling $2.5 million in funding in the past seven years. Brian has published peer-reviewed research papers in the areas of biodiesel production and utilization, biomass conversion for renewable energy, and bioconversion for secondary metabolites from fungal and plant cell cultures.

He has been actively involved in the USDA sponsored Biodiesel Education Program during the past six years and has presented at conferences, technical and business meetings, and workshops on biodiesel production and utilization to various audiences. Brian has served as a proposal review panelist for multiple federal and state grant programs in the area of biomass conversion and renewable energy. He is an ad hoc reviewer for numerous scientific journals and grant programs including USDA CSREES/SBIR, DOE SBIR, etc.

Visit Dr. He's personal Web site for a complete listing of Publications and Accomplishments

• Biobased Energy Educational Material Exchange System (BEEMS). $59,800. 10/09 – 09/12. USDA Higher Education Challenge Grants. Brian He (PI). Collaborated with Ohio State University and other 3 universities. The total project award was $459,867.
• Application of Metal Catalysts for High Selectivity of Glycerol Conversion to Alcohols. $50,000 (KLK 758). 08/09 – 12/10. National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology. Brian He (PI).
• National biodiesel education program (Phase 2). $1,000,000. USDA Biodiesel Fuel Education Program. 10/08 –09/13. Jon Van Gerpen, Brian He (co-PI), Doug Haines, Dev Shrestha.
• Thermal processing of low-grade glycerol to alcohols for biodiesel production $141,171 ($78,092 for Year 1, KLK 750; $63,079 for Year 2, KLK 754). 08/07 – 12/09. National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology. Brian He (PI).
• Washington State Ferries Biodiesel Utilization Project. $68,171. US DOE through Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. 01/07 – 01/09. Brian He (PI), Jon Van Gerpen. Collaborated with Washington State University. The total project award was $299,950.
• Biodiesel Quality Affected by Sulfur Content Originated from Different Feedstocks and A Database for the Same. $59,327 (KLK 432). National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology. 08/06 – 12/07. Brian He (PI), Jon Van Gerpen.
• A virtual education center for biorenewable resources: building capacity and humanizing distance education. $122,500. USDA Higher Education Challenge Grants. 10/06 –09/09. Jon Van Gerpen, Brian He (co-PI). Collaborated with Iowa State University (the lead institution) and University of Kentucky. The total project award was $489,929.

• Most influential faculty member, Alumni Associate, University of Idaho.
• Superior Paper Award. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). 2007. First & corresponding author.
• Faculty Excellence Award. Naval ROTC at UI/WSU. 2007.
• Nominee, R.M. Wade Excellence in Teaching award. College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Idaho. 2006.
• Teacher of the Year. Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UI. 2006.
• Nominee, R.M. Wade Excellence in Teaching award. College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Idaho. 2004.
• Teacher of the Year. Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UI. 2004.
• Superior Paper Award. American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE). 2001. First & corresponding author.
• Gamma Sigma Delta, Honor Society of Agriculture. Inducted in 1998.
• Alpha Epsilon, Agricultural Engineering Honor Society. Inducted in 1997.