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The National Corn to Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcomes two new visiting research fellows: Andrew Platto and Elijah Switzer. Funded by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, NCERC’s nine-month fellowship program provides training and hands-on experience to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists for work in mid- to high- skill jobs in the bioeconomy.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have Elijah and Andrew join our team,” said Dr. Yan Zhang, NCERC Interim Executive Director. “The fellowship program has helped NCERC greatly by building a stronger team. The program also provides a great opportunity for workforce training that positively impacts the industry.”

Platto earned two associate’s degrees from Lewis and Clark Community College: industrial electricity in 2023 and control process operations in 2024. During his time as a student, Platto was a pilot plant intern and worked closely with NCERC’s operations team to support contractual research projects taking place in NCERC’s pilot plant. As a fellow, Platto will expand upon this role as a full-time staff member and work directly with clients to support research projects both in the pilot plant and the fermentation suite.

“The fellowship gives me the opportunity to connect the skills that I learned in school with real work experience,” said Platto. “Also, the ability to work hands on in an industrial setting is great experience for my resume. I’m most interested in working with yeast for the first time in the fermentation suite, which is something I haven’t been exposed to before.”

Switzer graduated from SIUE with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2022 and is currently enrolled in SIUE’s Masters of Business Administration program. His role at NCERC will include working with NCERC’s research team to support contractual research and sponsored projects in NCERC’s Analytical and Fermentation Laboratories. Switzer previously worked part-time in the NCERC labs.

“I am excited to learn new lab techniques and work on fermentation projects at NCERC,” said Switzer. “This position is a great stepping stone that will prepare me for expanded opportunities that I would not have been able to achieve without the fellowship program.”

In their roles, visiting research fellows serve under the guidance of supervisors who provide them with the technical expertise they need to thrive in their environments and the leadership skills they need to ramp up the trajectory of their careers. This supervisory model ensures the connection of theory to practice, and builds upon the Fellow’s academic degree through applied, hands-on learning in an industrial setting. Upon completion of the fellowship program, graduates will be qualified to work in the biofuels, pharmaceuticals, bioprocessing, brewing, and refining industries. To learn more about NCERC’s fellowship program, visit EthanolResearch.com.

About NCERC at SIUE
The NCERC at SIUE is a nationally recognized research center dedicated to the development and commercialization of biotechnologies. Their unique research laboratories house bench- to demonstration-scale bioreactors and pretreatment and downstream processing equipment, making it the perfect partner to companies in the biotechnology industry. Through their contractual research services, NCERC has played an instrumental role in commercializing more than 80 products that are now used in the commercial marketplace. In addition to its research and development services, NCERC leverages its experienced staff and unique facility to provide a variety of workforce training and education initiatives to train the next generation of bioeconomy professionals. For more information, contact Rebecca Damuth at RDamuth@EthanolResearch.com or visit www.EthanolResearch.com.

PHOTOS:  Andrew Platto; Elijah Switzer