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The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was honored at the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois’ Annual Dinner “Strengthening Our Roots: Growing our Future” on March 26. NCERC received the 2025 Salute to Southwestern Illinois Award in recognition of its exceptional contributions to biofuel technology innovation, particularly the Center’s current research on converting waste streams to ethanol. This esteemed award acknowledges the Center’s leadership in advancing biorenewables research, which attracts companies from all over the world, bringing businesses to Southwestern Illinois.

“This award is a testament to the excellent research being done at NCERC by our talented team,” said Yan Zhang, PhD, NCERC Interim Executive Director/Director of Research. “NCERC has become a leader in our nation in helping biotech companies bring their products to the commercial market, and we are constantly testing innovative new ways to contribute to the bioeconomy. We are honored to be recognized for our hard work to grow opportunities for Southwestern Illinois.”

The Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois’ mission is to unite business, industry, government, education, and labor for economic growth in the region. The event honored businesses and communities who are expanding and reinvesting in Southwestern Illinois, with a focus on agricultural innovation. With this recognition, NCERC is poised to continue its research efforts, fostering partnerships with industry leaders, government agencies, and academic institutions to drive sustainable biotech solutions.

For more information about NCERC and its cutting-edge research initiatives, please 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.

PHOTO:  (left to right) Kathy Federico, Leadership Councilof Southwestern Illinois President, Yan Zhang, PhD, NCERC Interim Executive Director/Director of Research, and Kyle Anderson, Leadership Councilof Southwestern Illinois Executive Director