Paul Sebesta 
Center Director
National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research

Wednesday, January 25, 2009, Noon
The Tower Club, 20 North Wacker Drive - 39^th Floor
Chicago, Illinois

Although the discovery of penicillin and the recognition of its therapeutic potential occurred in England, did you know that the discovery of how to mass-produce the drug happened in the US – at a laboratory in Peoria, Illinois? Did you know that nearly every bottle of salad dressing contains a product developed at this same lab? How about key discoveries in the Biofuels industry?

Would you like to know more about what is going on at this local laboratory? Then please join us for our first luncheon of the New Year with Dr. Paul Sebesta, Center Director of the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR). 

Located in Peoria, IL, NCAUR’s 36 current research (CRIS) projects are mission-driven, reflecting the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) National Research Programs. More than 250 research personnel from nearly a dozen scientific disciplines are divided into nine teams.  Their charge is to use basic and applied science techniques to create ideas, knowledge and solutions for high priority national research problems.

With approximately 270,000 sq. ft., NCAUR is the largest of the USDA-ARS research centers.  The world renowned ARS Microbial Culture Collection is maintained at this facility.  Extensive renovation, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and a modular pilot plant to facilitate commercialization ensure that NCAUR’s researchers are provided with the necessary resources to fulfill the mission with which they have been charged.

Paul Sebesta earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Oklahoma State University.  He began his tenure with ARS in June of 2005 and served as the director of the USDA-ARS Kika de la Garza Subtropical Agricultural Research Center in Weslaco, Texas from 2005 to 2008.  In 2008 Dr. Sebesta assumed his current position as the Director of the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, IL.

The luncheon is at noon at the Tower Club, 39th floor, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago. The cost of the lunch and program is $40 for EDC members and $65 for non-members. There is no charge for EDC Corporate and Sustaining Members

This program is sponsored by K&L Gates LLP.

Reservations are mandatory. To register online, prepay by clicking one of the links below.