Jagannadh Satyavolu, PhD, is the Theme Leader for Biomass and Biofuels focused on developing renewable feed streams for green fuel processing technology. He was appointed as Endowed Chair in Renewable Energy Research in 2020. 

Dr. Satyavolu’s research focus is in developing cost-effective process technologies for biomass processing, novel separations for C5 and C6 sugars from biomass, synthetic pathways to convert the sugars to values added bioproducts, and integrated biorefineries. His research interests also include technologies dealing with the production of biogas, biohydrogen, and drop-in biocoal products. At Conn Center, he develops technologies and in such a way that the cost of biofuel production is comparable to costs from synthetic sources. To this extent, he identifies the most suitable biomass, promotes business and commercial relationships among biomass growers and biofuel producers, and develops integrated processes to produce C5, C6, and lignin - platform of biofuels and biochemical intermediates.

Dr. Satyavolu has 30 years of experience in commercial business leadership roles, operations and capital project management, product and process technology development, industrial application research, and academia. His research and commercial implementation projects included lignocellulosic biomass conversion for energy, chemicals, paper and other industrial markets; waste to energy conversion technologies; process integration and economics; water treatment and recycle; and new product/process development for chemical, food, and biotechnology industries. Prior to joining Conn Center, he worked at Cargill, Georgia Institute of Technology, Battelle Labs, and the Ohio State University.

Dr. Satyavolu received his PhD (1989) and MS (1984) in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University and a BTech (1982) in Chemical Engineering from Andhra University in India. He had several publications and holds 20 US and international patents. He has lead multiple projects from concept to commercialization. He joined the Conn Center in 2011.