Invited Speakers

Prof. Derek Lovley

Derek Lovley is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts.  Research in his laboratory focuses on anaerobic microbial processes that impact the natural cycling of carbon and metals in soils and sediments; bioremediation of hydrocarbon and metal contamination; bioelectronic materials; biosensors; and novel bioenergy strategies that involve microbe-electrode or cell-to-cell electrical connections. Dr. Lovley has received many awards including Popular Science’s ‘Best of What’s New in Environmental Technology’; the Proctor and Gamble Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology; and the Institute for Scientific Information’s ‘Most Highly Cited’, beginning with its initiation in 2001 and each year through 2016 (H-index 152).  He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology. His research has received substantial coverage in the popular press. He was featured in Time magazine’s profile of top innovators in environmental science and was also cited in Time for one of the top 50 inventions for 2009.  He has more than 400 publications, edited the book Environmental Microbe-Metal Interactions, and has been awarded patents for microbial nanowires; several types of microbial fuel cells; microbial production of nanominerals; uranium and chlorinated solvent bioremediation; and electricity driven microbial conversion of carbon dioxide to organic commodities.