David Hodge

Dr. David Hodge is a Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering at Montana State University's College of Engineering. His research focuses on developing innovative biomass conversion and biorefinery processes, with expertise in lignocellulosic pretreatment and lignin valorization.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Colorado State University (2005)
• M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Colorado State University (2002)
• B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University (1999)

Research Interests:

Dr. Hodge's work centers on bioprocess engineering for sustainable bioproducts, including the COBRA (Compacted Biomass with Recycled Ammonia) process, lignin extraction/characterization, and catalytic biomass conversion. He investigates fundamental mechanisms of biomass deconstruction and the impact of feedstock attributes on processing efficiency, with applications in biofuel production and biorefinery design.

Recent Publication Trends:

His 2023-2025 publications reveal a concentrated focus on corn stover and hybrid poplar biomass. Key themes include lignin recovery/purification using renewable solvents, catalytic pretreatment optimization (particularly Cu-catalyzed alkaline-oxidative methods), and advanced characterization techniques like NMR relaxometry. Collaborative projects with national laboratories dominate his output, emphasizing scalable biorefinery solutions.

Scientific Awards:

No scientific awards were mentioned in the provided text.

Advising and Grants:

Dr. Hodge secures significant external funding, including projects from Idaho National Laboratory: 'Dynamic processing of biomass residues using fractionation, online sensors and digital twins' and 'IMPROVED: Intensification of Mechanical Preprocessing to Revolutionize Oilseed Valorization'. He also leads NCSU-funded research on 'Augmenting hemp-associated microbial communities for improved retting in cold arid climates', indicating active graduate mentoring and cross-institutional collaboration.

Labs and Teams:

His research group operates within Montana State University's biomass processing facilities, collaborating with Idaho National Laboratory on sensor-integrated fractionation systems and with NCSU on hemp retting microbiology, focusing on cold-climate biomass valorization.