Ramani Narayan

Background

About Ramani Narayan

Ramani Narayan is MSU University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University - the highest honor that can be bestowed on a faculty member by the university. His research focus is on reactive extrusion technology for manufacturing biobased & compostable plastics, biodegradability & LCA. He has been awarded: Governor’s (State of Michigan) University Award for commercialization excellence; Michigan Green Chemistry Governor’s Award for bio foams technology, University Distinguished Faculty Award, Withrow Distinguished Scholar award; Fulbright Distinguished Lectureship Chair in Science & Technology Management & Commercialization (University of Lisbon, Portugal); DuPont’s Packaging Award for excellence in Innovation & Sustainability, as part of the Coca Cola Plant bottle team. He is elected Fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors; Fellow of ASTM & ASTM award of merit - the highest award given by the society to an individual member. First recipient of the William N. Findley Award for “significant contributions to the application of new technologies within the scope of ASTM Committee D20 on Plastic; Award of Excellence from ASTM D20 on Plastics for exemplary technical contributions, and valued leadership. Awarded the James Hammer Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award, 2006 for outstanding leadership, and research accomplishments in the field of Degradable Polymers from the Bio-Environmental Polymer Society (BEPS). First recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010 from the BEPS; Research and Commercialization Award sponsored by ICI Americas, Inc. & the National Corn Growers Association. Science Advisor to the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI); EU certification organizations & USDA Biopreferred program. Founding Chair of ASTM subcommittee D20.96 that developed biodegradable-compostable plastics Specification Standards D6400, and D6868, and D6866 radiocarbon analysis for biobased carbon content. These are used world-wide by regulators, industry, and academic researchers. USA technical expert to ISO (International Standards Organization) TC 61 on Plastics, and specifically on SC 14 subcommittee on "Environmental Aspects", including convener of WG 3 on Biobased Plastics. Serves on “Critical Review Panels” required by ISO standards that govern LCA, based on ISO 14044, §7.3.3 Has 300+ refereed publications, and 32 issued patents, and graduated 25 Ph.D. and 25 master’s students. Successful entrepreneur, having commercialized biobased and biodegradable-compostable product technologies based on PLA, bio polyesters, starch & cellulose.