A School of Environmental and Forest Sciences professor and student recently represented University of Washington at the Consortium for Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Education (CABLE).

Professor Richard Gustafson and student delegate Danielle Pascoli were among more than 50 student delegates, faculty mentors and leadership team members who attended CABLE in early July in Des Moines, Iowa.

Now in its third year, CABLE is a nationwide organization of 20 universities focused on training students to pursue leadership positions in bioeconomy-related careers. The Ohio State University leads the program and oversees a $2.8 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA).

CABLE was created to develop bioeconomy industry leaders who will be ready to step into bioeconomy-related careers. Those future careers include chemists, engineers, scientists. Program Director Dennis Hall notes “The advanced bioeconomy is critical to a more sustainable future for society, but it’s largely invisible to all but few college students. The ultimate goal is to equip more students with the knowledge and leadership skills necessary for successful biobased enterprises.

In the coming months, Pascoli and the other students will work with their peers from universities all over the country to assess and make recommendations for key bioeconomy-related issues. For more information about CABLE, please visit u.osu.edu/cable.