{"412201":{"#nid":"412201","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tyrone Wells Reports from Sweden on His Research and His Adventures","body":[{"value":"Tyrone Wells, Gunnar Nicholson Fellow studying at the Chalmers Institute of Technology, has benefited from his research, and he is enjoying his cultural experience. His letter from Gothenberg gives an update on his research, credits his advisors, and reports on his extracurricular activities.\u003Cp\u003EA Learning Experience at Chalmers\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy year-long graduate student experience at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenberg, Sweden has been the longest period of time that I have ever been outside of the United States. And now, roughly six months into my stay, I finally feel like I have settled into the Scandinavian lifestyle--but I know there are still many opportunities for technical and personal growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy research at Chalmers involves finding new applications for lignin, which is a complex and currently underutilized plant-derived biomacromolecule. My work involves investigating a new way of turning this molecule into a more suitable precursor for carbon fiber production. The Chalmers research group that I am a part of has specialized in a highly effective lignin extraction process from industrial black liquor known as the LignoboostTM process, and I\u0027m using this type of lignin as part of my studies. I feel fortunate to be trained in this process by the founders of this technique. Likewise, I can also acknowledge the good fortune I have to work with such diverse and welcoming colleagues. I have found all our discussions and time spent together invaluable and working with people who reflect a broad range of cultures and outlooks has allowed me to improve as a person. The \u201chome-field advantage\u201d I\u0027ve had when working in the US isn\u0027t a luxury I can take for granted anymore here, and it\u0027s interesting to recognize the contrast of American culture against other lifestyles and social norms. Experiencing a new culture first hand has truly been enlightening.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause of this, I have continually made efforts to have a more outgoing lifestyle. So far, I\u0027ve backpacked through the streets of Europe with only a compass and a map to guide me, hiked with friends from sea to sea along the shores of Denmark, gone mushroom hunting while exploring the Swedish country side, attended soccer (called football here) games, sung at karaoke bars, moshed with metal-heads at a Korn concert, and had a great deal more amazing experiences. My life is filled with a new intensity and sense of purposeful fulfillment that I will certainly bring back with me to the states upon the conclusion of my studies here at Chalmers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI would like to sincerely thank everyone involved in helping me partake in this incredible opportunity, including my supervisors Hans Theliander (Chalmers) and Arthur J. Ragauskas (Georgia Institute of Technology).\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Wells studies at the Chalmers Institute of Technology in Gothenberg, Sweden"}],"uid":"27178","created_gmt":"2015-06-09 09:28:29","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:18:33","author":"Amna Jamshad","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"412151":{"id":"412151","type":"image","title":"Tyrone Wells","body":null,"created":"1449254211","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:36:51","changed":"1475895142","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:22","alt":"Tyrone Wells","file":{"fid":"202329","name":"131209_tyrone_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/131209_tyrone_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/131209_tyrone_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":285931,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/131209_tyrone_1_0.jpg?itok=w9jqih76"}},"412161":{"id":"412161","type":"image","title":"From left to right: Arthur Ragauskas, Tyrone Wells","body":null,"created":"1449254211","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:36:51","changed":"1475895142","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:22","alt":"From left to right: Arthur Ragauskas, Tyrone Wells","file":{"fid":"202330","name":"131209_tyrone_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/131209_tyrone_2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/131209_tyrone_2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":171898,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/131209_tyrone_2_0.jpg?itok=OYj4HmtC"}},"412171":{"id":"412171","type":"image","title":"From left to right: Hans Theliander, Tyrone Wells, Arthur J. Ragauskas","body":null,"created":"1449254211","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:36:51","changed":"1475895142","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:22","alt":"From left to right: Hans Theliander, Tyrone Wells, Arthur J. Ragauskas","file":{"fid":"202331","name":"131209_tyrone_3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/131209_tyrone_3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/131209_tyrone_3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":230595,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/131209_tyrone_3_0.jpg?itok=i_KJ6Dww"}}},"media_ids":["412151","412161","412171"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"93811","name":"RBI"},{"id":"4174","name":"renewable"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"166843","name":"Study Abroad"},{"id":"167933","name":"sweden"},{"id":"128311","name":"technolgoy"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKelly B. Smith, Marketing \u0026amp; Communication\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["kelly.smith@ipst.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}