Naycari Forfora Attends Iberoamerican Cellulose Conference in Spain

This past summer, Naycari Forfora attended the Iberoamerican Cellulose Conference alongside Dr. Ronalds Gonzalez and fellow Ph.D. student Ramon Vera. University representatives, professors, and Ph.D. students gathered for the four-day long conference held in the Catalan region of Spain in the province of Girona. 

The focus of the conference was to showcase and learn about the advances in lignocellulosic materials. One of Naycari’s highlights was listening to a presentation given by members of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE). “They are using cellulose to produce composites and man-made fibers to substitute fossil-based products, all while considering the sustainability of the production process and consumer perception.” Naycari and Dr. Gonzalez also had the chance to present on the SAFI initiative, sparking the interest of many attendees on the work going on here at NC State.

Naycari also had a poster presentation titled Life Cycle Assessment of Softwood and Eucalyptus Cultivation for Pulp Production. “I evaluated the environmental emissions related to the cultivation of northern softwood, southern softwood, and eucalyptus as raw materials for producing pulp.” This presentation won Naycari the third best poster award at the conference.

Naycari states, “It was an unforgettable experience and I learned how important our job is and that the possible applications will grow exponentially in the following years.”