Camp Hand is an assistant professor and Extension cotton specialist at the University of Georgia in Tifton. His research and Extension programs focus on cotton agronomics in Georgia, and his goal is to work with the UGA county agents and growers to answer questions that will help Georgia growers remain sustainable and economical. Camp received his BS and MS degrees at Auburn University in horticulture while minoring in agronomy. His graduate work at Auburn was conducted under Dr. Wheeler Foshee. He then went on to pursue a PhD at the University of Georgia in Tifton in weed science under the direction of Dr. Stanley Culpepper.
Jesse Daystar is the Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Sustainability at Cotton Incorporated and an adjunct professor at the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment. Dr. Daystar leads the cotton industry to a more regenerative and sustainable future through supporting research and outreach programs aimed at implementing best science and practices in the soil and throughout the supply chain.
Richard Venditti is the Elis-Signe Olsson Professor of Pulp and Paper Science and Engineering in the Forest Biomaterials Department at NCSU. He has 26 years of experience in research in the areas of pulp/paper, bioeconomy, recycling, and environmental LCA. His research and teaching is involved in developing effective systems to transform renewable plant based resources into sustainable products. Venditti uses environmental life cycle analysis to guide and analyze research in bioproducts. He is currently heading a multi-organization research project to understand the fate of microparticles from laundering in the environment. He also is the principal investigator of a four year, $2.75 million United States Department of Agriculture program, entitled, Preparing Diverse and Rural Students and Teachers to Meet the Challenges of the Bioproducts and Bioenergy Industry. Venditti teaches Unit Operations of Pulp and Paper, Process Control, Environmental LCA, and Introduction to the Bioeconomy classes at NC State.
Additionally, Dr. Venditti is the director of the Pulp and Paper Workshop at NC State, co-sponsored by the Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industries (TAPPI). He teaches the paper recycling portions of the course. He received a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University, was named a TAPPI Fellow in 2012, and was named a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Environmental Science in 2009. He has over 150 peer reviewed publications and three patents.
