Isaac Tyrone Ghampson

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Thursday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

Isaac Tyrone Ghampson One of Ghana’s, my native country, major export is timber. It is suffice to say that a technology to create bioproducts from wood will contribute in helping my country achieve middle-income status. My decision to enroll at the University of Mainel and to partake in this research project is becoming a seminal moment in my life.

My Research

The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process offers a method of synthesizing hydrocarbons that are suitable for use as liquid fuels and chemicals from any hydrocarbon feedstock, in our case woody- biomass. This synthesis proceeds on supported metal catalysts, and the three key properties of these catalysts are lifetime, activity, and product selectivity. Optimizing these properties for desired commercial application has been the focus of FT catalyst research and development ever since the processes were first discovered. My project is primarily focused on developing, and evaluating the effects of various parameters of, metal-supported catalysts that will enhance the efficiency of FT synthesis. Some of the parameters to be investigated are the effect of support and its porosity on FT reaction rate and hydrocarbon selectivities.

In Other Words

The idea here is to design and develop clean, inexpensive, highly active catalysts to make the conversion of wood to fuels and chemicals possible and efficient. Furthermore, I will investigate the effects of several parameters on the efficacies of the catalysts I develop by employing a novel rapid screening method designed by another graduate student.

Contact Information

5737 Jenness Hall
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469
E-mail: isaac.ghampson@umit.maine.edu