Ryan Jacobson's portrait

Ryan A Jacobson

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dr. Ryan Jacobson is a postdoctoral research associate with the Bioresource Science & Engineering Group in the ORNL Environmental Sciences Division. He studies methods to quantify and optimize bioenergy production systems, focusing on systems modeling, data analysis, techno-economic analyses, and life-cycle assessments. His doctoral thesis examined the complexities and optimization problems of transitory, mobile bio-pellet production from spatially and temporally varying materials. His master's work assessed the impact of the centralized output with depot collection points on experimental woody biomass energy products.

Ryan earned his doctorate from the University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, co-advised by Dr. Shahab Sokhansanj, Dr. Bhushan Gopaluni, and Dr. Dominik Roeser (Department of Forest Resource Management). He worked with forestry and engineering specialists to develop techno-economic analyses and optimization methods for mobile wood pellet production platforms. Before UBC, Ryan received his M.Sc. from the University of Idaho in Natural Resources and developed a techno-economic analysis and logistics modeling program called the Forest Residue Economic Assessment Model (FREAM) to assess the costs and optimization of experimental woody bioenergy projects. Ryan also received his B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Wyoming.

Ryan enjoys sports, hiking, fishing, and camping when he is out of the office.