Dr. Joan G. Lynam is an expert in renewable energy, a subject that she is passionate about. She is an Associate Professor and Program Chair at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering gained from the University of Nevada Reno. Her specialties are Biomass, Engineering Waste to Energy, Biomass Characterization, Direct Contact Membrane Distillation, and Sustainable Energy. She has spent the last decade working on research that will help reduce waste and improve the quality of life for future generations. Her dedication to solving high-level problems has earned her several awards, including Louisiana Tech's 2021 Virgil Orr Award and 2021 College of Engineering and Science Research Award, the 2015 Outstanding Honor the Best Graduate Student of the University of Nevada, Reno, and the 2012 and 2014 Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher of the Engineering and Science Colleges Division at the University of Nevada, Reno.