by Kristen Simpson

G eorgia College & State University alumna Ashley Baena Lampp (’06) is a chemist with LanzaTech Freedom Pines Biorefinery in Soperton, Georgia. The company captures carbon from the air, converts it into ethanol and manufactures a proprietary microbe called Biocatalyst.

As a biomanufacturing production lead, Lampp ensures smooth operation through organization and training. She’s also responsible for maintaining manufacturing quality.

“The opportunity to work for a company constantly pushing the envelope, trying new things and doing things that haven’t been done before is absolutely exhilarating,” Lampp said.

The ethanol Lampp helps produce is recycled into new products or transformed into other chemicals. Their recycled carbon has been used by companies like On Cloud and Lululemon to create perfumes, sustainable fuels, fabrics, apparel and packaging material.

“In my job, I utilize a lot of chemistry principles and a lot of the equipment that I learned to use as a chemistry major [at GCSU],” Lampp said. “The most important skill I developed is the ability to solve problems, be adaptable and think critically — those skills are an absolute necessity.”

Lampp wasn’t always an industrial chemist with LanzaTech. She got her start as an educator for the first 13 years of her career. As an undergraduate, Lampp was a founding member of Georgia College’s Women in Chemistry Alliance, a member of the chemistry club and volunteered in the Science Education Center.

The center is directed by Dr. Catrena Lisse, professor of chemistry, and brings science into local schools through outreach events directed by student volunteers.

“I was blessed to have lots of amazing teachers and professors during my years of education, but one stands above the rest. That’s Dr. Lisse,” Lampp said. “She was such a positive role model to me and truly shaped me into the adult I am today.”

“Her enthusiasm for chemistry, and life, is infectious and I caught the bug!” Lampp said.

None of what Lampp does today would have been possible without her education. As a first-generation student on her father’s side, Lampp appreciated the opportunity to immerse herself within other cultures and explore interdisciplinary topics.

“I think my greatest takeaway is a great appreciation for the liberal arts education I received at Georgia College,” Lampp said. “I was taught by incredible teachers from a wide range of course opportunities.”

“The well-roundedness of the education I received has infiltrated my life in so many ways and as a result, it’s made me a better person,” she said.

GCSU'S NEW INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY PATHWAY

Georgia College students earning their chemistry degree can now choose Industrial chemistry as a specific concentration within the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy.

“Any students who decide to be in our industrial chemistry concentration will receive critical skills and abilities that are not found elsewhere, from experts that have industrial experience and connections,” said Dr. Peter Rosado Flores, associate professor of chemistry. “Our faculty open doors toward graduate degrees in chemical engineering and other fields, while showcasing all sides to chemistry.”

_{Header Photo: Ashley Lampp, right, prepares a batch of slime for a Science Education Center outreach event. (Photo courtesy of Ashley Lampp)}