Intermountain Biological Engineering Conference

Keynote Title: "Cultivated Meat: The Modern Day Agricultural Revolution"

Bio: Cameron G. Copeland is an alumnus of the Biological Engineering Department at Utah State University (USU), where he completed both his Bachelor's and Doctorate degrees. During his academic tenure at USU, Cameron displayed exceptional dedication and passion for biological engineering, eventually leading him to undertake an in-depth study on the production of spider silk, conducted within the Randy Lewis Spider Silk Lab. This foundational academic journey at USU equipped Cameron with a solid educational base, paving the way for his successful career in cell culture media research and development within the biotechnology sector. His journey in the industry began as a Research Scientist at GE Healthcare, where he honed his abilities in designing experiments and conducting in-depth data analysis to craft specialized cell culture media. Cameron currently serves as the Technical Lead for Cell Culture Media at Upside Foods. In this role, he focuses on creating, optimizing, and designing tailor-made cell culture media products for the production of cell-based meat. Cameron's team is at the forefront of the cellular agriculture field, ensuring these media products are not only optimized for growth, safety, taste, and cost-effectiveness but also in full compliance with regulatory guidelines.

Keynote Title: Innovation and Creativity - Fueling the Solutions of Today's Critical Challenges

Bio: JoAnn S. Lighty is the Dean of the College of Engineering at Boise State University and a professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, a position she has held since 2017. She is the fourth dean of the College. Lighty served as a Division Director in the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 2013-2017. She implemented several programmatic changes in the division during her tenure and was responsible for 16 programs and a budget of $184M. A champion of convergent research, she was one of the co-designers of the NSF Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water (INFEWS) Initiative. Prior to Boise State, Lighty was a professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah, where she held several academic leadership positions, including department chair, institute director, and associate dean. Throughout her academic career, Lighty has fiercely advocated for diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering. She received the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, the Utah Engineering Educator of the Year from the Utah Engineering Council, and the University of Utah’s Linda Amos Award for Distinguished Service to Women.

Bio: Sunil Sukumaran serves as Chief Technology Officer at Perfect Day, a consumer biology company on a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow by developing new ways to make the foods you love today — starting in the dairy aisle. In his role, he leads a global team of scientists, engineers, and researchers on the development and innovation of Perfect Day’s technology. Sunil joined Perfect Day as the Head of Operations and Vice President of R&D, before being promoted to Chief Technology Officer. He was previously with Anthem Biosciences, where he served as the Head of R&D for a decade, responsible for leading the biology team to some of the most diverse and significant product developments in the company’s history. Through his mentorship of a team of talented innovators, during his time at Anthem Biosciences several processes were transitioned from the lab into the vessel, at scales of tens of thousands of liters. Prior to Anthem Biosciences, he served as a Research Associate at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology. Sunil earned his PhD in biotechnology from Anna University and the University of Leicester and completed his post-doctoral training in microbial pathogenesis at the University of Southern California. He is passionate about the future of animal-free dairy and, with the rest of the Executive Leadership Team, is driving Perfect Day to its vision of building a more equitable, resilient, and diverse food system for all of us.