Erin Webb

Bio

Dr. Erin Webb leads the Bioresource Science & Engineering Group in the ORNL Environmental Sciences Division, where she serves as a Senior R&D Staff Member and Laboratory Relationship Manager for the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) under the Sustainable Transportation Program. She also leads the Economics and Land Use Modeling team for the Center for Bioenergy Innovation. She is a Joint Professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science at the University of Tennessee. She received her B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Tennessee, an M.S. in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from the University of Florida.

Dr. Webb's expertise lies in the intersection of bioresource science, engineering, and economics. She has led multiple projects sponsored by the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office, focusing on simulation and analysis of supply chains to deliver biomass as a feedstock to produce fuels, products, and power. Her research aims to develop sustainable and reliable bioresource production systems while preserving ecosystem services. Her work has also been instrumental in assessing the impacts of DOE-funded technologies and in shaping industry standards to address fire risks associated with biomass handling.

Recently, Dr. Webb has taken on a new leadership role as part of the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute's Convergent Research Initiatives (CRIs). She leads the Circular Bioeconomy Systems CRI, a joint venture with UT and ORNL, which aims to pioneer the shift toward low-energy and low-carbon-intensity circular agriculture and manufacturing.

Publications