Freddy Lin

Mighty Oak Monday: Freddy Lin

10/09/2023

Major: Master’s degree in Bioprocess Engineering   
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York & Shanghai, China
Class of ’25

Growing up in Shanghai, Freddy Lin only needed to step out his door to see the negative impacts of fossil fuels. There were days when the air was so thick with pollutants you could barely see what was in front of you. It made one thing clear to Lin – the planet needs alternatives to burning carbon.

Years later, Lin finds himself doing just that in ESF's bioprocess engineering program. He earned his undergraduate degree this year, but he wasn’t finished with ESF yet. He returned for a master's degree in the same major because of a research opportunity presented by Dr. Chang Geun Yoo, a professor in the Chemical Engineering Department.

 "I was able to work directly with Ph.D. students assisting Dr. Yoo on his biofuel research," Lin said. "It was a great opportunity to explore whether I wanted to enter the industry or do more research."

The hands-on experience sealed the deal – Lin was ready for more research.  

For his master’s in bioprocess engineering, Lin will help study new methods for powering planes with biofuel. It's research on the cutting edge, and Lin hopes to bring the project over the finish line. The main issue, he explains, is reducing the cost of the product, which is the focus of Dr. Yoo’s research.

Lin hopes to grow into a role such as Dr. Yoo's, where he can engineer solutions that help make our planet more sustainable. It's a role that would come naturally to Lin, whose father spent a career in civil engineering.

"My dad would always have ideas on how to solve different problems growing up," Lin said. "That inspired me to try to innovate my own solutions."

Learn more about ESF’s Bioprocess Engineering program.