With years of experience in clinical trial regulatory and human studies administration, Schemke said she chose to pursue the master’s program in health care ethics because of its flexibility and applicability. 

“It involves and builds upon the same ethical principles I have learned through my research administration experience, and it culminated at the degree level that gives me the upward mobility potential I was looking for, as well as giving me the opportunity to continue to work full time,” she said.

As part of the degree’s culminating graduation experience requirement, Schemke completed a three-month internship at the , helping to establish and develop the new Drug and Supplement Branch of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The branch will work to maintain and regulate hemp-derived cannabinoid production and sales in Kentucky. 

Schemke said the internship was an important part of the HCE program because “it provided the avenue for real world application of the concepts I learned during the program’s courses,” she said. 

As part of this hands-on experience, Schemke played a pivotal role in crafting regulations at the state level, ensuring that all of the research, outreach and advocacy was informed by ethical considerations and methodologies that she’s learned in the HCE program. 

What will this mean for Kentuckians? According to Schemke, when responsibility for hemp regulation began shifting to the Drug and Supplement branch, it expanded the number of staff focused on public safety related to the use and sale of these products.

“I was grateful to observe and learn the details of how such a reorganization is managed and think the recognition of need in this area can only help public safety in our state,” Schemke said. 

She credits the University of Louisville for making her next step possible.

 “I am thankful for the tuition remission benefit that UofL offers employees,” she said. “I felt very supported in the goal of advancing my education for future opportunities.”

Industrial hemp and marijuana are two different strains of the Cannabis sativa plant. Industrial hemp seeds and leaves contain very low levels of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive agent in Cannabis.

Industrial hemp is a highly renewable resource with applications for food, medicine, chemicals and energy. Stalks, seeds, flowers and oils all have potential uses with established markets.

“Hemp research for renewable energy technologies is highly useful for local and regional industry, even those not related to renewables,” said Mahendra Sunkara, director of Conn Center. “The theme of our biomass work is that we do not let anything go to waste.”

Conn Center scientists and engineers have harvested about 2,000 pounds of hemp and kenaf since the project began in anticipation of industrial hemp’s legalization in Kentucky. The UofL crop is one of eight at Kentucky colleges and universities grown as part of the state’s pilot program into field-scale industrial hemp, but the only one being used for energy research.

“Our students and faculty really enjoy working on this initiative,” said biology professor Mark Running, a faculty member of Conn Center contributing plant development expertise. “The opportunity to work on a timely challenge to improve our economy and society is exciting.”

“The growing plants have been embraced by students at UofL, who frequent the hemp patches next to the Eastern Parkway viaduct for selfies,” said Andrew Marsh, assistant director of the Conn Center. “We appreciate how passionately people support legalization and exploration of hemp as a renewable resource while also bumping up their Insta game.”

The Conn Center fosters the development of transformational concepts and accelerates transition from lab to pre-commercial scale. The center maintains unique, state-of-the-art facilities for advancing scalable manufacturing R&D of solar, energy storage, biofuels, value-added chemicals and energy efficiency solutions.                 

The planting is to demonstrate “energy crops” at the center’s Phoenix House office and living laboratory. These crops support biofuels research at the Conn Center utilizing Kentucky-grown plants as part of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program.

For 2017, Center researchers are looking at specific ways hemp and a fiber plant native to east-central Africa, can fulfill energy needs, define new markets and be a source for drop-in replacement for fibers, biofuels and other chemical production. Kenaf and hemp are highly adaptable to Kentucky and are being evaluated as a high yield, industrially relevant economic development resource.

“The Conn Center continues to examine the potential for unusual answers to renewable energy questions,” said Greg Postel, interim president of UofL. “The University of Louisville takes pride in the ability of our faculty and researchers to innovate using local resources for the good of the state. It gives people hope for the future.”

theme leader for biofuels and biomass conversion at Conn Center, is working with , assistant professor of chemical engineering in the Speed School, and undergraduate and graduate students to find uses for hurd, the inner core of the hemp plant stem, which is a by-product after the outer fibers of the hemp are removed. Hurd has potential for use in fuels, chemicals and polymers.

“We’ve been amazed at this research direction,” said Hank Conn, center benefactor and board member. “So many people have expressed their support, particularly the students. They really see the vast potential of industrial hemp and related crops for providing a revitalized economy that could be unprecedented for the state. Inspiring future generations is what we have always hoped to do.”

Support for this program comes from Hank and Rebecca Conn, who recognize the value of the center’s research to stimulate the bioeconomy. Currently, the Conn Center is pursuing three hemp-to-energy directions:

• Convert hemp into high value, functionalized carbons, with applications such as catalyst supports and energy storage media
• Transform hemp seed oil into biocompatible resins for 3-D printed medical implants
• Extract sugars from hemp and convert them into diesel additives and other valuable chemicals

These projects include four faculty and four student and post-doctoral researchers. In less than a year, their work has resulted in two invention disclosures with patents and publications to follow.

More about the planting is available in the video below: