My interest in preserving the natural world grew out of an early fascination with my father's aquarium. A deep dive (no pun intended) into the saltwater aquarium hobby, in addition to being a lifelong competitive swimmer, led to a fixation with the aquatic ecosystem, particularly coral reefs. By the end of high school, I was maintaining four different home aquariums, the largest of which was a 185-gallon coral reef system. This hobby inspired me to pursue a degree in Marine Science, and eventually also Biochemistry, at the University of South Carolina (USC), where I was fortunate to be recognized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hollings Fellowship, Barry Goldwater Foundation, and the Marine Aquarium Society of North America (MASNA) for my dedication to aquatic research and education outreach.

After graduation from USC, I shifted focus from studying the ocean environment from an ecological and regulatory policy perspective, to a desire to actively change human practices that negatively affect ecosystem health. I enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) to research and develop sustainable fuel and chemical production from renewable substrates rather than fossil fuels. I was honored to receive a fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund my doctoral research. After working as a Scientist at Locus Biosciences to develop antibiotic alternatives to combat the rising rates of untreatable bacterial infections, I now lead a team at KBI Biopharma that faciliates the production of numerous pharmaceutical proteins.

In my free time, I am an amateur photographer who specializes in wildlife and travel photography. Furthermore, interests in history and art have led me to become an avid collector of antiquities of all sorts, but especially books from the 14th to 19th centuries. While books themselves are historical objects, they are also often pieces of artwork that have traveled unique arcs through human history as they relay from owner to owner.

I was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, am an avid Cincinnati Bengals fan, and currently reside in Holly Springs, NC with my wife Katie and our golden retriever Rosie. Please take a look around my website, keep up with my research, check out my photos, and feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance to you.

Drew DeLorenzo, PhD