• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, 1987
• M.S. Degree, Chemical Engineering, 1982, Mendeleev Chemical Engineering University, Moscow, Russia

Professional Engineer holding Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with over 25 years of extensive experience in R&D from conception to commercialization in sugar, biorefining and pharmaceutical industries. Demonstrated strong leadership and team-building skills in co-managing a three-year $1.9 million DOE-sponsored program on development and pilot demonstration of innovative separation technologies for conversion of agricultural feedstock into fuels and chemicals. Coordinated this project with a group of national labs and industrial partners. Initiated and supervised several multidisciplinary projects funded by international industrial consortia on development of new sugar processing technologies and risk-free integration into existing commercial facilities. Currently principal investigator and/or collaborator on several grants (total of $1.2 million) related to improvement of sugar cane mill operations and integration of biomass conversion technologies into existing cane sugar industry infrastructure.

Specialized expertise includes unit operations involved in all aspects of new process development and implementation: membrane filtration, industrial chromatography, solvent extraction, ion exchange, distillation, filtration, crystallization, bulk solids handling.

Currently Associate Director (Process Technology) of newly formed Louisiana Institute of Biofuels and Bioprocessing (LIBBi) and a praticipant of Agricultural Leadership Program at the LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA .

• All aspects of sugar processing, providing technical support to operating processing facilities.
• Development of new process technologies and integration into existing process facilities.
• Unit operations involved in sugar processing:
• solids-liquid separations
• filtration
• crystallization
• ion exchange
• industrial chromatography
• Separation and purification technologies in biomass fractionation that will lead to improvement and diversification of the sugar industry as a part of agricultural industry.

• 10/2006 to present: Professor - Audubon Sugar Institute, LSU AgCenter, Saint Gabriel, Louisiana. Adjunct Professor at Chemical Engineering and Biological and Agricultural Engineering Departments
• 6/1991 to 10/2006: Process Research Group Leader - Amalgamated Research Inc. (Amalgamated Sugar Company), Twin Falls, Idaho.
• 11/1985 to 3/1991: Senior Research Engineer (Assistant Lab Manager) - Vitamin Research Institute, Moscow, Russia.
• 11/1982 to 11/1985: Chemical Engineer - Mendeleev Chemical Engineering University, Moscow, Russia.

Membership of Scientific and Professional Societies

• Member of the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists, ASSBT, ASSCT and National Society of Professional Engineers.
• Served as a Chairman of Research Advisory Committee to Sugar Processing Research Institute (SPRI), an organization sponsored by over 20 international companies.
• A referee of the International Sugar Journal.

Professional Registration

• Professional Chemical Engineer registered in the state of Idaho. License #8124

Selected  Publications

• V. Kochergin, M. Kearney, W. Jacob, L. Velasquez, J. Alvarez, C. Baez-Smith - Chromatographic desugarization of syrups in cane mills, International Sugar Journal, vol.102, No.1223 (November 2000), pp. 568-578
• V. Kochergin, M. Kearney - Fractal distributors for uniform fluid distribution in the sugar industry, Zuckerindustrie 126 (2001), No. 1, pp. 51-54
• V. Kochergin, M. Johnson - Sugar storage in silos: A slow conditioning approach International Sugar Journal, vol. 103, No. 1229 (May 2001), pp. 194-200
• V. Kochergin, S. Olmstead, W. Jacob - Evaluation of emerging technologies: Importance of correct analytical procedures, Proceedings of the 31^st ASSBT meeting, Vancouver, Canada, March 1-4, 2001, pp. 137-142
• V. Kochergin, S. Olmstead, W. Jacob - Evaluation of emerging technologies: Importance of correct analytical procedures, Zuckerindustrie 126 (2001), No. 5, pp. 376-379
• V. Kochergin, M. Kearney, J. Alvarez - Direct production of white sugar in cane mills: technical and economic aspects, Proceedings of the 24th Congress of the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists, Brisbane, Australia, September 17-21, 2001, vol. 1, pp. 108-111
• M. Kearney, V. Kochergin - Chromatographic applications in the cane sugar industry, Proceedings of the 24th Congress of the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists, Brisbane, Australia, September 17-21, 2001, vol. 1, pp. 11-15
• V. Kochergin - Practical applications of membrane filtration in the sugar industry, International Sugar Journal, vol. 103, No. 1236 (December 2001), pp. 529-532
• V. Kochergin - Processing opportunities for the future, International Sugar Journal, vol. 104, No. 1243 (July 2002), pp. 290-300
• V. Kochergin, C. Rhoten, B. Purchase - Research and development in the sugar industry: Status and future trends, International Sugar Journal, vol. 105, No. 1251 (March 2003), pp. 137-143
• V. Kochergin, M. Kearney, W. Jacob, T. Pryor - Raw Juice purification process: a lime-free technology, Zuckerindustrie, 128(2003), No.9, pp. 667-672
• V. Kochergin, W. Jacob, L. Velasquez, J. Alvarez - Possibilities of ion exchange softening of cane clarified juice, Proc. of SPRI Conference - New developments, April 4-7, 2004 Atlanta, GA 2004, ppp. 306-314
• N. R. Mann, R. S. Herbst, T. L. Trowbridge, V. Kochergin - Development of The Embedded Membrane Concept, - Proceedings of the 9th World Filtration Congress, New Orleans, LA, April, 2004
• N.R. Mann, R. S. Herbst, J. R Hess, V. Kochergin - Enhanced flux erosion resistant membranes for biomass separations - Membrane Technology, An International Newsletter, November 2004, pp. 5-9
• V. Kochergin - Chromatographic applications in sugar industry- 2^nd International Conference on New Technologies in Sugar Beet Industry, Moscow, Russia, June 14-18, 2004
• V. Kochergin, M. Kearney, R.S. Herbst, N.R. Mann, T.G. Garn, and J.R. Hess - Challenges For Membrane Filtration of Biomass Derived Solutions, AIChE Annual Meeting, Houston, TX, November 10, 2004.
• V. Kochergin, O. Tzschaetzsch - Ion Exchange Thin Juice Softening using Fractal Technology, International Sugar Journal, Vol. 107, No 1278, (June 2005) pp. 342-353
• V. Kochergin, M. Kearney - Existing Biorefinery Operations that benefit from fractal based process intensification - Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, vol. 129-132, 2006, pp. 349-360
• V. Kochergin, W. Jacob, M. Kearney, W. Bornak- Ion exchange decolorization-possibility of resin rejuvenation, Proceedings of the 34th ASSBT meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, Feb 28-March 3, 2007
• V. Kochergin, W. Jacob, W. Bornak – Extending life of decolorization resin by aggressive cleaning procedures, Proc. of Sugar Industry Technologists meeting, 2007 May 6, Baltimore, MD, paper # 918
• V. Kochergin - Membrane Applications in the sugar industry, Part 1. Membrane and Separation Technology News, An International Newsletter, July 2007, vol. 26, No 7, pp. 8-9,16
• V. Kochergin - Membrane Applications in the sugar industry, Part 2. Membrane and Separation Technology News, An International Newsletter, August 2007, vol. 26, No 8, pp.13-15
• V. Kochergin, M. Suhr – Chromatographic applications for optimized sugar processing, Proc. of Andrew Van Hook Symposium, Reims, France, March 27, 2008
• V. Kochergin, W. Jacob, W. Bornak – Extending life of decolorization resin by aggressive cleaning procedures, International Sugar Journal, vol. 110, No. 1313, May 2008, pp. 305-310
• V. Kochergin, M. Saska - Production and storage of VHP and VLC sugar, Proc. of Sugar Industry Technologists, May 25-28, 2008, Leipzig, Germany, paper #944
• V. Kochergin, M. Suhr -Utilisation de la separation chromatographique en vue d’’un process sucrier optimize - Indus. Alim. Agric. (2008) 125 (9-10) 26-31. (in French)
•  Saska, M., V. Kochergin- Quality changes during storage of raw and VLC sugar: Effects of pH and moisture , International Sugar Journal, April(2009) Vol. 111, No. 1324, pp. 234, 236-238
• V.Kochergin Storage of VHP and VLC raw sugar: results of the 2007-08 season ,The Sugar Bulletin v.87, No.5 February 2009, pp. 19-20
• V.Kochergin Optimization of low grade boiling procedures ,The Sugar Bulletin v.87, No.6 Mar 2009, pp16-20.
• V.Kochergin , K. Miller -Evaluation of target efficiencies for solid-liquid separation steps in biofuels production –accepted for publication to Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology -2010
• V.Kochergin - Affinity based separation technologies and their role in the current and future sugar industry - Proceedings of First Conference of European Society of Sugar Technologists (ESST) paper, Rotterdam May 17-19, 2009. CD
• V. Kochergin Studies of Long-Term Storage of High Quality Raw Sugar, Proceedings of the 26th Congress of the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists, Veracruz, Mexico, March 7-11, 2010 CD (refereed)
• V.Kochergin Reduction on Sugar losses in Boiling House Operations ,The Sugar Bulletin v.88, No.7 April 2010, pp.17-19
• K. Miller, V. Kochergin - Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) for recovery of suspended solids from pretreated bagasse streams – submitted to Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology- 2010
• V. Kochergin Studies of Long-Term Storage of High Quality Raw Sugar,  Sugar Industry/Zuckerindustrie, 135(60), No.7, pp.419-42
• V.Kochergin, C.Gaudet, M.Robert -A Juice Clarifier with Turbulence Reduction Devices-Results of First Industrial Trials- Proceedings of the 83th Congress of SASTA, Aug 25-27, 2010, Durban, SA (refereed)
• V.Kochergin Sugar Industry Diversification : Pathways to Non-Ethanol Fuels and Chemicals , Plenary presentation at the 83th Congress of SASTA, Aug 25-27, 2010, Durban, SA