Gregory Newbloom: Council of Outstanding Early Career Engineers - 2021

Gregory Newbloom often reflects on his favorite quote by Louis Pasteur when thinking back on his time at Oregon State University: “Luck favors the prepared.” Oregon State happened to be the in-state option for a Milwaukie kid that liked chemistry and math. He recognizes that one can learn the same subject anywhere, but Oregon State offers so much beyond the curriculum. Greg feels fortunate to have had access to faculty mentorship, internships and professional organizations that built a differentiated foundation. Dr. Newbloom notes that the Pete and Rosalie Johnson Internship Program gave him the opportunity to pursue an engineering summer internship after his freshman year at Oregon State. That professional jumpstart has been compounding interest for 15 years. He says that most people interact weekly with something that was developed, at least in part, by an Oregon State engineer, and adds: The College of Engineering has a huge impact on every part of our global society. Dr. Newbloom is currently the Founder and CEO of Membrion, a clean tech start-up focused on recycling wastewater from harsh industrial processes. The business makes ceramic desalination membranes out of the same material as the silica gel desiccant packets found in the bottom of a beef jerky package. His company currently has 16 full-time employees, $3M+ in revenue, and $10M+ in venture funding. He says that prioritizing sustainability in addition to function and cost will require a new level of engineering creativity. Dr. Newbloom’s leadership and entrepreneurial efforts have been recognized by a half-dozen regional and national awards including a ‘35 under 35’ from the American Institute of Chemical Engineering. He holds 36 patents, has co-authored a textbook, and has nine publications with hundreds of citations. His work is regularly featured in both local and national media. The part of his career that he’s most proud of is assembling the diverse team that powers a collaborative culture. Dr. Newbloom says that Membrion is just getting started and he’s excited to see where the journey takes him.