HARRISONBURG, VA – James Madison University and its fuels diversification program are working together to produce biodiesel fuel from waste cooking oil collected from campus dining facilities, according to the university. Kitchen waste oil will be collected by recycling vehicles and delivered to a large-scale biodiesel reactor that was purchased by JMU in March 2005, said Dr. C.J. Brodrick, program co-director and an assistant professor of integrated science and technology at JMU. The biodiesel produced by the reactor will supplement the biodiesel JMU purchases from its supplier. The university has been using biodiesel for the past 18 months. The reactor was purchased through a grant from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy and matching funds from JMU's Facilities Management department. The university has also purchased a gasoline-electric hybrid Toyota Prius that gets between 40 and 60 miles to the gallon. In the next six months, JMU plans to buy two more hybrids to add to its fleet of 40 alternative-fuel vehicles. The university also has seven vehicles that run on gasoline and compressed natural gas.