The Lead with ASABE

In this episode, we visit with Sudhagar Mani, professor, University of Georgia College of Engineering and the new Editor in Chief for ASABE Journals. Mani shares why journals are so important to the work of ASABE, why ASABE members should publish their research, services available to ASABE members for publishing, and more.

Take a deep dive into food packaging, hemp and technology with this latest episode! Aaron Dudley, Ph. D., shares about his research on nanoencapsulation of hemp extract using electrospinning. 

In this episode, we chat with Bob Gustafson, PE, and ASABE member, about the Order of the Engineer. The order is committed to promoting ethics in engineering. The episode discusses how to get involved in the order, what the ceremony entails, and more.

In this episode, we interview Michael Sama, Distinguished Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Kentucky, and Cale Boriack, P.E., Design/Project Engineer, CNH. Cale serves as the current chair of AETC planning committee, and Michael is past chair.  Sama and Boriack will discuss what's on the agenda for the 30th anniversary AETC.  Find out more by contacting Jessica Bell at bell...

In this episode, Claudiane Ouellet-Plamondon, Professor, University of Quebec, and Canada Research Chair on Sustainable Multifunctional Construction Materials, talks about her experiences regenerating pastureland through agroforestry at the Regeneration Field Institute in Ecuador. We'll discuss sustainable bamboo architecture, transforming the land with syntropic farming, grafting trees and more.

In this episode, hear from Scott Shearer, Professor & Chair, Department of Food, Agricultural & Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, as he discusses all things agrivoltaics. Shearer will discuss the role ag can play in the transition to clean energy, the current pilot research program occurring in Ohio, what crops and animals seem to flourish in an agrivoltaic setting, and mo...

AI is changing how many industries operate on a day-to-day basis, and agriculture is no exception. However, it's not a silver bullet to answer all of the industry's problems. W. Edwin Harris, Centre for Agriculture Data Science, Harper Adams University, United Kingdom, discusses the challenges of AI in the agriculture industry in this episode.

Not all college students have an easy path to a successful agricultural and biological engineering career. Purdue's Rising Scholars Program seeks to help first-generation college students with adjusting to and succeeding in college life while pursuing a degree in a STEM field. 

In this episode, hear from Leon Schumacher, Department Chair, Agricultural & Biological Engineering, North Dakota State University, as he discusses the department's celebration of a century in academia.

Meet the man behind the gavel--newly installed ASABE President, Doug Otto. Doug shares his ASABE history, his goals for his presidency, and discusses the future of ag engineering. 

In this episode, Michael Ngadi, Professor, McGill University, discusses how developing countries can take their destinies into their own hands to improve and innovate in their agricultural and food production systems. By doing so, these countries will better prepare themselves for climate change impacts and make their own countries more independent, while building local economies. For more informa...

Our 30th episode features Gerry Rehkulger, Emeritus Professor, Department of Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rehkugler embarked on a project to document all of the tower silos in his county in upstate New York, a former hotbed for dairy farming. Rehkugler also discusses the agricultural engineering achievements behind different types of...

In this episode, hear from Alex Thomasson, Professor & Department Head, Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, as he discusses his team's efforts to build a robotic cotton harvester, how the robot picks cotton without damaging it, and the benefits of picking cotton with a robot. 

In this episode, hear from Andres Ferreyra, Communications Manager & CS Business Partner for Bayer, and Brent Kemp, President & CEO of AgGateway. Both of these guests serve on the new ISO committee that is creating standards for food and ag systems data. Learn more about the unified data reference architecture in the agri-food value chain, the impact of data on smart farming, agrisemantics...

In this episode, John Cundiff, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech University, discusses three technologies for hauling feedstocks to regional biorefineries. These technologies could revolutionize how biorefineries source their materials and save on costs. 

It's not every day that a university program celebrates its centennial. The Agricultural & Biological Engineering program at the University of Florida has been serving students for 100 years. In this episode, Katy Migliaccio, Program Chair & Professor, shares highlights from a century of agricultural engineering excellence.

The need for technology has spurred its creation for time immemorial. In this episode, hear from Roger Ruan, Director, Center for Biorefining, Professor, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Ruan discusses the various technologies that can be implemented in the emerging trend of multi-floor, vertical intensive animal production facilities.

At the AgAID Institute, students utilize tools to build workflows to solve problems in the agriculture industry. Ananth Kalyanaraman, professor, Washington State University, discusses this program and how it brings more data to ag workers and growers to make better decisions. They partner with K-12 schools to introduce students to agriculture and technology as viable career options.

What is resilience and how does it impact the agriculture and natural resources industries? Craig Allen, Resilience Scientist, University of Nebraska, shares his insights on resilience and how the agriculture industry can play a role in helping ecosystems be more resilient.

In this episode, hear from Jaden Tatum, a Ph. D. student at The Ohio State University, discussing techno-economic assessments of appropriate technologies in developing countries. You'll find out what a techno-economic assessment is, how the assessments consider cultural and intangible factors, how the assessment can be used to meet environmental or social goals, and more.

Mental health and burnout are major topics in today's workplace. In this episode, John Shutske, Professor and Agricultural Health & Safety Specialist with the University of Wisconsin, discusses why agriculture is such a stressful occupation, how burnout differs from regular stress, gender differences with mental health, and more.

In this episode, we'll visit with John McMaine, Associate Professor, Ag & Biosystems Engineering; Extension Specialist; and Water Management Engineer, South Dakota State University; and Director, South Dakota Water Resources Institute. He'll discuss highlights from his presentation at the 2023 Annual International Meeting on low-cost flow monitoring.

In this episode, ASABE President Dana Porter shares a little about herself, her goals for ASABE for her presidency, and how ASABE members can make a difference in their communities.

The Farm of the Future--does not look like something out of Star Trek. Rather, it's a working farm with opportunities for innovation at every turn. Barbara Sturm, Scientific Director, Liebniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering & Bioeconomy, Germany, tell us what exciting projects the Farm of the Future will tackle to help create a circular bioeconomy.

In this episode, we explore why teaching students at all levels about tech literacy, data management, problem-solving skills and more are such critical career development skills. We'll also talk about the ASABE Hackathon, an annual contest at the Annual International Meeting (AIM) where students solve problems using code. The 2023 contest was the second year ASABE has hosted this event, so it's ve...