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Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois

ABE Celebrates A Year of Achievements at Spring Awards Banquet

Published May 27, 2009

The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) held their annual Spring

Awards Banquet on Sunday, April 19, 2009 at the I-Hotel and Conference Center in Urbana, Illinois.

The banquet is co-hosted each year by the U of I Student Engineering Branch of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the Agricultural Mechanization Club. Stephen Anderson, a master’s student in ABE, and Ryan Giertz, a freshman in ABE, were the organizers for this year’s event.

“We had a fantastic turnout,” said Anderson, noting that in the past, the traditional turnout for the event has been 100 people, and this year more than 150 people attended. The evening began with a social hour at 4:00 p.m. Concurrently, the UIUC chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Honor Society for Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering held a thirty-minute induction ceremony.

The program started at 5:00 p.m., with remarks from Dr. Robert Easter, Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. Easter spoke of the recent accomplishments of the department, saying, “The College of ACES is incredibly fortunate to host the nation’s top-ranked Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. The success of the Department speaks highly of the quality and hard work of all who are involved – faculty, staff and students.”

Easter also said it was worth noting that this is a time of great opportunity for both professional agricultural engineers, graduates of the program in Technical Systems Management and those who engage in research in the field.

“Water, food adequacy and fuel are critical national and international issues,” said Easter. “Each of these has elements core to the programs in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.”

Next, Gina Francis, president of the Student Engineering branch of ASABE, gave a retrospective of the club’s highlights throughout the academic year. Those highlights included the club’s main fundraiser, the Lawnmower Summerization, held in early April, with over 60 lawnmowers serviced; a fall barbeque, organized by club members and attended by more than 50 people in the department; and new bylaws, written and ratified by club members. After dinner, the awards ceremony began, and more than $25,000 in gifts and scholarships was presented to individual and group winners.

“We truly appreciate all our donors,” Anderson said, “and this year we had several new scholarship donors, including Wendell Bowers and Larry and Lola Huggins. “John Deere has contributed a $2500 scholarship for several years now,” Anderson continued, “and this year the Caterpillar Foundation offered two $2500 scholarships.” Anderson also said this was the first year the ASABE Central Illinois Section provided a ‘Future Leaders Scholarship’ in the amount of $500.

In addition, Lyle Stephens, MS ’68 AgE, was presented the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus award. Stephens is a research engineer (retired) with Moline Technology Innovation Center, Deere and Company. Stephens said he was humbled by the recognition and grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with a part of his past.

“But this evening is about the future,” he said, “and the future leaders of our profession and our professional society. As one who has been a part of the leadership of our professional society, I am excited about its future. I can’t think of anyone more qualified to lead our profession and our nation into the future, a renewable future, than the people in this room.”

Dr. John Replogle, Ph.D. ’64 CE, was introduced as the first-ever ABE Professor for a Day. Replogle is a research hydraulic engineer (retired) with the USDA Arid Lands Agricultural Research Center. As part of the Professor for a Day program, Replogle gave a seminar on Monday, April 20 (“Overview of Methodologies Used in Open Channel and Pipe Flow Measurement”) and spoke with faculty and students in a variety of settings. Later, Replogle said, “The banquet was one of the highlights of my visit. It was wonderful to see the accomplishments of today’s students, and to know the quality of the Department only continues to improve.”

“I think the banquet shows how hard so many people are working to promote our department,” Anderson concluded. “Dr. Ting [Department Head] works hard to promote our program, and the faculty support is always amazing. So we want to thank everyone, including the dean, our donors and our families, who took time to be with us that evening and recognize that hard work.”

The banquet was funded by the Student Branch of ASABE and the Ag Mech Club, as well as by ticket sales and support from the John Deere Foundation. A complete list of the award winners can be found at http://abe.illinois.edu/AwardRecipients2009.

News writer: Leanne Lucas

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