ASABE recognizes numerous OSU students and staff
Friday, August 31, 2012
By Debra Schlegel
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers recognized several Oklahoma State University students and professors at its annual international meeting.
Biosystems and agricultural engineering graduate student Jessica J. Lay is the recipient of the 2012 Pharos of Alexandria Global Learning Award in recognition of her scholarly accomplishments and professionalism, outstanding leadership skills, humanitarian service and dedication to her academic department and to ASABE.
Associate professor Garey A. Fox is the recipient of the 2012 A.W. Farrall Young Educator Award for his outstanding contributions to future agricultural and biological engineers through teaching, research, and professional service.
Fox has created a collaborative research atmosphere for his students investigating fundamental and applied soil and water research areas. His unique approach of combining laboratory, field experiments and modeling has assisted in solving agricultural water quality problems.
Associate professor Mark R. Wilkins received the 2012 Gale A. Holloway Professional Development Award for early career involvement and outstanding leadership contributions to the ASABE Biological Engineering division and for service as a role model for pre-professionals.
In addition to teaching food and bioprocessing engineering classes and advising graduate students in bioenergy, Wilkins conducts research focused on methods to produce transportation fuels from cellulosic biomass.
Finalists for the Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award were OSU graduate students Taber Midgley and Abdul-Sahib Al-Madhachi. The award recognizes excellence in the conduct and presentation of research to build the knowledge base needed by engineers who design equipment, facilities, and processes for the sustainable operation of a biological system.
Midgley was recognized for his work on “Steambank Erosion and Instability Induced by Seepage: In-Situ Constant-Head Seepage Experiments.” Al-Madhachi was recognized for his project “Deriving Parameters of a Fundamental Detachment Model Cohexive Soils from Flume and Jet Erosion Tests.”
The AGCO National Student Design Competition’s purpose is to encourage undergraduate participation in the design of useful agricultural engineering. The 2012 National Student Design Competition finalists included two OSU students. Scott Clark, a recent OSU graduate, and Eric Lam were recognized for their project “Automated Chemical Injection System N2 Line Solutions.” This competition provides experience in peer recognition and practice with design project execution.
Clark also received the Roger R. and Larua M. Yoerger Preprofessional Engineer of the Year Award in recognition of his outstanding promise. He is now employed by John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline, Illinois.
Mikayla M. Marvin was named a finalist for the K.K. Barnes Student Paper Award. Marvin was also recognized as an undergraduate engineering student for her paper on “Escherichia coli Transport to Subsurface Drains through Surface-Connected Macropores.”
The Undergraduate Project Poster Competition, held during the annual international meeting, encourages undergraduate students to interact with industry, faculty and fellow students by presenting an engineering project useful to agriculture. The 2012 Poster Competition participants included Peter Storm and Rebecca Purvis of OSU.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers Trophy Awards recognizes outstanding initiative and accomplishment in ASABE student branch activities. OSU was recognized under the Oklahoma Student Branch.
Finally, the 2012 ASABE Fellows elected during the 2011-2012 Society Year, include OSU’s Glenn O. Brown, Regents Professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering, and Daniel L. Thomas, professor and head of the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering.