2007, NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

BAE Alumni & Friends – 1

Biofuels seem to be thetopic of the times. Everyonewants to know about biofuels!What are they? What canthey power? How are theymade and how fast can wemake them? It’s the engineer-ing challenge of the decade tofind renewable, economical,clean energy. It’s also believedthat meeting this challengewill greatly define the futureand how we live in it.

Various types of renewable energy sources are in use today and account for6.5% of the total U.S. energy production. In the last 3 years the combination ofall types of biomass production accounted for 3% of the total production, thusslightly trumping hydropower which accounted for 2.9% (www.eia.doe.gov/).Biomass energy is predicted to grow and develop worldwide and especially inthe U.S. as we look to reduce the use of traditional energy sources.

President Bush visited NC in February, 2007 where he toured theNovozymes manufacturing plant in Franklinton, and participated in a paneldiscussion on the potential of alternative fuels. He was very interested inethanol-based fuels generated from materials like wood chips and switchgrassas part of the U.S.’s plan to reduce gasoline consumption by 20% in 10 years.

BAE’s Dr. Ratna Sharma was invited to participate in the panel discussionBush attended where he spoke directly to Sharma about her and her

colleague’s work. He was interested in thepossibilities that Dr. Sharma shared. She saidthat, “NCSU researchers are looking at the useof wood chips, sweet potatoes, switchgrass, cottonstalks and other types of biomass for ethanolproduction because these do not deplete widelyused foods and feeds.” To date, the highest

energy rates come from corn-based ethanol but corn is in demand as a foodstaple for humans and livestock, so finding other sources would be better.

NC Rep. Bob Etheridge and Pennsylvania Rep. Tim Holden visited

Summer 2007

In This Issue

BioFuels in Blast-off Statusat BAE................................... 1Faculty News ........................ 2Outstanding AlumnusAward .................................... 2Department Head’sComments ............................. 3Student Spring Banquet ....... 4In & Around Weaver ............ 5Bowers Sails .......................... 6Celebration for Dr. Young .... 7C.F. Abrams Retires .............. 7Staff Achiever’s ..................... 8The Competition Results ...... 8Alumni Updates ................. 10Advisory Board ................... 11Weaver’s New AC ............... 11Graduation Listing ............. 12

Visit BAE on the web at:www.bae.ncsu.edu

Fax comments & questions to:BAE News at 919-515-6772

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continued on page 9

BioFuels in Blast-off Status @ BAE

Kioti Tractor Division, Daedong-USA, Inc.donated a valuable tractor engine to BAE.It will be used in the student engine lab.The department is very appreciative sinceit replaces one of the teaching engineswhich had to be retired.

It’s not a rocket launcher!This is a Biomass

Torrefaction Unit thatDr. Boyette has been

working on. Torrefactionis a gasification process

to convert woodchips tocharcoal. There are anumber of important

steps in the thermo-chemical pathway to

produce alternativeenergy from biomass.

2 – BAE Alumni & Friends

Department Head Dr. Robert EvansWriter/Graphics Carolyn MitkowskiAdvisor Dr. Mike Boyette

BAE Alumni & Friends is a annualpublication of the Biological and Agri-cultural Engineering Department, NorthCarolina State University, Box 7625,Raleigh, NC 27695-7625.

If you would like to contribute to the nextissue of BAE Alumni&Friends, pleasesend your contributions to Dr. Evans atthe address above or email:[email protected] [email protected].

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Faculty NewsASABE Awards

The American Society of Agricul-tural and Biological Engineers(ASABE) has named Dr. David B.Beasley a Fellow of the Society.Beasley was inducted July 2006, at aceremony of the Annual Interna-tional Meeting, held in Portland,Oregon. Beasley also received thePaul Harris Fellow-Rotary Interna-tional award.

Other members of the facultyreceived awards at the 2006 ASABEannual meeting. Associate facultymember Dr. Brian E. Farkas, of theFood Science Department was therecipient of the FPSA FoundationFood Engineering Award. Dr. AlbertR. Jarrett, visiting professor fromPennsylvania State University, washonored for his accomplishments as aresearcher and educator in naturalresource engineering. Dr. Jarrett wasalso recently named into the Who’sWho in Engineering Academia.

Dr. Mike Boyette earned ancontinued on page 4

Elijah J. (Jim) Tyson was selected as the 2006 BAE OutstandingAlumnus Award recipient. Dr. Young officiated at the September reception

held at Weaver Labs. Many folks were on hand torecognize Tyson's contributions to the BAE De-partment, College of Agriculture and Life Sci-ences, 4-H, and NC State University in general.Tyson then attended a second reception whichhonored all the CALS department recipients.Tyson received plaques from CALS and BAE.

Tyson is a native of Union County, NorthCarolina. He attended NC State from 1953 until1958 and graduated with a BS of Biological andAgricultural Engineering. He spent his entireprofessional career (1958-1989) working for the

Duke Power Company of Charlotte, NC, retiring as manager of the agricul-tural engineering division. As a leader in the electric power industry he haseffectively advanced the area of electrical application for agricultural produc-tion. Tyson has been prominent in the American Society of Agricultural andBiological Engineers (ASABE), serving at the state and national levels. Hecontributed to committees and served in leadership roles, like chair of the NCSection. In 1987, he was named an ASABE “Fellow” -- an honor bestowedupon few. Tyson is also a veteran of the Korean Conflict.

Jim is a significant supporter of NCSU and CALS and of youth programs,continuing his involvement in the 4-H Foundation and statewide 4-H activities.He was instrumental in starting BAE’s Student Activities Endowment Fund, andset-up the Elijah J. Tyson Scholar-ship Endowment Fund, and hasdesignated a remainder trust forscholarship fund.

Jim’s name will be etched on aplaque hanging in Weaver Labsthat honors all BAE’s namedoutstanding alumni.

Tyson Oustanding Alumns

Nominations RequestedNominations are requested for

the 2008 Outstanding Alumnus Award. Although the department isaware of some of the achievements by our alumni, we are unaware of thecontributions of so many others. Please take time to make nominationsfor next year’s award by May 15, 2008. The recipient must have receiveda degree from the BAE department. Nominees should have a record ofservice to their community, industry, and/or to NC State and the Collegeof Agriculture and Life Sciences. The nomination letter should explainwhy the nominee deserves the award. The award recipient will berecognized in the Fall of 2008.

Elijah J. Tyson


Department Head’s CommentsGreetings from Raleigh! It is a pleasure to introduce

you to the first BAE Alumni and Friends Newslettersince my appointment as Department Head last Octo-ber. It has been a busy nine months for the department.We developed a new strategic plan (Compact Plan) inDecember and immediately jumped into preparationsfor our 10-year Comprehensive and Graduate ProgramsReviews that were completed in May. I am pleased toreport that the department continues to be consideredone of the best programs in the country among our peers.

The review team noted our historical strength in machine systems, continu-ing strong environmental programs (water resources, waste management, andecological engineering) and our emerging stature in air quality, controls, bio-processing and aquaculture. I believe we are well-positioned to elevate ournational and international reputation in these program areas and makesignificant contributions to North Carolina and the Southeast.

Our recruiting efforts are beginning to pay dividends. Undergraduateenrollment has increased each of the last two years. We graduated 23 studentsin May. Our undergraduate enrollment is not yet where we would like it tobe; but, it is headed in the right direction – UP! While our engineeringenrollment is increasing, we continue to have low enrollment in our technol-ogy program and are aggressively looking at alternatives. While the jobmarket appears strong, we struggle to attract students into the program. Wewould really like to hear from you if you have ideas for making this programmore attractive to today’s high school graduate.

Now for some highlights of our faculty, students and alumni activities thatare featured in this Newsletter:

I am pleased to announce that Elijah J. (Jim) Tyson is the secondrecipient of the Department’s Outstanding Alumnus Award. Jim, a 1958graduate, spent his career with Duke Energy making significant contribu-tions to rural electrification. Jim was a lifelong supporter of 4-H and instru-mental in helping establishing BAE’s Student Activities Endowment. I directyour attention to the article as it outlines Jim’s many accomplishments.Thanks Jim, and Congratulations.

Congratulations and Best Wishes are in order to three of our faculty whoretired in 2006 – Drs. Jim Young, Frank Abrams (p. 7) and Crowell Bowers(p. 6). We wish each of you much deserved relaxation and good health for along, happy retirement.

In the faculty news section congratulations are in order to Dr. William(Bill) Hunt, III who was inducted into the “NCSU Academy of OutstandingFaculty Engaged in Extension”. This honor is bestowed on only 3 facultyannually. Way to go Bill! (p. 3). Other faculty receiving awards this past yearinclude Dr. Dave Beasley – ASABE Fellow; Dr. Mike Boyette - NC TobaccoGrowers Association Outstanding Extension Service Award; and Dr. JohnClassen - Arkansas Academy of Biological and Agricultural Engineers. I amalso pleased to announce that Dr. Greg Jennings will be the recipient of the2007 ASABE Gunlogson Countryside Engineering Award and Dr. PhilWesterman will be named an ASABE Fellow. continued next column

We’ve have several facultyadditions and reassignments overthe past year. Welcome to Drs. MattVeal and Mohamed Youssef whojoined the faculty ranks last Augustand Dr. Mike Burchell who will bejoining the team in July. Congratu-lations to Dr. Tom Losordo upon hisappointment as Dept. ExtensionLeader on Oct. 1. Dr. Losordo join-ed the BAE department in 2002after 20 years in the Zoology Dept.Congratulations are also in order toDr. Andy Hale who was appointedAssociate Head on Jan. 1. Alsoserving as Undergraduate Coordi-nator, Dr. Hale provides leadershipfor our undergraduate programs.

The NCSU ASABE StudentChapter enjoyed a resurgence instudent activities over the past yearthat included charitable fundraisers,a return to hosting the AntiqueFarm Machinery Exhibit at the NCState Fair, participation in theSoutheast Student Rally, ASABE ¼scale tractor competition, BAE jobfair, and a formal Awards Banquet.(p. 4 and 5).

The department continues tobenefit from the guidance we receivefrom our Industry Advisory Board.Welcome to new Board membersDr. Ed Barnes, Mr. Ray Best, andMs. Cecelia Redding. Many thanksto retiring members Mr. KimColson, Dr. Jami Nettles and Mr.Preston Sasser. (p. 11).

Clearly this has been a produc-tive year for BAE. I hope you willenjoy reading about these and otherarticles included in this Newsletter.We’d be delighted to have you stopby the department for a visit and toinclude your news in the nextNewsletter. Be sure and let us hearfrom you. From all of us at WeaverLabs, Best Wishes in 2007!

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Comments continued

Robert Evans


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Student Spring BanquetIt was a semiformal, catered

affair held April 26th 2007 at theMc Kimmon Center to recognizethe department award recipientsof the past year. The banquetprovided an opportunity for thestudent clubs to recognize out-standing club members; forscholarship recipients to meet andvisit with their scholarship donor;and for faculty, staff and graduate studentsreceiving awards earlier in the year to berecognized once again.

At this year’s banquet, 14 undergraduatescholarships recipients were named along with 4graduate student fellowships. BAE’s Scholarshipdonors who were able to attend this year’s eventwere Charles Suggs and Ronald Sneed and hiswife Shelba.

Johnny Wynne, Dean of CALS, was theguest speaker for the event. The department waspleased to have the Dean join us for the eveningsince it gave the department an opportunity toshowcase our accomplishments. After a nicelycatered dinner, the Dean spoke to a crowd ofabout 120 people. He talked about his studentlife and coming to the realization that learningand living is simply about applying yourself. Heurged everyone, “always try every day and yourbest efforts will yield rewards.”

After the Dean spoke, Kelly Collins of the GraduateStudent Association and Rachael Boone of the StudentBranch of ASABE recapped events and highlights ofthe year. The evening ended with a tribute from thestudents to Dr. Bowers honoring him as their choice forBAE’s best teacher of the year.

Dean Johnny Wynne of CALS

Kelly Collins Graduate Student

Sara Braman accepts theEustace O. Beasley

Scholarship. Standing in forMrs. Beasley is Mr. Driggers.

Charles Suggs presents hisScholarship to Rachael Boone.

Dr. Bowers was votedthe best teacher of the year.

Outstanding Extension ServiceAward from the NC TobaccoGrower’s Association for 2006.

Congratulations to Dr. TomLosordo who was appointed BAEDepartment Extension Leaderafter Dr. Evans was named De-partment Head.

Dr. Andy Hale was appointedAssociate Head for the departmentand assumes this duty in additionto being the department’s under-graduate coordinator.

Congratulations to Dr. BillHunt who was recently induct-ed into theuniversity’sprestigious“Academy ofOutstandingFaculty En-gaged inExtension”.Hunt receivedhis award from ChancellorOblinger at an Alumni Banquetheld May 10, 2007. Only three

continued on page 5

Faculty News

The Senior Design Group of ReginaChavis, Randell Jones, Ana Siddiquiand Carrie Picket and their sponsor, Dr.Sanjay Shah, for winning the engineering

division of the NCSU 2007Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Nicole HillNCSU Undergraduate Research Award,

National Science Foundation NFSResearch Experience for Undergraduates.

Brando Batten & Rachael Boonereceived ASABE

Student Honor Awards.

Congratulations to:

Graduate AchievementsPaige Puckett - Top Poster 2007

Presentation USDA-CSREESNational Water ConferenceJian Shi - Gamma Sigma

Delta InducteeNicholas Lindow - Gamma Sigma

Delta & Sigma Xi Inductee


continued on page 6

Tractor Pull FundingThe student fund-raisers

have been very creative thisyear and they dreamed upseveral ideas to raise money.Their goal was to fund 14students to travel and cheer onthe BAE tractor team at thePeoria Il. ASABE event.

The first fund-raiser sold tee shirts saying, “Engineering and Technol-ogy for a Sustainable World.” The second event was a sandwich sale heldin the courtyard between the buildings. The third, and biggest fund-raiser, used the students’ trouble shooting skills. They ran a lawn mower

clinic and anyone could get anannual spring cleaning andtune-up for a $25 fee.

The students continue toaccept donations to support the1/4 scale tractor competition.To donate parts, please contact

the department. For monetary donations giveon-line at: www.pack-pullers.com/ or mail acheck to NCSU-BAE Student Chapter ofASABE and send to the address on p. 2.

Student Clubs & ActivitiesPenny Wars

The ASABE student group was bustling withcauses and activity this year. They started with apenny war in November to raise money to benefita local 2 year old with cancer. Within 2 weeks theASABE Student Branch raised a total of $460.65for the “Ryan's Hope” cause. The money fundedholiday gifts for Ryan and his family. Studentsdid the shopping, choosing all the gifts.

The penny war is a fun competition involv-ing the teaching faculty’s popularity amongstudents. Each of the undergraduate teachingfaculty are assigned a penny bank (jar) towhich students, faculty and staff can contribute. The ultimate goal is forstudents to contribute to the jar of the faculty member they would mostlike to see “pied” in the face. To provide incentives among the faculty, thefaculty member with the least also gets “pied”. By contributing to thedonation jar a faculty member can elevate themselves out of the cellar andthus avoid getting pied. The two winners, or should we say losers were Dr.Chinn with a total of $160.93, and Dr. Hunt with a total of $32.69.

In & Around Weaver○

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Faculty Newscontinued from page 4

continued on page 8

extension specialists statewidewere chosen. The award is pro-vided by the Alumni Association.

Hunt is to be congratulatedagain for earning the Governor’saward for Water Conservationistof the Year. The Governors’Awards are presented to those whohave worked especially hard in thestates environmental areas. Anaward reception for all the recipi-ents was held February 10th.,2007. These awards are adminis-tered by the NC Wildlife Federa-tion.

Dr. John Classen, a graduateof the University of Arkansas, wasadmitted into the ArkansasAcademy of Biological andAgricultural Engineers in April2007.

Dr. Daniel Willits, wellrespected in the area of Green-house cooling research, was askedto be the 2006 Keynote Speaker atthe International Symposium onGreenhouse Cooling, Methods,Technologies and Plant Re-sponse, held in Almeria, Spain.

A BAE welcome to Dr.Matthew Veal who began inSeptember. He was hired as anassistant professor and extensionspecialist to fill a newly createdextension position focusing onbioprocess outreach. Dr. Vealwill work on technology transferof bioprocesses and the applica-tion of bioprocesses using auto-mated machine systems. Dr. Vealcomes to us from the Biosystemsand Agricultural EngineeringDepartment at the University ofKentucky in Lexington, where

5

The ASABE students built a floatand participated in the home-coming prade. The float wasproudly pulled by last years

1/4 scale tractor.

Dr. Chinn and Dr. Hunt in thefinal face-off.

The faculty line-up


continued from page 5

Chinese New Year CelebratedIn February, the Chinese graduate

students celebrated the “Year of the Pig”.Chinese students, their family, friends,faculty and fellow students joined the fun,which included interesting games, songsand a brief introduction to the Chineseculture. A Chinese dinner was servedfeaturing homemade foods. The party wasa huge success and a wonderful exampleof cultural diversity in our department.

In & Around WeaverOn the Social Seen...Holiday Party

The Annual Holiday Party got everyonetogether for a traditional holiday dinner thisyear. We had a full course turkey dinnerwith all the fixing’s served up by the Griffinfamily. Who was the bearded man with thecool shades? BAE’s new department head,Dr. Evans, jovially donned a Santa suitalong with his trademark sunglasses. Thesocial committee did a great job gatheringan array of raffle gifts andpoinsettia table decorationswhich were purchased froman organization helpingbattered women.

Alumni are welcomed tojoin us for this event. Make acall in late November for thedate.

Dr. Young was able to enjoy the party asa guest this year.

6

continued on page 10

Planting Party @ Rocky BranchOn a Saturday in March, the student

chapter of the American Water ResourcesAssociation (AWAR) coordinated a plant-ing day to spruce-up the Phase II area ofthe Rocky Branch restoration project.Rocky Branch is the stream that runsthrough campus and has been underrestoration. The day was a wonderful service opportunity that benefittedthe NC State community. The plants were donated by Cill Ide NativePlant Nursery. The AWAR student group provided all the necessary toolsand refreshments. This event was open to the general public so friendsand family members were invited.

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This year Dr. Crowell Bowersretired from NCSU at the sametime his students received degrees.He is joining the emeritus ranksafter 32 years on the NCSUcampus. On April 30th, thedepartment held a luncheon oftraditional BBQ and a banquetroom full of people were there towish him a great retirement. Youdon’t become a triple NCSUgraduate, then spend 27 yearsteaching and not know a fewthings or a few people!

It should be noted that Bow-ers’ contributions to teachinghave been well recognized by thedepartment and the university.He has been the recipient of anumber of esteemed teachingawards. Bowers also served asBAE’s undergraduate coordinatorfor 10 years connecting withmany students and alumni.

Bowers plans in his retirementto sail to Europe. He is an avidsailor with a past trip to theBahamas under his sails. Ourthanks and best wishes for manybeautiful sunsets.

Bowers Sails...

Bowers--wellrespected forhis teaching

ability.

Sunglass Santa revealed has a chatwith scholar donor Mrs. Beasley.Sunglass Santa

We have an updated Alumni Page for youat: www.bae.ncsu.edu/alumni

We have packed it with lots of newinformation. If you have more ideas for

the page please let us know. Enjoy!

For many of us at BAE it was the firsttime ever hearing Chinese sung live.


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Dr. Frank Abrams retired onJuly 1, 2006 and at this year'sholiday party Abrams was pre-sented with aplaque identify-ing his service toNCSU and BAE.Dr. Abrams is atriple alumnushaving receivedhis BS in 1966,MS in 1969 andPhD in 1971. Hewas extension assistant professor atthe University of Kentucky from1970-1972 working in the farmsafety and burley tobacco mechani-zation and curing areas. Hereturned to his alma mater in 1972as assistant professor. As faculty atNCSU, Abrams' research includedsweet potato mechanization,human factors engineering, tobaccoprocessing, and tissue mechanics.He developed and taught the firstgraduate level biomechanics coursein the department as well as a tissuemechanics research program thatrelated to both agricultural prod-ucts and animal/human medicine.

In 1994 he was appointedassociate provost for undergraduateprograms. During his nine years inthe Provost's Office, his responsi-bilities evolved to those of seniorvice provost for academic affairs. In2003 he returned to BAE/BMEwith a dual appointment. Abramshas been an important liaisonbetween the newly establishedBME department and BAE. Hehas eased the separation of aca-demic programs and although hehas officially retired, his insightand ideas continue to be veryvaluable.

C. F. Abrams

A Celebration for Dr. Young Abrams RetiresA retirement dinner and celebration was held for Dr. James Young in

October 2006 at the NCSU University Club facilities. Family, friends anddepartment colleagues enjoyed a very nice evening.

Dr. James H. Young was born and reared on afarm in Christian County in western Kentucky. Heentered the University of Kentucky in 1958 where hemajored in Agricultural Engineering and was anactive member of Farm House Fraternity and theStudent Branch of ASAE. He completed his B.S.in 1962 and his M.S. in 1964 before receiving aNational Science Foundation Fellowship to studyfor the PhD at Oklahoma State University.

In 1966, Dr. Young joined the BAE Departmentas an Assistant Professor with responsibilities in teaching and research inagricultural processing engineering. He moved rapidly through the facultyranks and was promoted to full professor in 1976. In addition to teaching thecore courses in process engineering and transport phenomena for over 30years, he chaired the BAE Curriculum Committee for 16 years and was activein advising and working with both undergraduate and graduate students.One notable advising success was with his son, Scott, who enrolled andreceived an M.S. in BAE in 1997.

Dr. Young was named coordinator of BAE Undergraduate Programs in1991 and graduate programs administrator in 1994. He served as InterimHead of BAE from July 1999 to April 2000. Dr. Young was named departmenthead in May 2000. In this capacity he continued to provide outstandingleadership to one of the nation’s largest BAE departments. He guided thedepartment through an increased emphasis in biological engineering and theestablishment of a biomedical engineering degree (BME) program. WhenBME became a separate department in 2004, he led BAE in the establishmentof new programs in bioprocess engineering and air quality concerns related toagriculture.

Dr. Young is widely recognized and has received numerous honors for hiscontributions to his profession and to the University. He was named AlphaEpsilon Outstanding Alumnus of the University of Kentucky AgriculturalEngineering Department in 1985 and inducted into the UK EngineeringHall of Distinction in 2004. He served in all offices of the N.C. State Chapterof Gamma Sigma Delta, including President in 2003-04.

Dr. Young has been very active in the ASABE, the professional society forBiological and Agricultural Engineering and served on dozens of committeesincluding two terms on the board of Directors. For a decade he served on theEngineering Registration Committee, overseeing the writing of the PE exam.Dr. Young is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education.He is a Fellow of ASABE and of the American Peanut Research and Educa-tion Society. In 2005, Jim received one of ASABE’s 3 highest awards; theMassey-Ferguson Gold Medal Award for career long dedication to learningand teaching in Agricultural Engineering.

7

It is always interesting toreview the professional

accomplishments of peoplewho have earned the respect

of many. On this page arethe accomplishments of two

BAE faculty who havemade a difference to BAEand the engineering field.


Michael Adcock, an Agricul-tural Research Specialist, receivedthe CALS Awards for Excellencefor his achievement in the On-Campus Technical area. TheUniversity Awards for Excellenceprogram recognizes the achieve-ments of permanent NC Stateemployees not holding facultyrank. Awards are given first at thecollege or unit level and again atthe University level.

Adcock was one of only 30 SPAemployees university-wide toreceive the award. CALS held anaward luncheon for achievers onThursday, April 5, 2007 at theUniversity Club. Award winnersreceived a cash award and 8 hoursof paid leave. Mike is now amonga pool of achievers who can benominated to receive the Univer-sity Award for Excellence. Con-gratulations Mike!

Mr. David Buffaloe receivedthe 2006 BAE Employee of theYear Award. Buffaloe was alsonamed the new supervisor forthe shop.

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The Competition Results...continued from page 5

Faculty News

received his Ph.D. and workedas an Engineering Associate.

Dr. Mohamad Youssefaccepted an assistant professorposition in August. He has beena research assistant professor inDr. Skaggs’ program for threeyears. In his new position hewill continue research in drain-age water management anddrainage water quality.

Staff Achiever’s

8

Note: You can keep up with allthe news and event photos at.

www.bae.ncsu.edu/news/

The first results of the 1/4 Scale tractor student design competitionrecently attended in Peoria, Il. are in. This event is coordinated by ASABEand involves schools from across the country and Canada. This was the10th year of the competition and our 4th consecutive.

There are a number of rigorous design constraints to follow, but allschools receive the same stock 16-hp engine and 4 tires. It is up to the teamto design all the components and systems from the engine to the wheels.This year we finished 14th out of 28 schools overall. The competitioninvolves a written design report, team presentation, static design judgingand performance event. In the written design and team presentation wefinished 10th and 6th out of 28 schools. Finishing in the top tenin any category is excellent based on the level of competition at this event.Other than Auburn we are the only school in the southeast attending.

Building a tractor and passing all the criteria involved once you arrivein Peoria just to compete, is tremendous. We took 14 students this year andthat alone is impressive. Only one will not be with us again next year.Throughout the semester they meet at a minimum of twice a month in thefall and then every week in the spring. At any meeting there are 15 to 20students participating. They raised a significant amount of money thisyear to allow them to purchase a 24-foot enclosed trailer, cover their hotelexpenses, and pay for most of the tractor components.

This is an activity that is external to classes and the team spends atremendous amount of time just getting the tractor designed and built.On behalf of the department we would like to thank this year’s team fortheir hard work and great spirit. This event is important to the departmentbecause it rallies us all together.

In the photos below Rachel Boone isdriving the NCSU team tractor. It’s

common to have women drive in certainevents to help meet the weight requirement.

Nick Rizzondriving in the

Maneuver-ability course.

This group photo wastaken after the TeamPresentation at one ofCaterpillar’s facilities inPeoria. The teamspresenters (in white shirts)were Brandon Battenand Nicole Hill.


Weaver Labs in March. Rep. Holden isvice chair of the House Agriculturecommittee developing the 2008 farmbill.They toured several labs, talked withfaculty and looked over projects under-way. Students had a chance to explain anddemonstrate projects to the Representatives.

BAE faculty studies are focusing on fuelsources using various NC by-products,produce, and waste matter. The investigations of Drs. Chinn, Sharma andCheng look at ways to break down the complex sugars found in starch andcellulose matter. They are testing several plausible methods for makingethanol, enzymes, organic amino acids etc. Dr. Boyette has been focusing onprocesses that enhance, speed-up and break down biomass to make theprocessing of raw materials easier. Dr. Veal, newly hired, will be involved inbioprocessing outreach.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that can be made from vegetable oils, animalfats, or recycled restaurant oils and greases. The advantages of biodiesel arewell known but there is a need to convert these renewable oils and fats to otherfuels. Dr. Stikeleather and team members from Mechanical and AerospaceEngineering, and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have developed aprocess for the direct conversion of renewable oils and animal fats to gasolineand aviation jet fuel (JP8). The process could also produce an additive for

biodiesel fuel to improve the cold-weather flow properties of fuels.They are currently securing fund-ing to scale-up the process.

Many types of materials andprocesses need to be explored butresearch funding is the key to thediscoveries. Going hand-in-handwith the use of biomass fuel is theproduction of feedstock. This meansthat continued improvements toprecision agriculture and agricul-

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Dr. Chinn talks with congressional represenativesabout various kinds of biomass that can be

turned into ethanol.

BioFuels

Dr. Stikeleather gives an overview of an inter-departmental jet fuel project he is working on.

BioFuels

Dr. Boyette chats with represenatives explaining therole torrefaction plays in the process of making

alternative fuels.

Students are working with faculty on projectsrelated to biofuels. (Above) grad student Ying

Yang is monitoring extractives from switchgrassfeedstock. (Below) Undergraduates John Long

and Bobby Boaz demonstrate a process toconvert oil to biodiesel.

9


tural practices should benefitbiomass production. Biomass fuelmade from biological waste maybenefit from increased use of on-siteproduction units or facilities.Biodiesel production may beimproved by experimenting withimproved and new additives,including using microorganisms.All biomass production can benefitfrom improvements in bioprocesses.

To date, a BMP applied toalternative fuels utilizes the mostwidely available renewable sourcefor a particular region. This isbecause renewals are most costeffective when used near the source.By using multiple fuel sources, theU.S. can reduce its dependence ona particular fuel and use moreenvironmentally friendly sources.There is nothing like having analternative.

continued

Our bioprocessing faculty have been the subjectof a number of articles lately. This photo of

Dr. Chinn was recently featured on theNC State web news page.


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Alumni Updates continued from page 6

continued on page 11

Darrell Westmoreland, a 1991BAE graduate, is co-owner ofNorth State Environmental, Inc.He and his company received anational recognition as 2006Contractor of the Year and werefeatured in the May 2006 issue ofEquipment World Magazine.

His company began with theinstallation of a silt fence using aborrowed machine. Today, NorthState is a successful small businesscurrently employing 45 peopleworking on NC projects.

Westmoreland and his wifeStephanie established North StateEnvironmental in 1994 and bothhave worked hard to build thecompany's outstanding reputationin the area of erosion controlinstallation, stream restorationand wetland mitigation.

After graduation Westmore-land worked for NC-DENR,Land Quality Section at theWinston-Salem Regional office for3 years. Currently, he has ten yearsof business and project manage-ment experience in erosion controland holds a highway unlimited-NC general contractors license.

This year, in addition to theContractor of the Year award,North State Environmental waspresented with an IndustrialAward in recognition of outstand-ing efforts and achievementstoward the goals of the Soil andWater Conservation Society. Tolearn more about North Statevisit: www.nsenv.com.

Tim Foutz, a 1980 graduate,dropped us a short note letting usknow he and his wife Karen are inAthens, Georgia and have two

Canoe TripThe past few years the department has been

holding an annual April canoe trip which Dr.Boyette organizes. This year’s trip was SaturdayApril, 28th. The group left from Weaver at 9:00 am,putting in on the Neuse River at the Buffaloe RoadBridge in northeast Raleigh and they finished at thePoole Road Bridge. The trip’s length was about sixmiles. Alumni and friends are always welcomed tojoin the group. If you’ve been on the trip before thenyou know just how much fun this trip can be.

BAE Job FairThe department held its 1st. Annual De-

partment Job Fair January 30th, and theturnout was great. The department receivedlots of positive responses from everyone whoattended, employers and BAE'ers alike. Atthe event students had the chance to speakdirectly with companies who had specificinterest in hiring our graduates. Many of thesecompanies already happily employ our gradu-ates and know their abilities. There were 18companies exhibiting in Weaver Labs.

Edible BiomassBAE 100 had treats of

their own making. Stu-dents participated in the“2nd Annual Edible CarDesign Competition.”There were 8 teams ofstudents, 3 per team. The cars had to be made from completely ediblematerials (biomass derby cars). They were judged based on distancetraveled, durability, design, creativity and edibility. The constraints of thecompletion were; the vehicle must utilize at least three different fooditems; be entirely edible the vehicle must have a body, 3 rotating wheels, 2axles and the ability to travel down a 20-degree, 1-m long x 0.3-m wideinclined plane onto a flat plane. After the track runs teams had fun eatingtheir creations. The winning team was anounced at the banquet.

Companies were eager to catch the earof our graduates. They were hoping tohire them before the NCSU engineering

job fair date arrived.

A tasty lineup! The major components of the car that won were;body=cucumber, axle=pretzels, wheels=cookies,

hubcap=lifesavers, driver=yellow peep.

5

10

End of Year R&R...

In & Around Weaver


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Alumni UpdatesAdvisory Board Meets at BAE...

children, both boys. Foutz is onthe faculty of engineering at theUniversity of Georgia and teachesseveral courses. His area of spe-cialty is biomechanics and designmethodology. He has a PE and isa member of ASABE & ASEE.Thanks for keeping in touch,Tim. We appreciate it.

Alum Rupert WilliamsWatkins (77) former BAE profes-sor, died in May 2006. Watkinsearned his BAE degree in 1958and MS in 1961. In 1962, hebecame an extension assistantprofessor. Notably, he was en-gaged in on-farm testing ofmechanical harvesters and by1976 there were 2,500 tobaccoharvesters on farms in NC. Hewas also instrumental in thedevelopment and testing oftobacco bulk-box curing whichby 1976 was in use in 50% of thebarns sold. Watkins retired fromthe department in 1987.

Many alumni may rememberlong-time secretary Lib Norton.She passed away in May 2006.

Keep in touch: with our new and even moresecure alumni update form found at:

www.bae.ncsu.edu/alumni/or e-mail Dr. Evans at:

[email protected]

A last note: We have beenupdating BAE web pages and afresh new Alumni page is up at:www.bae.ncsu.edu/alumni/

Also, we would like you toknow that alumni have an openinvitation to visit BAE and wewould especially like it if youjoined us for the holiday partyand end of the year banquet.

Every year in April the BAE Advisory Board meets to visit in person withfaculty and other advisors. Three of the board members have concluded theirterms as advisors, Kim Colson, Division of Water Quality, Mr. Preston Sasser,(retired) Marketing Director Cotton Inc. and Dr. Jami Nettles, HydrologyResearch Manager, Weyerhaeuser. Our many thanks to them for taking thetime to serve on the board. The board is looking forward to the participationof three new members to the board. They are:

T. Ray Best II, P.E., Senior Account Executive, Duke Energy Corpora-tion. He provides account management services to Duke’s largest commer-cial and industrial customers. As team leader, Ray is also responsible forcoaching and mentoring the account management team serving this elitecustomer group. Best is an alumns of the Department.

Cecilia Redding is currently CEO of Wizard’s Cauldron, an organicfood company. She was previously COO for Nomacorc, a synthetic winecork manufacturer.

Edward M. Barnes PhD, Associate Director of Agricultural Research atCotton Incorporated. He oversees agricultural engineering related projects,including: ginning, precision farming, irrigation, and conservation tillagesystem research. Other Board members are:

Dr. Stanley Brantley, Jr, P.E., President of Amadas Industries, Inc.Dr. David Peele, President of Avoca, Inc.Ms. Marjorie S. Davenport, Associate Regional Hydrologist, U.S.G.S.Dr. Mike L. Franklin, Mike Franklin Consulting, NCDr. Lawson M. "Mac" Safley, Jr., President, Agri-Waste Technology, Inc.Dr. Ron Marlowe, USDA-NRS Eng. Director , VAMr. Ted Sherrod, P.E. NC DOT Roadside Environmental UnitMs. Beth A. Truscello, MFG Env. Health & Safety Manager GeneralElectric Consumer & IndustrialDr. Roy E. Young, Penn State University,

11

Some alumni may remember the large fan(pictured) and how several of them cooled the labthrough summers. Last summer, the fans returnedas BAE fell back on old technology to keep cool

during the major installation of a new AC unit.It was a “fan”tastic summer for Weaver as thelarge box fans cooled the halls.

It’s nice to have the new AC system, butyester-years’ fans did provide a pertinent engi-neering lesson; that older innovations shouldalways serve as backup systems to newer tech-nologies (good design will include it).

Weaver’s New AC System

The shinny new AC unit.


College of Agriculture and Life SciencesDepartment of Biological and Agricultural EngineeringCampus Box 7625Raleigh, NC 27695-7625

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Raleigh, NCPERMIT No. 2353

Name Curriculum

Spring 2007 Grads

View more graduationpictures at: www.bae.ncsu.edu/news/

Graduating students and alumni have theopportunity to purchase a brick in the CALS

walkway. To learn more see:www.cals.ncsu.edu/advancement/walk_champions.htm

Bright, Tiffany ................................. MSCotter, Jacqueline ........................... MSGayo, Javier ...................................... PhDJones, Toni ....................................... MBAEPati, Swamy ..................................... PhDShaffer, Michael .............................. MBAEWilliams, Kelly ............................... MS

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Bennett, Todd ................................. MSBarrett, Charles ............................... AETBelvin, Christopher ........................ BEBlackburn, Rachel .......................... BEBoone, Rachel ................................. BEChavis, Regina ................................ BEDiRuscio, Chiara ............................ BEDodd, Thomas ............................... PhDFerebee, Patrick ............................... BEFranks, Cody ................................... AETGriffin, Jennifer .............................. BEHellms, Chase ................................. MSHinkle, Jonathan ............................ BEHope, Joe ......................................... BEJohnson, Christopher ..................... BEJohnson, Jennifer ............................ MSJones, Randall ................................. BEPayonk, Sarah .................................. BEPuckett, Paige .................................. PhDReynolds, Brandon ......................... BERierson, Crystal ............................... BERizzson, Dominick ........................ BERoberts, Jessica ................................ BEShi, Jian ........................................... PhDSiddiqui, Sana ................................ BE

Fall 2006 GradsName Curriculum

Spangler, Justin ............................... MSTononi-Williams, Timothy ........... BEViscuso, Addie ................................ BEWilliamson, Robert ........................ AETWithers, James ................................ BE

Name Curriculum○

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Documents

2007, NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter