BAE Alumni & Friends – 1

The trend of educa-tion partnering with

industry is on the rise.Partnering combinestechnical expertise aswell as pools funds tosupport advanced spe-cialized equipmentneeds. As expenses forboth industry andeducation soar, combin-ing assets to strengtheneach of their abilities to provide technology rich services becomesessential for growth and health.

Combining mind power and rapid technology transfer to useful applica-tion is essential in a technology-driven era. Today, laptop computers area requirement for NC State students and both faculty and industry aretrying all types of information technology transfers, from phone andweb conferencing to internet on-line training. The technology integra-tion into every aspect of education as well as providing avenues oflifelong learning are a permanent reality of a quality education today.When universities and industry are partners it�s a win-win situation.

BAE is taking steps to explore partnering options. We believe theseefforts will enhance the learning experience of BAE�s future engineeringstudents, increase funds for needed research and improve extensionfield studies which in turn improve the quality of living for all NorthCarolina residents.

At BAE you will find Extension specialist Dr. Gary Robersonworking with John Deere, an agricultural equipment company, toimprove the mechanical operation of farm equipment. Dr. Barker,working in the area of animal waste management systems, has foundthat partnering with Brown�s of North Carolina (a hog productioncompany) is a good way to find new and better ways to improve waste

Fall 1999/Winter 2000

In This Issue BAE Exploring Partnering to

Achieve Results in a TechnologyDriven Era ............................ 1Awards & Honors ................. 2Department Head�sComments .............................. 3BAE Faculty News................ 3Annual North Carolina ChapterASAE Meeting ...................... 4Floyd�s Flooding/BAE ExtensionAerial Pictures ........................ 5Endowment Event Heldat BAE .................................. 6NC Water Resources ResearchConference ............................. 7National ASAE 1/4 ScaleTractor Competition .............. 7

Visit the BAE home page at:http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/bae/Fax comments & questions to:BAE News 919-515-6772

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BAE Exploring Partnering to AchieveResults in a Technology-Driven Era

continued on page 2

Who is that BAE professor and what�she doing on a camel? See page 4

BAE Pavillion (tractor shed) displays hose-reelsfor students to learn to operate and improve.

2 – BAE Alumni & Friends

Congratulations on New Title...

Dr. Mike Boyettehas been namedPhilip MorrisAssociate Professorof BAE. He washonored ata luncheon in

April. This award is to recognizeCooperative Extension Servicefaculty members who have madedistinguished contributions toagriculture and have enhanced theeconomic and social well-being ofthe citizens of North Carolina.Dr. Boyette was recognized for hismany accomplishments. He pro-vided leadership to the entire flue-cured tobacco region in the develop-ment and implementation oftechnology that flue-cured tobaccogrowers may use to market tobaccobales. This innovation enhances thequality and integrity of U.S. flue-

Awards and Honors

continued on page 3

Department Head James YoungEditor Rhonda ShermanGraphics/Layout Carolyn MitkowskiEditor Mike BoyetteEditor Carolyn Mitkowski

BAE Alumni&Friends is a semi-annualpublication of the Biological andAgricultural Engineering Department,North Carolina State University, Box7625, Raleigh, NC 27695-7625.

If you would like to contribute to the nextissue of BAE Alumni&Friends, pleasesend your contributions to the aboveaddress or email tobae_news@bae.ncsu.edu.

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Exploring Partneringhandling systems for environmental enhancement. Dr. McLymore, 4-Hextension specialist, works with local power companies to cosponsor theyearly 4-H electricity learning experience for hundreds of NC state4-H�ers; a future engineer may be among them. Through the LandApplication Training & Demonstration Center, Ron Sheffield educatesanimal waste system operators using over $220,000 in state-of-the-artindustry donated equipment and services. Land application trainingusing this kind of equipment is only a reality because of industry dona-tions. Better trained operators translates to a cleaner water supply forNorth Carolina.

BAE cooperative partnerships have strengthened teaching efforts. TheBAE department pavilion now hosts expensive equipment loaned to us byindustry so agricultural students can study the operation of, and envisionways to improve, this equipment. Equipment such as hose reels are too costlyfor the BAE department budget, but students educated with this equipmentare better trained engineers and technicians. Dr. Susan Blanchard, inassociation with the Tammy Lynn Center and Governor Morehead Schoolfor the disabled, exposes students to invaluable hands-on biomedical learningwhich can�t be achieved in the classroom of today. Dr. Andrew Hale hasbioprocessing students working at a Morehead City canning facility. Gainingthe specific exposure to expensive equipment develops the expertise a qualityfood processing engineer needs. Dr. Rod Huffman has environmentalstudents in the field working jointly with consulting companies to solve landdevelopment problems; his students can also be found planting grassesdonated for watershed improvements or helping with the installation ofdrainage systems.

The BAE/industry association relationships provide research fundsand points of exchange for BAE faculty to mix with industry engineers.The stories on page 4 and 7 are strong examples of this type of partner-ing. Our associations have provided BAE with valuable research funds.

If you look directly at industry to see what they think of partneringyou will find they are avidly seeking to make quality partnering connec-tions. The VP of Dupont Research and Development, David R. Rea, inan article titled Globalization of R&D: Overview of Trends supports theconcept of partnering with this statement: �Now, we are searching theworld for opportunities. Wherever we find them our intent is to developbusinesses there, working with a premier partner. Our AgriculturalProducts business, for example, has collaborations in place around theworld. While many of you are familiar with DuPont as a polymer andfiber business, you may not know that we also have the second largest AgProducts business in the world. Successful product development in thisarena results from the ability to screen as many compounds as possiblewith the widest diversity of chemistry. We cannot do this alone. We an-nounced our latest collaboration this summer. Our partner in this case is

continued on page 4

continued from page 1

BAE Alumni & Friends – 3

Department Head�s CommentsJames H. Young

Since the last newsletter, there have been a num- ber of significant personnel changes in the BAE

Department. First, effective July 1, 1999, Dr. DavidBeasley decided to step down as department headand return to a faculty position. During the 1999-2000 fiscal year he will be on a three-way splitappointment between teaching, research and exten-

sion while he develops plans for his own faculty program. I am serving asinterim head until a permanent head is named sometime in 2000.

A note at the College level, Dr. George Kriz retired from his positionas Associate Director of The North Carolina Agricultural Research Serviceon October 31st. George served in the BAE Department as a professorand extension leader prior to moving to Patterson Hall. He has served hisprofession well through the years and recently served a term as ASAEpresident. He and his wife Rhoda have moved to Winchester, VA andplan to open a bed and breakfast. Best wishes to George and Rhoda.

Welcome to Dr. Peter Mente who joined the BAE faculty in July. Hisarea of work is biomechanics. Peter joins Dr. Susan Blanchard as theonly BAE faculty members whose PhD degrees are in biomechanicalengineering. Their expertise is greatly needed in a department in which70-75% of our undergraduate students are now pursuing a biomedicalconcentration. Plans continue to develop for the implementation of aseparate degree program in biomedical engineering having BAE as itshome.

We are in the process of developing guidelines and identifying mem-bers of a departmental advisory council. The purpose of the council willbe to provide advice to the department as we try to adapt to the everchanging needs for biological and agricultural engineering. As alumniand friends of this department, we will be contacting some of you aboutserving in this capacity. You are invited to contact me at BAE with sug-gested members for this council. n

Jim Young

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BAE FACULTY NEWSInterim Dept. Head Named

Dr. James H. Young has beennamed Interim Department Head,as Dr. Beasley has decided topursue faculty endeavors at BAE.

Promotions!

Congratulations are in order forboth Dr. Gary T. Roberson andDr. Andrew S. Hale. Roberson wasmoved to the tenure track andgranted tenure in that rank andHale was promoted from Assistantto Associate Professor and grantedtenure.

New Post...

Dr. David Beasley was recentlyelected as the District 2 (SouthernU.S.) representative to the Mem-bership Development Council ofASAE. He assumed the post inJuly.

Mini Greenhouse Video

NCSU Communication Servicesreleased a 17 minute video of Dr.Subhas Mohapatra�s research onmini-greenhouse technology. Dr.Mohapatra has donated a copy of

cured tobacco through improvedpackaging and reduces the cost ofhandling. He also made manycontributions in the area of post-harvest handling of vegetables. Histitle change was effective in July.

Service Award

Dr. Susan M. Blanchard receivedthe IEEE Engineering in Medicineand Biology Society�s award at itsAnnual International Conferencein Hong Kong. n

Awards and Honorscontinued from page 2

continued on page 4

Robert Gaines reminisces about his30 years as Research Shop Supervisorwhile looking over his cake.

Charles Sherwood, BAE�s new ShopSupervisor, presents Robert with awheelbarrow of gifts.

Gaines Retirement Event

4 – BAE Alumni & Friends

The North Carolina chapter of the American Society for Agricultural

Engineering (ASAE) held its annual meetingMarch 19, 1999.

The meeting included an on-site DeereManufacturing Tour, and two presentations;one by Dr. Huggins (President of ASAE) andthe other by Dr. Capps, a biomechanics/biomedical engineering consultant withBensol, Inc. from the midwest. The meetingconcluded with a poster session unique in thatit presented joint industry/university/researchand vocational presentations side-by-side in apartnership.

It was a special delight for the BAE Depart-ment to host Dr. Capps� NC ASAE presenta-

tion on Perspectives From the MedicalDevice Industry (summarizing what theindustry perceives to be the skills andtalents needed by engineering personnel)as she is a former PhD graduate of ourdepartment. BAE students interested incareers with the medical device

industry or related fieldswere encouraged to attendthe presentations. n

FACULTY NEWS cont.○

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this video and book Affordable Green-house Technology to the department.If alumni would like copies, they areavailable for sale from Communica-tion Services. Call: 515-2861.

Special Olympics Recycling Effort

Extension Specialist RhondaSherman helped coordinate foodwaste recycling on the NC Statecampus during the June/July event.An impressive 13,888 lbs. of wastewas composted.

Dr. Robert Bottcher in Egypt

A trip to Egypt to exchange views onmethods of ventilating and coolingcaged broiler chickens was on the

agenda ofDr. Bottcherthis year.Lucky forDr. Bottcher,mounting acamel wasnot a dailyroutine

(transportation to research sites wasby jeep, not camel). The camel ridewas for pleasure, and Dr. Bottcherclaims the ride was �Not all thatbad; a lot smoother than you wouldthink.� North Carolina and Egyptboth have hot climates as they arefound on about the same latitude.Dr. Bottcher was exploring thesimilarities and differences as to howwe each handle ventilation of cagedpoultry buildings in warm weather.Dr. Gerald Havenstein, Head ofPoultry Science at NC State, indi-cates that the Cairo Poultry Com-pany tried some of Dr. Bottcher'ssuggestions and have been pleasedwith improved uniformity of birdgrowth in warm weather.n

BAE Host of the NC ASAE Meeting

Dr. R. Bottcher

Exploring Partnering continued from page 2

the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology. We will collaborate in theresearch and development of new chemistry for crop protection.� To readthe full article connect to: www.dupont.com/corp/science/global.html.

In general, BAE students, faculty & technicians, as well as industryand industry association leaders and members, can be found sharingtasks, equipment, product, knowledge, and work environments formutual benefit.

LOOK...

and LISTEN...

The NCASAEmeeting providedengineers a chanceto browse displaysand also meet andtalk with industryrepresentatives.

continued on page 6

LEARN...

BAE Alumni & Friends – 5

FLOYD�S FLOODING is Only Describable in Pictures-Neuse River Problems are Documented in Aerial Photos by BAE Extension

CALS Hurricane Floyd EffortsA special fund to support the agricultural commu-nity of eastern North Carolina has been set up byCALS. You may contribute to the fund at: http://www.ncsu.edu/foundation/floydrelief.html.

Extension Specialists Bill Hunt, Ron Sheffieldand Dr. Ernest Hewett (BAE�s Aerial Applica-tion Extension Specialist) took to the air todocument Neuse River damage after HurricaneFloyd. More pictures of the damage can befound on the BAE home page web at:http://www.bae.ncsu.edu n

Pigs are seen here tied together floatingin the water. This was done so that theanimal carcasses would not float away.

The Neuse makes ahairpin turn at Kinston.South of the river is theactive floodplain.

Street level view of the LenoirCounty Extension Center.

The submerged southern portionof NC 11. Flooded is the Lenoir

County Livestock Arena and tothe north is the Lenoir County

Extension Center.

Mobile home flooding on SW side Mar-Mac area of Goldsboro.

Close up of Goldsboro WWTP;note tops of clarifiers (circularstructures) and rooftops ofoperations buildings. The largeholding basins to the south and eastare completely submerged.

6 – BAE Alumni & Friends

A well attended endowment ceremony for Eustace O. Beasley was held atWeaver Labs on June 24, 1999, followed by a reception under the pavilion andon the lawn. Many friends and family were there to pay tribute to this man

who leaves BAE with a wonderful gift. His endowmentwill serve future worthy BAE students with financialsupport in the new millennium. The first recipient,Jillian E. Davenport, was on hand to receive a checkpresented by Eustace Beasley�s wife, Dorothy S. Beasley.Eustace O. Beasley was a native of Johnston County,N.C. and a graduate of NC State University. Eustacebecame a research instructor in the Agricultural Engi-neering Dept., concerned with the development ofprocesses, structures and equipment for removing fieldmoisture from peanuts using forced air and supplemen-tal heat, investigation of mechanized harvesting methods

as they related to on-farm curing of peanuts, and heat and moisture transfercharacteristics of peanuts -- all while pursuing a master's degree.

After receiving an M.S., he headed the mathematics and physics departmentat Wake Technical Institute for three years. Then, Professor Beasley served 21years as Extension Professor in the BAE Department retiring in 1988. Heprovided leadership in educational programs relating to farm machinery,crops mechanization and 4-H. He led the training of extension agents inengineering principles and considerations for their use in reducing labordemands and improving crop production and quality.

Professor Beasley teamed with a colleague on many on-farm tests to developthe system of multiple harvesting of pickling cucumbers. One of the majorcultural practices resulting from this work was the demonstration of theimproved production and growth of pickling cucumbers when they weregrown on a shaped, firm bed. Professor Beasley's work pioneered the use ofhigh-pressure sprayers for better insect and disease control, and he publishedplans for such sprayers that could be built on the farm.

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New Employees...The following employees havebeen hired as of May �99. Thedepartment looks forward totheir contributions.

Employee & Date Hired PositionPeter Mente, Ph.D. Assistant07/01/99 EPA ProfessorDr. Jactone ArogoOgejo EPA Research3/15/99 Associate

Keith M. Sorensen Electronics06/16/99 SPA Tech.Yujra R. Pablo Visiting06/03/99 Scholar

Exploring Partnering

Endowment Event Held at BAE

continued from page 4

Eustace O. Beasley

On December1st, BrendaButts retired asadministrativeassistant to thedepartmenthead after 13years in thatposition and atotal of 29

years of service to the department.Her knowledge of policies andprocedures will be greatly missed.

New Positions..

Ann Griffin has been chosen tofill the administrative assistantposition in the front office. Annhas served as a secretary/wordprocessor in the back building for23 years and we are quite sure shewill bring the same enthusiasm andsupport for BAE to the front office.

Charles Sherwood took the helm ofthe shop as supervisor since theposition was vacated by RobertGaines who retired this summer. n

Brenda Butts

SPA News...At BAE, finding the best solutions to offering a quality education for

students, providing useful extension information for the public, and nurtur-ing ways to support faculty research are all being addressed daily. BAEcontinues to identify, implement and mesh the university environment withrelated industries and their needs. Each partner is working to integrateresources, share information, and supply trained workers to support problemsolving with quick implementation. The cornerstone of it all will be mutualmanagement, and the ability to connect everything from various directions toachieve quality results together. If we disregard partnerships we may be ignor-ing the future as it virtually happens. BAE feels partnering is an essential partof the mix of needed solutions when it comes to 21st century education. n

BAE Alumni & Friends – 7

BAE was well represented at the1999 NC Water Resources ResearchConference. The Conference wassponsored by the Water Quality Re-sources Research Institute of theUniversity of North Carolina and heldat the MCKimmon Center March 25,1999. The event focus was on WaterQuality Trends and Enhancement.Speaking from the BAE departmentwere Dr. Wayne Skaggs and WilliamHarman of Water Quality. Dr. Skaggsspoke on Predicting Time of Travel ofNutrients in Canal and Stream Networks ofLower Coastal Plain Watersheds andWilliam Harman spoke on BankfulHydraulic Geometry Relationships for NorthCarolina. Poster presentations by thedepartment were on animal wastemanagement strategies, export coeffi-cient based lumped parameter waterquality modeling, and how to detect awater quality change using SAS or aspreadsheet. n

NC Water ResourcesResearch Conference

Professor Beasley also invented and patented a minimum-till planter. He waspart of the team that demonstrated herbicide incorporation techniques andassisted in the preparation of an award-winning publication with world widedistribution on that subject.

He assisted in the development ofmechanized pruning for blueberriesand insecticide soil injection systemsfor grapes. Other contributions werein the area of post-harvest cooling.He conducted agent trainingsessions that improved the under-standing of cooling principles andhow cooling equipment functionsand improves crop quality. As ateam player, he worked to increasethe adoption and use of post-harvestcooling techniques and equipment.

A member of the American Societyof Agricultural Engineers, hepresented many technical papers and participated in meetings and committeeactivities. At NC State, he authored six refereed papers, more than fiftyExtension publications and forty-plus articles for the popular press. He gavemany talks to agents, producer groups and at technical conferences. He waslisted in the 1967 American Men of Science, the 1970 edition of Personalitiesof the South and Volume 13 of Who's Who in the South and Southwest.

Professor Beasley was the husband of 47 years of Dorothy S. Beasley. Theyhave two daughters, Deborah Beasley Myatt and Vicki Beasley Wilson, andfour grandchildren. He passed away in 1998 of a rare blood infection. n

Endowment cont.

National ASAE 1/4 Scale TractorCompetition--A Partnering Event

Twenty five teams of students met at Quad-City Downs in Moline,Illinois to demonstrate their talents for engineering to judges from JohnDeere, Caterpillar, New Holland, and Case. These companies and othersprovided the financial sponsorship and personnel for the contest. Each teamwas provided a 16hp engine and the rear tiresand wheels. Beyond that, the tractor designwas up to the ingenuity and creativity of theindividual teams, within certain rules ofcourse. Many of the schools had 5-15 studentson their teams. BAE�s team was John Hols-houser and Barney Blackburn who developedthe BAE tractor as their senior design project. John Holshouser on tractor

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Dorothy S. Beasley, the wife of the lateEustace O. Beasley, hands the first ofthe Endowments scholarship checks toJillian E. Davenport, a BiomedicalEngineering student.

Dr. Larry Stikeleather was theirfaculty consultant. Competitioncovered four areas: written designreport, oral design presentation,design judging and performance(tractor pull) competition. John andBarney scored 996 out of 1600 pointsto place 13th out of 25. Not bad for atwo man team (actually three count-ing John�s dad, who was a great helpat the competition changing out thetransaxle which stripped teeth on thering gear during the second pull!).Kansas State was the overall winnerbut BAE can be proud of beating outschools like Ohio State, Arkansas,Maryland, Kentucky, Manitoba,Nebraska, and Oklahama State. n

1/4 Scale Tractor (cont.)

8 – BAE Alumni & Friends

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

1999 Graduates

Here is the list forthose of you who foundpeople in bothDepartmental picturesfeatured in the last issue of Alumniand Friends Newsletter:

Harold Pattee, Tom Whitaker,Robert Gaines, John Singleton,Subhas Mohapatra, Brenda Ma-son, Ervin Humphries, AnnGriffin, Thelma Utley, BillJohnson, Wayne Skaggs, PhilWesterman, Crowell Bowers, JimBarker, David Buffaloe, CharlieSuggs, Fred McClure, Carl Tutor,Roger Rohrbach, Melvin Hooker,Wilma McClain-Dunston, BrendaButts, Phil Harris, Mike Boyette,L. T. Woodleif, Charles Sherwood.

Good eye!Spring 1999

Bailey, Taunya Renee ...................... BEBlackburn, Barney Reed ................ BEBolick, Natasha Gaither ................ BEBurton, Cooper Jones ................... BEDesai, Shashin Paresh ................... BEFloyd, Brandon Mitchael .............. BEGayo, Javier ..................................... BEGoetz, Benjamin Thomas ............. MSHackett, Mark David .................... BEHargrove, Claude Michelle .......... Ph.DHolshouser, John Jacob ................ BEJenkins, Eric McKinley ................. BEJohansson, Anders Sture .............. Ph.DKozak, Jeannie Marie .................... MSLambeth, Cassandra Rashida ....... BELu, Jing ............................................ Ph.DMarley, Amanda Painter ................ BEMcLaughlin, Jacqueline ................ BEMyers, Kelly Ann ........................... BENevill, Joshua Tanner .................... BEPhillips, William Keith MSPiercy, Sabrina Marie ..................... BERinehart, Casey Alan ..................... BERoberts, Walter Danuiel III .......... BETatroe, Tamara Lynn ..................... MSWainscott, Stephanie Karyn ........ BE

Yarbro, Laura Michelle .................. BEYeung, Nolan Waichee ................... BE

Fall 1999Churchill, Carl Cecil III ............... MSCook, Clinton O. C. ...................... MSCroom, Judson Brandon .............. BEDaniels, Albert Thomas ................ AETDavis, Sabrina Renee ..................... BEHaddon, Lisa Ann ......................... BEHall, Stanley Kermit ...................... BEHoneycutt, Jason McLamb .......... BEMajors, Todd Vernon .................... BEMcMillian, Audra Maurnette ....... BELemieux, Christopher William .... MSLiu, Bin ............................................ MSRybarczyk, Phillip Lewis, Jr. ......... BEShahravar, Leyla Zahra ................. BESmith, Michael Andrew ................ BEStewart, Heather Elizabeth .......... MSTaylor, Daniel Marvin ................... BELuo, Wan ......................................... Ph.DWilks, Kimberle Faithe .................. BEWilliams, Kendal Byrnes ............... AETWilson, George Roland ................. AET

Name Curriculum Name Curriculum