UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT®

ISSUE 4 Vol. 1 N E W S L E T T E R O F A C H I E V E M E N T AUGUST 2008

New Biomedical Lab Makes DebutTaking another step forward in new technology, the newNonviral Gene Delivery and Cell Culture labs were introducedto visiting dignitaries, department members, and studentsduring an open house on Friday, February 29. Dr. AngelaPannier and members of her lab group provided tours anddiscussed the equipment while providing explanations of theresearch being undertaken. Among the visitors were PremPaul, Vice Chancellor for Research and EconomicDevelopment; Kim Espy, Associate Vice Chancellor, Research;Judith Burnfield, Ph.D., P.T., Director, Movement SciencesCenter, Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences and Engineering,Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, and EdwardTruemper, M.D., Clinical Director, Pediatric ICU at NebraskaMedical Center Children’s Hospital, Omaha.

Across the hall, Dr. Greg Bashford’s Biomedical Imaging lab,was also open. Visitors explored several student-mannedstations around the lab, as they learned about ultrasoundapplications and other student research. Students in thedepartment help conduct research and gain valuableeducational experiences through opportunities to work withfaculty and professional partnerships.

To learn moreabout this lab,visit the Web site:http://bse.unl.edu/pannierlab/index.shtml Senior Rob Corn monitors blood flow through

the middle cerebral artery using a transcranialdoppler machine on department staff memberMonte Shomaker, while staff members TeresaRyans (R) and Laura Hayes (L) look on.

View of Dr. Pannier's new lab.

Dr. Prem Paul takes a look through one ofthe microscopes as Dr. Bashford looks on.

Michaela McBride (in blue) and Megan Krause (in stripes) explain their projectwith Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital during the open house.

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

D E P A R T M E N T O F

Ron Yoder

Ron Yoder

From theDepartment Head

Page 2

Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

Ron Yoder . . . . . . Editor

Gail Ogden . . . . . Editorial Coordinator

Sheila Smith . . . . . Graphics and Design

Contributors . . . . Dane Mosel, Suat Irmak, Wayne

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choat, Curt Weller, Loren Isom

This issue of our newsletter highlights theachievements of our students, currentand past. To the right of this column youwill note an extensive list of our studentswho were recognized for their academicexcellence by being named to the Dean’slist for the spring semester. As you perusethe newsletter you will also note

graduates who received their degrees with HighestDistinction, students who were named academic Big-12and academic All Americans in wrestling and in track andfield, five students who are members of the select HonorSociety, the Mortar Board, and an undergraduate studentwho received a $25,000 competitively awarded nationalscholarship. Seven of our undergraduate students,representing all three of our undergraduate degrees,co m p e t e d f o r a n d w e r e aw a r d e d U C A R E(Undergraduate Creative Activities and ResearchExperiences) funds to complete undergraduate researchprojects.

Past students featured in this issue are AgriculturalEngineering graduate John Miller who has developed aunique and highly successful business making premiumfoods for small animals, and Wayne Choat, a MechanizedSystems Management graduate, who is ApplicationsEngineering Manager at Lindsay Corporation. As Waynenotes “Lindsay is a worldwide leader in providingirrigations solutions for agriculture.” Lindsay is one ofthe four major center pivot irrigation manufacturerslocated in Nebraska; the four manufacturers commandnearly 70% of the world market in center pivot sales.

This obviously is a very incomplete list of theaccomplishments of our current students and ourgraduates. One of my purposes in introducing them hereis to give you an idea of the past and present excellence ofthe students in our Department, and if you are analumnus of the Department, to encourage you to shareyour experiences with us. My second purpose is to thankyou for your help in recruiting the excellent students wecurrently have in our programs, enrollment is strong inall three programs, and to solicit your continued help inspreading the word about our academic programs, andthe strong job market for our graduates. As always, wewelcome your visits to the Department, to the NebraskaTractor Test Lab, and to the Lester F. Larsen Tractor Testand Power Museum.

MSYM:

AGEN:

BSEN:

Patrick MoserAlan WieseDaniel StollDaniel LeiserCorey SmithBrent McKinneyJoseph HolubekBen Fitzwater

Wes CammackJoseph DarringtonBrady FolckRyan HulmeGrant JanousekJason JohnstonAndrew LandgrafIsaac MortensenAndrew Volkmer

David AdamsAndrew AndersonSantiago Arciniegas *Stephanie Baird *Scott BarkerNicholas BehmStephanie Berger *Dennis Bierle *Brenden BoyleAnne BradfordWhitney BrownPrakash ChapainWei-Jian ChinRobert Corn *James Dalton *Quentin Dudley *Austin DudzinskiHeidi GengenbachAndrea Gilkey

The Dean's List* indicates 4.0 gpa for spring semester

BSEN:Brent Hall *Rachel HaniganBrent HansonHarrison HoffmanBrant Hubbard *Ashley JohnsonKathleen JohnsonStacey JoyLisa KarelShannon Killion *Megan Krause *Peter LarsonJoshua Lee *Erica LevorsonDonna LounsburyJacob MaxsonMichaela McBrideMichael McKinney *Abbey McTaggartDaniel MenterAllison MettlerNguyen NguyenStephen Nogel *Laura PodanyMary Regier *Ryan RoemmichJoseph RoseCatherine SargusTyler ScherrKristine SeierChi Min SeowDipika SinghAllison SmithNathan Stahr *Bradley StaskiewiczChance ThayerElizabeth Thrailkill *Cassandra WehlingIssar Yazhbin *Cze Song YeoSimeng ZhangYueying Zhang *Mention of trade names in this publication does not imply

endorsement by the Biological Systems Engineering Department.

Page 3BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

This section features newer faculty members,In research, teaching, and extension, our faculty provide the creative

energy that makes this Department so widely acclaimed.

highlighting their unique expertise andcommitment to excellence.

Meet the Faculty

Suat Irmak is an Assistant Professor and anAgricultural Water Management Specialistwith appointments in research (40%) andextension (60%). He joined the Department in2003. (His wife, Ayse, is an Assistant Professorin the School of Natural Resources and theDepartment of Civil Engineering. They bothcompleted their Ph.D.’s at the University ofFlorida in Gainesville.) Suat has developedresearch projects to address critical agriculturalwater management issuesin Nebraska. His researchp r o j e c t s f o c u s o na g r i c u l t u r a l w a t e rmanagement issues andi n c l u d e : d e v e l o p i n gstrategies to increase cropwater use efficiency ;quantifying surface soilevaporation losses from avariety of till or no-tillpractices; measurement ofe v a p o t r a n s p i r a t i o n ,consumptive water use, andcrop coefficients; centerpivot deficit irrigation; andevapotranspiration- ands o i l m o i s t u r e - b a s e dirrigation management.Suat is also conductingresearch on operationalc h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o fsubsurface drip irrigation(SDI).

The SDI project supplieswater directly to the cropr o o t - z o n e w h i l eminimizing surface soilevaporation and runoff. Toaccomplish this, irrigationlaterals were buried belowthe soil surface, typicallybetween 13 to 20 inches(depending on such factorsas the soil, crop type,climate, and managementpractices) to deliver watervia polyethylene drip linesand emitters. With ane f f e c t ive i r r i g a t i o n -scheduling program to supply crop water andnutrient needs directly to the plant root-zone,crops can be "spoon-fed" water and nutrients.

The spoon-fed characteristic of the SDI systemhas great potential to minimize or eliminate themovement of water and nutrients below the

crop root-zone. With SDI, theirrigation water is filtered andfertilizer is mixed at the controlstation before application to thefield. When properly managed,irrigation application losses(drift, soil evaporation, deeppercolation, and runoff) withSDI are significantly lowercompared to other irrigationsystems. Potential applications

can be to fieldswith relativelylarge slopes, tosmall and/or oddshaped fie ldswhere installation of a centerpivot may not be feasible, toareas with low-capacity wells,or for producers wanting toconvert from surface irrigation.

Some of the SDI researchproject objectives are: 1) todetermine evaporative lossesfrom three different tillagepractices (no till, ridge till, andconventional-disk till); 2) effectof irrigation frequency on cropgrowth and yield; 3) crop wateruse efficiency response tofertigation and irrigation; and4 ) q u a n t i f y i n g t h erelationships between cropwater stress and available waterand crop yield. The SystemControl unit, includes solenoidvalves, air/vacuum releasevalves, filters, and an irrigationcontroller. The system isdesigned so that each driplinecan be flushed at the lower endof the field.

Beginning in 2004, two SDIsystems were installed—11and 33 acres—at UNL’s SouthC e n t r a l A g r i c u l t u r a lLaboratory near Clay Center,Nebraska. Among the largestSDI research projects in the

country, these research projects weredesigned as a split-split plot with main plotsarranged in randomized complete block. TheSDI laterals were installed, every other row, inthe center of the row. The drip emitters arepressure compensating with a 0.26 gal/hr tedin each system and crop evapotranspiration is

About 5 miles of 3-inch pvc pipe wereinstalled to deliver variable rates of water totwenty treatments with three replicationseach.

Connecting the main lines (beneath thecontrol unit) to the manifold.

The SDI control unit includes: irrigation controller,variable speed controller, water and fertilizer flowmeters,chemical injection pump, along with numerous filters andvalves.

Dr. Irmak connects individualdrip lines to the main lines.A totalof 344 drip lines were connected.

discharge rate. In the first field,each replication (plot) is 850feet long and 16 rows wide on30-inch row spacing. In thesecond field, the plot is 400 feetlong and 8 rows wide, also with30-inch row spacing. Three andfive irrigation levels are beingevaluated in each system andcrop evapotranspiration isdetermined on a daily basis. Soilwater content is measured twicea week at different locations, indifferent treatments, every footup to six feet using a profilep r o b e a n d / o r n e u t r o n

scattering soil moisture probe. In addition,soil moisture is being measured on an hourlybasis every foot up to six feet using WatermarkGranular Matrix sensors and WatermarkMonitor dataloggers. Infrared thermometersare used to monitor the crop canopytemperature continuously at 30-minuteintervals to quantify crop water stress.

Dr. Irmak is working with university faculty inthe Departments of Agronomy andHorticulture,

School of Natural Resources,and with Extension Educators. He is alsocollaborating with the High Plains ResearchClimate Center, USDA-ARS (TX, CO, ID, CA,AZ), the Agricultural Research Division, thestaff at the South Central AgriculturalLaboratory, Natural Resource Districts, andNatural Resources Conservation Districts toaccomplish his research. You can read moredetailed articles of Dr. Irmak’s research linkedf r o m h i s f a c u l t y W e b p a g e :bse.unl.edu/faculty/IrmakS.shtml

Computer and ElectronicsEngineering, the

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Alumni News

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

We offer an update of your career and life changes. Let us knowwhat’s new. Update your profile at:

bse.unl.edu

Select Alumni Update under the Department heading. Inclusion inthe newsletter is optional.

2000s

Max Porter

Melissa (Eman) Collins

Dan Meir

Jennifer (Muller) Frey

Garrett Pommeranz

Philip Christenson

Matt Foral

Tim Bray

Mark Major

Matthew Jorgensen

Shelby (Pridie) Fuerst

Michael Kimmel

(2007, B.S., AGEN) is a design engineer with BehlenManufacturing Co., in Columbus,Nebraska.

(2006, B.S., BSEN) is a Graduate ResearchAssistant in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at TexasA&M. She is working towards her Ph.D. in cardiovascularbiomechanics. Her research involves atherosclerosis and its effectson the abdominal aorta regarding the possibility of it leading toabdominal aortic aneurysms.

(2005, B.S., MSYM) is a Production Supervisor withCargill, Inc. in Lincoln,Nebraska.

(2005, B.S., BSEN) is a Process Engineer forADM Corn Processing in Clinton, IA. She is currently the InterimAlcohol Department Superintendent.

(2005, B.S., AGEN) is finishing his M.S. inBiosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University ofMinnesota.He will graduate in August.

(2003, B.S.; 2004, M.S., AGEN) has returnedto Aurora, NE, to begin farming after he worked for three years atJohn Deere IVS in Des Moines, IA.

(2003, B.S., BSEN) is a Process Engineer in R&D withConAgra Foods in Omaha. He enjoys the challenges and theexposure to a variety of processes. He and his wife, Anna,welcomed their first child,a daughter, in May.

(2003, B.S., AGEN) is a Design Engineer with AilitePlastics Company in Omaha.

(2003, M.S., MSYM) moved his career to MontanaState University Extension in Teton County, in January 2007. Nowliving in Choteau, he and his family are right up against the RockyMountain front and they love the land. Mark reports that he stillwaves a large Nebraska flag in his office!

(2001, B.S., BSEN) is working with AbengoaBioenergy in Colorado, as a Process Engineer. He is part of theprocess design team for a one-of-a-kind starch/biomass hybridbioethanol plant set to be constructed in Hugoton,Kansas.

(2001, B.S., BSEN) is an IndustrialEngineer (Package IE Planner) with UPS in Omaha. She receivedher M.S. in Industrial Engineering, also at UNL, in 2003. She hasbeen a supervisor in the IE department for the past four years. Sheand her husband,Nathan,welcomed their first child,a daughter, inApril 2007.

(2001, B.S., BSEN) recently completed his Ph.D.in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He is aSenior Design Engineer with Medtronic in the Cardiac RhythmDisease Management group. Mike and his wife, Janis, have onechild,with another on the way,and live in Minneapolis.

Blaine Christiansen

Brian Magnusson

Spencer Vorderstrasse

Jason Gross

Steve Weier

David Milligan

Patrick Lee

Mark Schroeder

(2001, B.S., BSEN) holds a postdoctoralfellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston(affiliated with Harvard University) and works in the OrthopedicBiomechanics Laboratory. He finished his Ph.D. in biomedicalengineering at Washington University in St.Louis,Missouri.

(2001, B.S., AGEN) received his P.E. license in2006 and is in the process of finishing his MBA at Harvard BusinessSchool with plans to graduate in June. After graduation, he will beworking for Bain & Company, a management strategy consultingfirm, in their Chicago office.

(2005, B.S., AGEN) is working as anIrrigation Design Engineer for Reinke Manufacturing Co. Inc., inDeshler,Nebraska.

Located in Central Nebraska, (1997, B.S., MSYM)works as a Project Coordinator/Engineering Tech with Chris Henryin managing the Small Livestock Producer EnvironmentalAssistance Extension Program. Jason and his wife, April, are theproud, first-time parents of a daughter.

(1998, B.S.; 2003, M.S., MSYM) is the General PilotPlant Manager for the UNL Food Processing Center. He and hiswife,Carissa, recently added a second daughter to their family.

After ten years in Washington, D.C., (1996, B.S.,BSEN) and his wife moved back to Nebraska to raise their family.David is a patent attorney and a partner with Husch BlackwellSanders LLP in Omaha. He is starting a patent law and intellectualproperty law practice in Omaha and Lincoln.

(1981, B.S., AGEN) was recently named President ofGates North America Fluid Power Division. He began with Gates asan Applications Engineer after graduating from UNL. He heldseveral positions in Engineering, Global Business Development,and most recently asVice President of North American Sales, beforethis promotion.

(1980, B.S.; 1985, M.S., MSYM) has been namedthe ARDC Acting Director and General Farm Manager. Mark is thecurrent Associate Director and General Farm Manager.

1990s

1980s

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Student News

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

For the last couple of yearsan undergraduate Mechanized SystemsManagement major, has worked for JohnLindquist , Associate Professor ofA g r o n o m y a n d a C r o p / W e e dEcophysiologist. Last spring and summerhe took on an independent research projectthat led to presenting a poster at the NorthCentral Weed Science Society meeting in St.Louis, MO, on December 10-13, 2007. Atthe meeting, Jared won second place in theUndergraduate Poster Contest, whichearned him $50. The paper was titled

Students (MSYM),(MSYM), (MSYM),

(AGEN), and(MSYM) attended the ASABE 2008Midwest Regional Rally in Madison,Wisconsin, in early March. Thesegatherings are an opportunity for pre-professional students to meet with thepresident of ASABE, provide socialnetworking opportunities, and to discovercareer possibilities in other parts of thecountry. The group toured variousmanufacturing facilities including Kondex,Windsor Builders, Wolf Industries, andRenew Energies. During the meeting, theUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln was chosenas the site for the 2009 ASABE MidwestRegional Rally; Dane Mosel was electedPresident and Alex Austin was elected asVice President.

Ph.D. candidate and hiswife, Nayade Sanfueza, are pleased toannounce a new addition to their family.Tomas was born on February 18, 2008.Tomas’s five-year old brother, Octavio, Jr.,also looks forward to having a youngerbrother.

At the UNL February Forum,, outstanding

women scientists of junior and seniorstanding from across the university wererecognized. The following students, allBSEN majors, from our department wererecognized: (Sioux City,

Jared Schmidt,

Dane Mosel AlexanderAustin Nate KellyJared Koch Aspen West

Octavio Lagos

Stephanie Baird

Cornand velvetleaf transpiration in response todrying soil, by Jared J. Schmidt and John L.Lindquist.

Breaking theMold, Bridging the Gap

IA), (Kearney),(Dubuque, IA), and

(Julesburg,CO).

(BSEN, Lincoln) isthe recipient of a Science, Mathematics,And Research for TransformationProgram (SMART or the Program)$25,000 scholarship. She was one ofabout 200 selected from a competitivefield of over 2,000 applicants. Thisscholarship program is managed by theNaval Postgraduate School on behalf ofthe Office of the Secretary of Defense.She will intern in the Army Research Lab,Department of Human Research andEngineering Directorate in Aberdeen,Maryland, during the summer of 2009,and then work in the lab for 18 monthsafter graduation. On February 25th,Michaela was selected for membershipinto the Black Masque Chapter of theUNL Mortar Board Society. She joinsother Department BSEN studentmembers of Mortar Board:(Omaha), (Omaha),

(Clarkson), and(York). Mortar Board, Inc., is a

national honor society that recognizescollege seniors for distinguished abilityand achievement in scholarship,leadership, and service. Members of theBlack Masque Chapter have been servingthe University of Nebraska–Lincoln since1905.

Former Husker track and field starof Yavne, Israel, was one of 25

Chancellor’s Scholars honored on April6, at the Lied Center for Performing Artsduring UNL’s All-University HonorsConvention. Chancellor’s Scholars arestudents who will receive degrees in Mayor August and have maintained a 4.0

Shannon Killion AbbeyMcTaggart MaryRegier

Michaela McBride

Rob CornMegan Krause

Laura Podany BrandtHubbard

IssarYazhbin

Ajay Kumar

He a r t w i n Pu s h p a d a s s

, a Ph.D. candidate, receiveda Graduate Fellowship from the Office ofGraduate Studies and a Milton E. MohrFellowship.

, a Ph.D.candidate, received a fellowship throughthe Office of Graduate Studies.

Biological Systems EngineeringDepartment Newsletter Archives Past issues can be found on the web at

bse.unl.edu/news.shtml

grade-point average on all of their collegiatework at UNL and elsewhere.

Issar earned his first College SportsInformation Directors of America(CoSIDA) Academic All-America honor in2007 after producing a perfect 4.0 GPA inBiological Systems Engineering. He alsoearned three consecutive first-teamacademic All-Big 12 awards and appearedon the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Rollseven times.

Issar excelled in the hammer throw atNebraska when he competed for the Big Redfrom 2004 to 2007, and was team co-captainin 2006 and 2007. He earned a Big 12Championship in the hammer throw in2004 with a toss of 203-8. He also competedat the NCAA Outdoor Championshipstwice, finishing 15th in the hammer throwin 2005 and 17th in 2007. Issar currentlyholds the hammer throw record at Nebraskawith a mark of 207-7 from the 2007 NCAAMidwest Regional.

a junior in MSYM, wasnamed “Big 12 Wrestler of the Week” inFebruary 2008 and received recognitionfrom the web site, TheMat.com. Craig wasalso named a “1st Team Academic All-American” in the Big 12 Conference thisyear. He achieved academic distinction onthe Big 12 Commissioners Honor Roll forboth the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008semesters.

(Photo (Scott Bruhn) andcopy (Jeremy Foote) courtesy of NU MediaRelations.)

Craig Brester,

Page 6 BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

The Department was well represented at theUniversity’s annual spring posterpresentation for the Undergraduate CreativeActivities and Research Experiences(UCARE).

Prakash Chapin

Wei Jian Chin

Chi Min Seow

Brent Hanson

Grant Janousek

Isaac Mortensen

Dan Jahraus

(BSEN),Detection of Bone Fragments for Different ConcentrationLevels in Deboned Chicken Using Ultrasound.Dr. Gregory Bashford, advisor.

(BSEN),Ultrasound Inactivation of E. Coli in Apple Juice.Dr. Suat Irmak, advisor.

(BSEN),Online Robotics Simulation for Collaborative Engineering.Dr. Carl Nelson, Mechanical Engineering, advisor.

(BSEN),Fuzzy Image Plant Species Classification System.Dr. George Meyer, advisor.

(AGEN),The Design and Implementation of a HydraulicDynamometer for Testing Power Mix in AgriculturalTractors.Dr. Roger Hoy, advisor.

(AGEN),Comparison of Near-Infrared Transmission Spectroscopyand Raman Spectroscopy to Quantify Yolk Contaminationin Egg White.Dr. Jeyamkondan Subbiah, advisor.

(MSYM),Use of an Instrumented Disc Coulter for Mapping SoilMechanical Resistance.Dr. Viacheslav Adamchuk, advisor

UCAREPrakash Chapin

Wei Jian Chin

Chi Min Seow

Grant Janousek

Brent Hanson

Isaac Mortensen

Dan Jahraus

Page 5Page 5Page 7BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

December GraduatesB.S. in Agricultural Engineering

B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering

B.S. in Mechanized Systems Management

Master of Science

Zach Alger, Ravenna, OHBrad Salber, AlbionJason Schafer, Vista, CA

Bill Alms, Eden Prairie, MNCrystal Bryan, Falls City

Jordan Carlson, ArnoldGary Garms, Smith, NVTim Keller, LincolnJason Kepler, ChappellJason Krueger, LincolnWeston Rathje, RoselandHeath Renfro, Stratton

Denis Mutiibwa, Kampala, UgandaThesis title: Penman-Monteith: Scaling Up LeafStomatal Resistance to Canopy Resistance ForOne-Step Estimation of Crop Evapotranspiration

Spring semester graduating MSYM students, from left to right: Tim Mattson, Jessica Geis (graduating in August), Austin Merz, Levi Gunn,Doug Triplett, Jared Schmidt, Dan Jahraus, and Adam Flaugh. Not pictured: Wes Eckwall who was being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant inthe U.S. Air Force, and Jeffry Morris.

Graduates

M.S. in Agricultural & Biological Systems Engineering

Ph.D. in Engineering

Amy Jorde, Sioux Falls, SDThesis title: Comparison of Pitch SynchronousOverlap-Add (PSOLA) and Praat Algorithms onIntelligibility of Time-scaled Speech WithoutFrequency Shift

Shah HudaDissertation title: Composites from ChickenFeathers and Cornhusk—Preparation andCharacterization

Dr. Jones congratulated Amy Jorde on her Masters.

Dr. Yoder presented Shah Huda with his DoctoralHood.

A few of the graduating BSEN students, back row, leftto right: Laura Podany, Rob Corn, Megan Krause.Front, left to right: Erica Levorson, Andrea Tuma.

May GraduatesOutstanding students for each department are selected by theCollege of Engineering. Grant Janousek was selected fromAgricultural Engineering and Erica Levorson was selected fromBiological Systems Engineering.

Isaac Mortensen, Curtis

Robert Corn, Omaha, with DistinctionBrant Hubbard, YorkMegan Krause, Omaha, with DistinctionPeter Larson, Sioux Falls, SDErica Levorson, Overland Park, KS,

Laura Podany, ClarksonJakeb Riggle, ElkhornAndrea Tuma, Waukomis, OKIssar Yazhbin, Yavne, Israel,

Wes Eckwall, OmahaAdam Flaugh, MadisonLevi Gunn, SuperiorDaniel Jahraus, OmahaTim Mattson, ChapmanAustin Merz, Falls CityJeffry Morris, FremontJared Schmidt, Grand IslandDoug Triplett, Sumner

B.S. in Agricultural Engineering

B. S. in Biological Systems Engineering

B.S. in Mechanized Systems Management

with HighestDistinction

with Highest Distinction

Supervision, Vocational Education, Production Agriculture,Irrigation Manufacturing and Management, Quality Control,Natural Resources Management, and many other areas. Their skillsare highly sought after and recent graduates have found positionswith companies such as John Deere, Cargill, Hormel, ADM,Irrigation and Natural Resources Districts, OrthmanManufacturing, Farmland Foods, and Altec Industries, to name afew. Post-graduate study in MSYM is also available at the Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln.

To learn more visit:msym.unl.edu

Rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, andother small pets are eating betterthanks to John Miller, a 1971 UNLagricultural engineering graduate.John is the founder and president ofOxbow Animal Health, maker ofpremium foods for small animals, inMurdock,NE.

Similar to many other well-knowninventors, John started Oxbow in hisgarage in Murdock, moved it to hisparents' larger garage in Elmwood,then returned to Murdock, where thebusiness is now centered on his farm.The renovated barn, built in 1901,houses offices for an approximately50-person staff. The business hasgrown tremendously and now shipsproducts throughout the UnitedStates and to 26 countries. “We werereally lucky to have the right idea atthe right time,” he said.“The marketwas ready for innovative products.”

Having a successful business was farfrom his mind when he was a

student at UNL. John was a member of Farmhouse Fraternity, andsaid the members had a reputation of being aggressive leaders. Headded that his experiences gained from his fellowship in theNebraska LEAD program also contributed greatly to his innovativeideas and leadership skills. After graduation, he worked as apetroleum engineer for Amoco then returned to his family farm inElmwood a couple of years later.

He decided against growing corn and soybeans since they weretraded on the Chicago Board of Trade. Alfalfa was not a tradedcommodity;

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John Miller A Success Story

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

he could therefore have more control over the price. “I’ve alwaysbeen really independent,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons I cameto the farm and the reason I raised alfalfa instead of corn andsoybeans.”

He started the Oxbow Hay Co. in 1980, learning to grow premium-quality alfalfa that he sold to dairies and horse owners. As he grewadept at marketing alfalfa he decided to add value to his product.Realizing the types of available food for small animals was limited,“Istarted thinking about the pet food market,”he said.“I knew I coulddo a better job.”

He made his first bag of packaged alfalfa hay in 1993. Miller said theeducation he received in agricultural engineering was instrumentalin his ability to visualize and create the custom hay stuffingmachines that now package 2,000 tons of hay per year into 15-ounceand 40-ounce bags.

At the time, people were beginning to place a higher value on smallanimals as pets and were taking these pets to veterinarians. So inaddition to trade shows and conferences, he also marketed hisproduct to veterinarians who, in turn, promoted it around theworld. John created a Web site in 1994, before most businesses hadsites,and began to sell his product online.

John has added production and warehousing facilities to hisoperations and expanded the line of pet food. Oxbow now has 25different products for a variety of carnivores and herbivores. It wasthe first company to package and market timothy grass hay, which isnow a staple food for small animals. The company recently changedits name from Oxbow Pet Products to Oxbow Animal Health, amove, he said, that better defines the professional image anddirection of the company’s mission. In 2006 the Small BusinessAdministration cited Oxbow as the National Exporter of theYear. – Lori McGinnis

Used with permission of CIT and Lori McGinnisPhoto used with permission of CIT

the education he receivedin agricultural engineeringwas instrumental in hiseffectiveness to visualizeand create

John Miller

By managing people, systems, processes, equipment, and naturalresources Mechanized Systems Management (MSYM) graduateshave rewarding careers developing, manufacturing, and managingthe equipment and systems for producing and processing food,feed, fuel, and fiber. Their understanding and application of theprinciples of physical and biological sciences, mathematics, andmanagement increase the effectiveness and efficiency of systems,processes,and machines.The flexible MSYM curriculum permits in-depth study ofagronomy, animal science, agricultural economics, agriculturaleducation, computer science, food science, engineeringmechanics, management, marketing, natural resources, andbiological sciences, and other areas of specialization. Using theknowledge and skills obtained from the curriculum, graduatespursue careers in Machine Testing, Equipment DealershipManagement,Extension Education,Plant Operations,Personnel

Discover Your CareerMechanized Systems Management

in

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Since the time I graduated from college in 1993, I have recommendedthe Mechanized Systems Management major to several aspiring collegestudents. This recommendation is based upon my experience goingthrough the program, what I have accomplished since graduation, andseeing the different careers that my college friends are now pursuing. Ihave no doubt that Mechanized Systems Management develops a solidfoundation to build many different career paths for a young person’sfuture.

Admittedly, when I started college, I was undecided in what I wanted topursue. Coming from the farm, I had a strong agricultural background,a keen interest in design, machinery, and “how things work.” I also wasinterested in agronomics, animal husbandry, and finance. Given myinterests, I knew that I wanted to remain agriculture-focused in my

educational pursuit, but wasn’t certain how I was going to package those interests into one major.Then I discovered Mechanized Systems Management.

Mechanized Systems Management offered me the technical classes, such as hydraulics, engines,electricity, and machinery management, that fed my interests in the machine and design arenas.In addition, I was also able to pursue opportunities and interests in animal science, agronomy,and business classes that I felt would round out my needs to step into an agricultural career. Theunexpected bonus from this major (albeit stressful at the time) was the heavy emphasis placedupon written and oral communication. All technical classes aside, communication skills havebeen,hands down, the most valuable asset gained from my college career.

Since graduation, I have been communicating with customers in one fashion or another, whetherthat customer has been a cattle buyer, seed purchaser, land owner, or center pivot customer. Thecommunication process has been the key to all aspects of the business being conducted.Every daypresents new challenges in communicating my message, interpreting the messages of thosearound me, and striking a balance between the different perspectives. I am in continual contactwith our dealers and the farmers purchasing our equipment, working to develop and release newproducts. I draw upon technical knowledge and a myriad of agriculturally related topics tounderstand the needs and develop solutions for the farmers.

I currently work within the Engineering Department of Lindsay Corporation in Lindsay, NE, asan Applications Engineering Manager. Lindsay Corporation is a worldwide leader in providingirrigation solutions for agriculture. Some of the products we manufacture include center pivots,corner systems, and lateral move systems. We also have a robust control system that allows theirrigation equipment to be managed remotely through phone and internet access.

Fellow classmates in Mechanized Systems Management are currently working as farmers,agronomists, engineers, researchers, and managers. Mechanized Systems Management is anexcellent program that develops a student’s skills and creates exceptional potential to enter intomany different career fields. It was certainly a good choice for me.

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

Wayne Choat

Alumnus ProfileBy Wayne Choat

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

A Significant Difference

IBE Presidential Citation

Once a year, the UNL Teaching Council andthe UNL Parents Association recognizesoutstanding faculty members for making a“. . . significant difference” in the lives ofstudents. Department faculty membersacknowledged at the January 25, 2008,ceremony were:

Drs. Bashford, Hoy, and Subbiah joined theDepartment within the past five years, andare continuing our tradition of service tostudents. Providing experienced guidancefor students is just one more aspect of thequality found in the Department ofBiological Systems Engineering.

The Institute of Biological Engineeing (IBE)presented its Presidential Citation to

at the annual meeting,held this year in

Jack SchinstockDennis SchulteGreg BashfordRoger HoyJeyam SubbiahBruce Dvorak

DavidJones

(11th time)(10th time)

(2nd time)(first time)

(first time)(3rd time)

Annual CoE Awards

No-Till Presentation Award

Outstanding Young Scientist

The annual Faculty and Staff awards fromthe College of Engineering were held inApril. received the HollingFamily Master Teacher Award,

received the Holling FamilyDistinguished Senior Faculty TeachingAward, and received theHenry Y. Kleinkauf Family DistinguishedNew Faculty Teaching Award.received the College of Engineering FacultyService Award.

At the 16th annual National No-TillageConference, 750 meeting attendees voted

one of the top four speakers (out of47). He received a plaque commemoratingthe honor for his presentation on no-tillplanting equipment. Paul has conductedthirty years of research and extension pro-grams on no-till equipment and systemmanagement.

was promoted fromAssistant to Associate Professor (effectiveJuly 2008) and given tenure. He was alsoselected by The University of NebraskaChapter of Sigma Xi for the OutstandingYoung Scientist Award for his novelcontributions to understanding andoptimizing water use in irrigated agriculture.

David JonesDean

Eisenhauer

Greg Bashford

Bruce Dvorak

Paul Jasa

Dr. Suat Irmak

Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This awardrecognizes Dr. Jones’ exemplary service tothe Institute for his leadership anddedication in facilitating the IBE Fellow andBrahm and SudhaVermaVisionary Awards.

Marathon Man

Mid-Central States ASABE Meeting

A Rose

Lighten Up

NTTL Quality

Dr. Jeyam Subbiah

Dean Eisenhauer

and his wife, Latha,added a daughter, Roja (meaning rose), totheir family in April.

Wearing pedometers and making efforts toadopt a more healthy lifestyle through basicactivity, the Chasers team participated in N-Lighten Nebraska, a statewide voluntaryhealth campaign. Valdeen Nelsen served asthe team captain, and encouraged her 9team members over the course of 3 months,from February 1 to May 1, on an imaginarywalk to New Orleans. The team finished61st in the top 7%, of 848 statewide teams.Go“Chasers.”

Has an activity trend started in Chase Hall?ran the half marathon in

Lincoln on Sunday, May 4, with a finishtime of 2 hours and 36 minutes. Way to goDean!

The Mid-Central region began rotatingmeeting sites in 2006. This year’s meetingopened on Friday, April 4, in Chase Hall.About eighty members participated, with37 students also attending. Group toursincluded Kawasaki’s manufacturing plant,Pfizer’s Animal Health pharmaceuticalproduction, and LI-COR. The UNL facultyteam won the infamous bowlingcompetition held at Madsen’s Bowling &Billiards. The Iowa State University teamwon the student bowling match.

With 12 students attending, Iowa State wonthe Student Mile award by logging 1,800miles. Kansas State University and theUniversity of Missouri were also wellrepresented.A Friday evening barbeque washosted by the UNL ASABE student branchat the Splinter Lab. In addition to the papercompetition and technical sessions onSaturday, a workshop on GIS software wasalso offered by Dr.Slava Adamchuk.

The Nebraska Concrete Paving Associationpresented an Award of Merit to theNebraska Tractor Test Laboratory (NTTL)

in recognition of the high-quality concretepavement used to construct the new testingtrack. The certificate reads: “Your efforts toachieve quality construction throughsuperior skills, integrity and pride-of-workmanship are honored on behalf of userseverywhere.” The NCPA also recognizedNTTL Director Roger Hoy, Kevin Herr fromUNL Facilities, David Morgan, NTTL, andRon Yoder, BSE Department Head, for theirefforts in construction of the new track.

The University of Nebraska and NebraskaCorn Growers were well represented at the2008 Corn Utilization and TechnologyConference in Kansas City during the firstweek in June. BSE was represented with sixposters by students (Ajay Kumar andHeartwin Pushpadass) and staff (Dr. MilfordHanna, Dr. Yixiang Xu, Loren Isom, andRobert Weber). Additional posters werepresented by two students from AnimalScience and two students from Chemical andBiomolecular Engineering. Dr. Yiqi Yangpresented his work on " Properties andPotential Applications of Zein Extractedfrom Distillers Dried Grains." Milford,Yixiang, and Loren hosted a post-conferenceworkshop for regional researchers and cornboard representatives that focused on greenchemicals. Funding for the workshop andstudent travel was provided by the NebraskaCorn Board and the Nebraska Corn GrowersAssociation.

Corn Utilization and Technology Conference

Faculty & Staff News

Spring Banquet Capping off the College ofEngineer ing’s E-Week, the annualDepartment spring banquet brought faculty,alumni, emeriti, and students together for anevening for recognizing accomplishments.

and wereinducted into the BSE Hall of Fame this year.Student teams in Senior Capstone Designpresented their projects. (see projects on-line: http://bse.unl.edu/undergrad/capstone1.shtml) Dr. Milford Hannapresented (above),from Nagercoil, India, with the Bill A. andRita L. Stout Outstanding InternationalGraduate Student Award for 2008.

Donald L. Eret Ned H. Meier

Heartwin Pushpadass

Milford Hanna (left) congratulates HeartwinPushpadass.

Page 11

We l c o m e t o , Re s e a r c hTechnologist II in Dr. Pannier’s new lab. FromCluj-Napoca, Romania, Gina holds a B.S. inBiochemical Engineering and an M.S. inCatalysis, Biocatalysis from Babes-BolyaiUniversity, Cluj-Napoca. Gina also received anM.S. in Biochemistry from UNL. In thePannier lab, she i s cur rent ly s tudy ingintracellular signaling pathways involved innonviral gene delivery, as well as working withDr. Ravi Saraf ’s lab (in UNL’s Chemical and

Biomolecular Engineering Department) to develop a novelimaging system to detect ions on a single mammalian cell.

, Ph.D., is a new postdoctoralresearch associate with Dr. Subbiah’s laboratory.Brought up on a family farm in India, hereceived a Bachelor of Technology degree atJawaharlal Nehru Agriculture University inJabalpur. Sohan continued his studies andearned an M.S. in Dairy and Food Engineeringfrom the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) inKharagpur. After graduation he joined JainProcessed Foods in Jalgaon, the worlds’ thirdlargest producer of dehydrated fruits and

vegetables. After four years of learning about dehydrationoperations, he decided to obtain a Ph.D. His research project atIIT, Kharagpur, focused on developing a radio frequency (RF)assisted drying process. During preliminary study, he established aconnection with Dr. Tang’s research program at Washington StateUniversity and relocated to WSU, where he finished his degree. Heshifted his research to the application of RF heating in pest controlin fresh fruits. One of his grant-writing efforts resulted in a$50,000 grant from the Washington Technology Center to developshelf stable, ready-to-eat organic soups for FungusAmongUS, Inc.

joins us as a member of the re-organized FilleyBusiness Center, of which our Department is part. She isresponsible for job descriptions, works in employee relations, andensures that our positions are classified correctly with Ag Hall andHuman Resources. She has been with UNL since March 2004—allwith the Filley Hall Business Center—after 25 years in therestaurant business, the last 10 of which she spent at Misty’s

G i n a B o a n c a

Sohan Birla

Sara Weiexleman

Restaurant. That’s where she learned payroll,benefits, how to cook prime rib, and the not-so-refined art of keeping most of the balls inthe air, most of the time.

Other Business Center members who dividetheir time between Filley and Chase Halls areshown below, back row, left to right:

(grant monitoring),(administrative team manager and liaisonbetween UNL depar tments) , and

(time sheets, employee leave), andfront row, left to right: (purchasing) and

(daily reconciliation).

We congratulate as he assumes duties as the newAssistant Dean of Extension. He succeeded(Emeritus in BSE), who retired in December. Rick’s emphasis willbe extension program leadership for agriculture and naturalresources. Known nationally and regionally for his work onNutrient Management Planning related to animal production,R i c k w i l l co n t i nu e a i d i n g Ne b r a s k a p ro d u ce r s w i t henvironmental issues and providing statewide educationprograms through the extension network. Rick was alsopromoted to Professor, effective July 1, 2008.

So long to . She moved to the Beadle BusinessCenter as a Financial Associate.

TerriButler Lor i By r ne

TinaAndrews

Belva Harris LyndaClause

Rick KoelschDeLynn Hay

Teresa Loseke

Comings and Goings

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN

Gina Boanca

Sohan Birle

Neil Parish, chairman of the European Parliament’sagriculture committee, listens as Biological SystemsExtension Engineer Paul Jasa discusses no-till farming.Parish is flanked by Gov. Dave Heineman, left, andGreg Ibach, director of the Nebraska Department ofAgriculture.

(Photo used with permission from University of NebraskaInstitute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.)

Sara Weiexleman

Spreadingthe wordabout No-till

Biological Systems Engineering

223 L. W. Chase HallLincoln, Nebraska 68583-0726

402-472-1413Web: bse.unl.edu

DepartmentP.O. Box 830726

We appreciate all who haveestablished endowments, or madecontributions to funds that supportBSE programs.

For information about establishingnew endowed funds, or contributing toexisting funds, contact Ann Bruntz,NU Foundation, 402-458-1176 orabruntz@nufoundation.org

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is an equal opportunity educator and employer with a comprehensive plan for diversity.

Red Admiral on Common Privet, Chase Hall