University of Kentucky BAE Connections | Spring 2017

Connections

University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment | College of Engineering Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Vol. 8, Spring 2017

Inside...

Watershed Academy Dates Announced Bill Ford, Mick Peterson join BAE faculty Bee Pollination Education Program Solar Panel Installation on UK South Farm New: Continuing Professional Development Alumni Spotlight Grants, Awards, Publications Staff Focus: Frank Jones

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Greetings Alumni and Friends: This spring, we’ve been as busy as the bees with our new beehive, located on the roof of the C.E. Barnhart Building! Our new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program kicks off on April 28 with three free programs: 1) UK’s Approach to Stormwater Management, 2) Innovations in Livestock Management, and 3) Applied Drone Technologies. These programs mark the start of our efforts to provide engineers, Extension professionals, government officials, agency personnel, project managers, and other stakeholders opportunities to further develop their skillsets. Learn more about these programs as well as future ones and webinars at https://www.uky.edu/ bae/cpd.

Photo courtesy of Tom Priddy

In this newsletter we also introduce two new faculty, Mick Peterson, director of UK’s Ag Equine Programs, and Bill Ford III, assistant professor in bioenvironmental engineering.

We hope you will find ways to become more involved with the department. If you are interested in attending our new CPD trainings, helping with senior capstone projects or class tours, providing internships, speaking to our ASABE Student Branch, helping with an Alpha Epsilon service project, or just stopping by for lunch, please let us know. We would love to hear from you! You can also stay connected by visiting www.uky.edu/bae and our social media feeds (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube).

If you can join the CPD program on April 28, consider staying for our spring lunch cookout and Kentucky Section ASABE annual meeting. Enjoy hamburgers and ice cream sundaes while you rekindle past friendships and make new ones. We hope to see you soon.

Sincerely, Carmen Agouridis, Ph.D., P.E.

Coleman Stivers Participates in National Farm Conference BAE undergraduate Coleman Stivers was one of two UK students nominated to participate in a Farm Foundation Round Table in California.

Stivers, a junior specializing in Controlled Environment, was nominated by Photo courtesy of Coleman Stivers CAFE Dean Nancy Cox to participate in the three-day conference in Irvine.

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Alpha Epsilon Book Drive Alpha Epsilon (AE), the honor society of ASABE, partnered with CAFE Staff Council (formerly Stafflinks) to pick up unused or unwanted books across the College of Ag campus this past semester.

This and future book drives will support iniatives conducted by Gloria Gellin, USDA-ARS, who, with Staff Council, has supported CAFE book drives for several years.

AE collected and donated two large bins of books, which were delivered to the International Book Project.

Watershed Academy to be Held May 9-11 The Hindman-Troublesome Creek Watershed Academy, led by Carmen Agouridis, Ph.D., P.E. and Amanda Gumbert, Ph.D., will be held May 9-11 at the Hindman Settlement School. The watershed science workshop will cover the physical and ecological components Photo courtesy of Amanda Gumbert of watersheds and watershed management and restoration strategies. Participants will learn how to apply water quality and watershed management principles to understand and solve complex water resource problems. The workshop is appropriate for Extension agents, local government officials, watershed professionals, and others interested in watershed management. More details: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/anr/ HindmanWatershedAcademy2017.html.

BAE Student Branch Lawnmower Clinic Adds Second Weekend This year, BAE Student Branch’s annual Lawnmover Clinic was expanded to include a second weekend, with pick-up and drop-off service offered both weekends.

The second weekend was added as a special fundraiser to generate scholarships for students enrolled in Digital Germany, an education abroad program being co-lead by Joe Dvorak, Ph.D., P.E. and Karin Pekarchik this May. Undergraduate Eric Van Zant and Dr. Dvorak appeared on WKYT-TV on March 21 to promote the clinic.

In this issue...

Pages 2-3

Pages 4-5 Pages 6-7

Pages 8-9 Pages 10-11

Greetings; Coleman Stivers Participates in National Farm Conference; Watershed Academy to be Held May 9-11; Lawnmower Clinic Adds Second Weekend

New Faculty: Michael (Mick) Peterson, Ph.D., William (Bill) Ford III. Pollinator Project Expansion at McConnell Springs; Solar Panels Installed at UK South Farm; BAE Continuing Professional Development Alumni Spotlight: Veronica Spriggs; Grant Wonderlich

Grants; Publications; Graduates; Arrivals & Departures; Staff Focus: Frank Jones; Alumni Advisory Board

BAE Connections is published twice a year by the University of Kentucky Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department, an Equal Opportunity Organization. The newsletter is produced by BAE in partnership with Alpha Epsilon. ©2017.

BAE Connections Editorial Committee Director: Sue Nokes, Ph.D., P.E. Advisor: Carmen Agouridis, Ph.D., P.E. Editor, Designer: Karin Pekarchik Alumni Advisor: Elizabeth Bullock, P.E. Contributors: Amanda Gumbert, Ph.D., Carmen Agouridis, Ph.D., P.E., Lee Moser, Karin Pekarchik, Donnie Stamper, Katie Wolf.

Photography: Steve Patton and Matt Barton from UK CAFE Agricultural Communications; BAE faculty/staff., and others as noted.

Please submit story ideas, questions, or comments to carmen.agouridis@uky.edu or karin. pekarchik@uky.edu.

Photo courtesy of Maria Morales Menendez

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Mick Peterson, Ph.D.

By Holly Wiemers

M

ick Peterson has been named director of the University of Kentucky’s Ag Equine Programs, the multidisciplinary program that serves as a gateway to all equine activities in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and Dickson Professor of Equine Science and Management. He started January 2017.

‘Since its founding, the equine programs at UK has become one of the premier equine programs in the world’

try and the university,” Peterson said. “I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting program and look forward to working with a broad range of stakeholders.”

Peterson comes to UK from the University of Maine, where he served as a mechanical engineering professor. His research has linked traditional understanding of engineering mechanics and materials to the biomechanics of animals. His research emphasis has been on the manner in which dynamic response can be used to characterize materials.

During the course of his career, Peterson has worked on a range of In addition to leading UK Ag equine and animal biomechanics Equine Programs, Peterson will topics, including the impact of exalso conduct research on the biomechanics and mechanical proper- ercise on bone density, the development of biomechanical models, ties of living tissues as they relate durability of cetacean epidermis, to musculoskeletal disease detecthe measurement of inertial tion and prevention. His teaching responsibilities will include under- properties of the equine forelimb, biomechanics of whale interaction graduate and graduate courses in the areas of biomechanics, instrumentation and/or mechanics of materials related to equine athletes ‘Mick’s passion for the in the Department of Biosystems equine industry and this and Agricultural Engineering.

program is genuine’

“Since its founding, the equine programs at UK has become one of the premier equine programs in the world. The potential for future growth in teaching, research and outreach is tremendous, which can greatly benefit the equine indus4

with fishing gear, cetacean acoustic response, marine hydroacoustics and the kinematics of equine gait on treadmills and tracks.

According to Peterson, his great-

Photo courtesy of Codere SA

est passion is for the understanding of racing and equestrian surfaces. Originating in work 20 years ago on a new medical imaging technique, this work has gradually grown from an interest in the effect of exercise on bone remodeling to a focus on applying concepts from manufacturing quality control to improved racing surface consistency for the protection of horses and riders.

“The fact that we are hiring our first full-time director reflects how the program has grown and evolved. We are privileged to attract such a prominent leader to this position; Mick’s passion for the equine industry and this program is genuine and is matched by our faculty, staff and students,” said Nancy Cox, dean of the college. “We will be able to take our service to this signature industry to another level under his leadership and couldn’t be more thrilled by what the future holds for this program.”

William Ford III, Ph.D. W

illiam (Bill) Ford III, Ph.D. has joined the department as an assistant professor in bioenvironmental engineering. Ford completed both his undergraduate and graduate work in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Kentucky before stints as a postdoctoral scholar and then teaching.

“The department feels extremely fortunate to have recruited Dr. William Ford to UK. He came to UK from Marshall

‘BAE has a very strong research program with applied and fundamental research foci’ University where he taught, and was also successful in attracting a major grant. He brings that great experience to his Assistant Professor position in BAE. I think Dr. Ford will be a great resource to our students also, as he brings expertise in surface water quality monitoring, modeling, and management,” Department Chair Dr. Sue Nokes said.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, he experienced a shift in focus from the science/process side of research to more applied research studying the impact of agronomic and best management practices on edge-of-field nutrient fluxes.

Most recently Ford spent three semesters as an assistant professor at West Virginia’s Marshall University, where he primarily taught undergraduates in Civil Engineering. He was pleased to see the opportunity in BAE at UK as it was a perfect marriage of his research and teaching interests.

“I was really interested to learn about the research initiatives in the department. BAE has a very strong research program with applied and fundamental research foci, which made it an excellent fit for my program,” Ford explained.

“I took several courses in BAE as a graduate student, so I have a natural alignment with the department.”

A broad research focus of Ford’s will be to study water quality in both natural and restored waterways. “Isotopic fingerprinting” is a way to trace sources and pathways of nutrients in order to identify problem areas His work as a graduate student was and assess how nutrients are being oriented toward source, fate and cycled in streams. He plans to transport of carbon and nitrogen establish and collect samples from in agricultural streams, specifically, study sites, and use numerical he focused on the role of in-stream models to assess fate and transport processes to attenuate nutrients in of nutrients as they move through stream channels. Then, during a the stream channel. one-year postdoctoral appointment in Columbus, Ohio, with the While at Marshall, Ford initiated a

Photo courtesy of College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

project focused on nutrient loading problems from agricultural streams and their impact on harmful algal blooms, reinforcing the agricultural focus of his research. Ford, as a co-principal investigator, received a National Science Foundation grant for $3.8 million on this topic. He has shifted his portion of the project to UK and is currently working with one graduate and three undergraduate students on the project.

Now that he’s here in Kentucky, he’s interested in establishing study sites in close proximity where he’ll be able to take his classes for hands-on experiences. The scope of his research is state-wide, but for practical reasons, he will choose nearby watersheds for feasibility and integration into the classroom.

The Cane Run Watershed and South Elkhorn Watershed are two prime examples of proximity and abundant research opportunities.

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Pollinator Project Expansion at McConnell Springs

By Lee Moser An estimated one-third of all food eaten by humans has been directly or indirectly pollinated by bees.

Without bees, much of our crops, in addition to the trees and flowers that beautify our landscape, will be in jeopardy. Alarmingly,

simplification of landscapes, use of pesticides and herbicides, and disease and parasites.

Because honeybees are vital to the way we live, Steve Higgins, Ph.D., received a grant that allows UK and the USDA to partner on a beehive observatory and pollinator gardens that provide educational tools focusing on pollinators and their habitat. The observatory is open to classes, educational groups, and field day groups of all ages. A demonstration beehive is located on the third floor observatory of the Charles E. Barnhart building on UK’s campus. Visitors are able to observe the hives at any time behind the safety of glass viewing panels.

Our team, consisting of myself, Dr. Higgins, and student employees Amanda Williams, Colton Pugh, and Michelle bee colony numbers have been in McHugh, hopes the hive will decline as a result of habitat loss, expose nontraditional audiences

Photo courtesy of Steve Patton, College of Agriculture

Solar Panels Installed at UK South Farm

to the importance of pollinators in our ecosystems and problems associated with their decline. We are interested in expanding the project to partner with LFUCG and McConnell Springs to further raise awareness of the vital role that pollinators play in our everyday lives. We’d like to install a hive in McConnell Springs Park to complement existing environmental education.

These pictures show the installation of solar panels on UK’s South Farm by BAE’s “shop.” The panels, designed by BAE/ECE 599 Solar Power, support Dr. Dvorak’s autonomous tractor, which was funded by the UK Student Sustainability Council. Two separate 5kw systems are hooked up to the farm’s Kentucky Utilities service and allow a comparison of different inverters. Photos courtesy of Don Colliver.

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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT April 28, 2017 9am - 12pm C.E. Barnhart Building Signup: www.uky.edu/bae/cpd

Seats limited. Free program; lunch and parking not included.

ENGINEERS CAN EARN THREE PDHs AT COMPLETION

Program 1: UK’s Approach to Stormwater Management, Carmen Agouridis, Ph.D., P.E.

Program 2: Innovations in Livestock Management, Steve Higgins, Ph.D., Josh Jackson,

Program 3: Applied Drone Technologies, Mike Sama, Ph.D., P.E., Josh Jackson, Ph.D.

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Alumni Spotlight: Veronica Spriggs Where are you in your career?

I would consider myself in the early stages of my career. Straight out of undergrad, I went to graduate school to get my MBA. Currently, I’m a Production Supervisor with John Deere. I’ve worked for John Deere for six years and have held multiple jobs of increasing responsibility within the Operations and Supply Chain Management disciplines. I’m working to gain as much industry experience that I can so that I can be a well-rounded and experienced leader for the company.

Photo courtesy Veronica Spriggs

How did your experience at UK prepare you for your career?

Studying engineering was one of my bigger challenges in life so far. It really helped me to develop a good work ethic and the ability to adapt quickly. Both are essential to be successful in any job. I was also a member of NSBE and the BAE Student Organization. Those student organizations helped me to develop my collaboration skills, which is critical in my work every day. It also instilled a passion to reach back and engage in various college outreach and recruiting activities as a way to share what I’ve learned along the way with the next group.

What advice would you give to current and future students as they prepare to join the workforce or graduate school?

One thing I’ve learned and am playing “catch-up” on is building a strong network. I’m not just speaking about small talk/networking at formal events, but instead, identifying individuals you trust and can develop meaningful relationships with. These people will be your network to reach out to for career development advice or assistance/feedback with a project at work. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. Start building that network now! Don’t only try to cultivate new contacts but nurture your current network — check in with people from time to time to maintain an open line of communication. Seriously, this is a big deal!

What are your plans for the near and distant future?

I plan to grow with the company and learn everything I can along the way! Also, travel the world!

Grants Barton, C., T. Williamson, C. Agouridis, and K. Yeager. 2016.

Evaluating the Influence of the Forestry Reclamation Approach on Water Quality and Hydrology on Appalachian Coal Mines.

United States Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, $319,832 ($195,490 from sponsor), Agouridis, Co-Investigator.

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Dvorak, J., and Stombaugh, T.S. LP Hybrid Forklift Demonstration. Propane Education Research Council, $97,527. 3/17 – 3/18.

Fehr, R. “FY-17 Kentucky Radon Education Program,” Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. $26,054 Higgins, S., Stringer, J. “Winter Feeding and Other Cattle Best Management Practices,” Kentucky Department of Environ-

mental Protection. $221,363 McNeill, S. “AMPLIFIES Ghana: Assisting Management in the Poultry and Layer Industries by Feed Improvement,” Oklahoma State University. $29,086 Mannino, D., “Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention,” National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. $1,118,837. Mark Purschwitz is co-investigator.

Alumni Spotlight: Grant Wonderlich Where are you in your career?

I am currently a System Engineer at the John Deere Seeding Group in Moline, Ill. In this role, my responsibility is to translate customer requirements into product specifications and develop new technical solutions for row-crop planting systems.

How did your experience at UK prepare you for your career?

As an alumni of the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering program, I felt very well prepared to enter the workforce. The diverse curriculum and the applied knowledge I gained has been invaluable to my career. If I could single out one activity, it would be the Quarterscale Tractor Competition through ASABE. This experience gave me a safe environment to learn from failures as well as gain a much stronger appreciation for how product development works within a large corporation. My experience with that competition led me to give back and become a part of the competition organizing committee, where I served as the competition chair last year.

Another key advantage is the faculty. Their willingness to go above and beyond to give students the experiences needed to succeed in industry contributed greatly to my development.

Photo courtesy Grant Wonderlich.

What advice would you give to current and future students as they prepare to join the workforce or graduate school?

Do what you love and never stop learning. Find a career you are passionate about and always be willing to share your experiences and learnings with others.

What are your plans for the near and distant future?

I look forward to pursuing my career with John Deere and participating in the advances and transformations of production agriculture.

Stombaugh, T.S. , Dvorak, J. Improving the Accuracy of Chemical Applications with Direct Injection.

USDA AFRI, $497,979. 4/17 – 3/20.

plantain using response surface methodology. Food and Nutrition Sciences. 7(14), 1423 – 1433.

IMPACT 19(1): 8-9.

Agouridis, C.T., K.R. Douglas-Mankin, A.C. Linhoss, and Adeyanju, J.A., Olajide, J.O., and A.R. Mittelstet. 2016. Wetlands Adedeji, A.A. (2016). Optimisation and Coastal Systems: Protecting of Deep-fat frying of plantain chips and Restoring Valuable Ecosys(Ipekere) using response surface tems. Transactions of the ASABE Publications methodology. Journal of Food 59(5): 1301-1303. doi: 10.13031/ Processing & Technology. 7(5), 584 trans.59.12103 Adeyanju, J.A., Olajide, J.O., and Adedeji, A.A. (2016). Development – 589.

Agouridis, C. 2016. Book Reof optimum operating conditions Agouridis, C. 2017. Building a view: Environmental Hydrology. for quality attributes in deep-fat career with passion, calculated risks Groundwater 54(5): 626. doi: frying of dodo produced from and hard work. Water Resources 10.1111/gwat.12446.

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Blackburn-Lynch, W., C. Agouridis, and C. Barton. 2017. Development of Regional Curves for Hydrologic Landscape Regions (HLR) in the Contiguous United States. Journal of the American Water Resources Association. In press.

Chattopadhyay, S., Edwards, D.R., and Yu, Yao. Water 2017. Contemporary and future characteristics of precipitation indices in the Kentucky River Basin. S 9, 109; doi:10.3390/w9020109 Dvorak, J., Zhang, N. (2017).

Open channel velocity sensor geometry design using computational fluid dynamics. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. In Press.

Husic, A., J. Fox, C. Agouridis, J. Currens, W. Ford, C. Taylor. 2017.

Sediment Carbon Fate in Phreatic Karst (Part 1): Conceptual Model Development. J. Hydrol. In Press.

Doi:10.1016/jhydrol.2017.03.052 Husic, A., J. Fox, W. Ford, C. Agouridis, J. Currens, C. Taylor.

2017. Sediment Carbon Fate in Phreatic Karst (Part 2): Numerical Model Development and Application. J. Hydrol. In Press.

Doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.03.059 Modenbach, A.A., S.E. Nokes, M. Montross, and B.L. Knutson. 2017.

Towards biochemical conversion of lignocellulose on-farm pretreatment and hydrolysis of corn stover in situ. Trans. of ASABE. Accepted for publication.

Modenbach, A.A. and S.E. Nokes.

2017. Transitioning Students into BAE from a Common First Year Engineering Curriculum – A Work in Progress. 2017 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposi10

tion. June 25-28, 2017. Refereed paper accepted for publication.

Qualls, T., C. Agouridis, and M. Kulshrestha. 2017. Development of a Methodology to Determine Antibiotic Concentrations in Water Samples Using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography. Journal of Young Investigators. In press.

Upcoming Fall Advisory Board Meeting: October 5-6, 2017

Current Members: Rady, A., Ekramirad, N., Adedeji, Brittany Adam, Big Ass Solutions A.A., and Alimardani, R. (2017).

Hyperspectral Imaging for detecLaud Azu, Kellogg’s tion of codling moth infestation in GoldRush apples. Postharvest Nick Coleman, King & Schickli, PLLC Biology and Technology, 129, 37 Eric Dawalt, Ridgwater LLC - 44.

Craig Duvall, Biomedical Engineering, Seyyedhasani, H., Dvorak, J. Vanderbilt University (2017). Using the Vehicle RoutEllie Hawes, Hummingbird Nano ing Problem to Reduce Field Completion Times with MulBlair Lauer, Cummins tiple Machines. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 134.

Wanda Lawson, Stantec March 2017. 142-150. http:// Maridely Loyselle, Division of dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.comWaste Management, Energy pag.2016.11.010 and Environment Cabinet, KY Singh, M., and Adedeji, A.A. Department of Environmental (2017). Characterization of hydroProtection thermal and acid modified proso Doug Mynear, ESCI, LLC millet starch. LWT – Food Science and Technology. 79, 21 – 26.

Katherine Niebuhr, Altec

Departures

Mathew Ruwaya Ahmed Rady Xiao Chen (by April 30)

Arrivals

Mick Peterson, Ph.D. Bill Ford, Ph.D. Tanya Dvorak, Ph. D.

M.S.

Manjot Singh

Visiting Scholar

Mohammad Yarmand, Ph. D.

Rachel Norton, MACED Pamela Pabian, Coldstream Laboratories Allen Patton, Patton Farms LLC Richard Shultz, Linkbelt

Staff Focus: Frank Jones

By Donnie Stamper As a kid, Frank Jones, who was born in Lexington, enjoyed building model airplanes. He built both plastic models for display and balsa wood models for radio-controlled flying. (Some readers probably know that Frank still has a knack for radio-controlled air planes, including helicopters and quadcopters.) In 1967, Frank graduated from Henry Clay High School, then located on Main St., and began working at the Avon Army Depot.

After earning enough money for tuition, Frank enrolled at UK, planning to major in art. (It turns out that Frank is a bit of an artist and enjoys drawing and painting.) However, after a year, he realized school wasn’t for him.

His next career decision was easy because it was made for him. Frank was drafted into the U.S. Army to serve in the Vietnam War. In Vietnam, Frank served as a field radio repairman, a job that required quick turnaround repair times of communication radios damaged in battle. Frank had the option to leave the Army after two years but chose to stay for a third for education purposes. After the Army, Frank enlisted with the U.S. Navy. When I asked him why he chose to enlist in the Navy, his response was one word: “Curiosity.”

Photo courtesy of College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Frank served as a gunner’s mate for two years in the Navy, spending much of the time in the Mediterranean as part of the Sixth Fleet, onboard the USS Springfield. The Navy describes that position as such: “Gunner’s mates are responsible for the operation and maintenance of guided missile launching systems, gun mounts and other ordnance equipment, as well as small arms and magazines.

They work with electrical and electronic circuitry; mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems.”

After the Navy, Frank returned to Kentucky, joining Agricultural Engineering Department in 1979 and putting his associate’s degree in computer programming to use. He was hired by Fred Payne, Ph.D., to help with biomass research, but of course he worked on many other projects over the years, many of them related to computer porgramming. Frank has programmed using 96 and 80 column “punch cards” (literally a stiff piece of paper with punched holes – check it out on Wikipedia). Later, just a few years before Watson, Frank programmed IBM machines using the 5¼ inch floppy disc. Frank even taught members of the department how to use DOS systems. Ask Jayne!

Over the years Frank’s role has changed but he has always been willing to help me whenever I needed it. He is hard-working and determined, someone who stays on top of a job until it is finished. Due to health issues Frank is retiring after over 37 years in the Agricultural Engineering/Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department.

When I visited Frank at the Veterans Affairs Community Center on Leestown Rd., he said, “Watch this.” Frank proceeded to do a forward Official U.S. Navy photograph of USS wheelie in his wheelchair. (While seated, Frank had the large wheels off Springfield, from the Collections of the the ground and the footrest on the ground.) I don’t how Frank plans to Naval Historical Center spend his retirement, but given his interest in current events, maybe he’ll turn to debates or politics, or maybe he’ll return to art, creating comic books or graphic novels, something he has considered doing in the past.

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