BAE News and Events

BAE Professor Receives IDFA Research Award (07/11/08)
The recipient of the 2008 IDFA Dairy Foods Research Award is BAE's Manuel Castillo, Assistant Research Professor in Food Science and Technology. This award recognizes individuals whose research findings have allowed dairy foods processors to develop new products to make a significant improvement in the quality, safety, or processing efficiency of dairy foods. Dr. Castillo has made outstanding contributions through his research on the chemistry of milk products and engineering of dairy foods processes, especially focusing on using optical sensors to study, monitor, and predict curd moisture and syneresis during cheese making. The application of Castillo's research will improve the quality and efficiency of cheese manufacture. Congratulations, Manuel!

Q-Scale Tractor Design Competition (06/02/08)
The UK Q-Scale Team has once again represented the University of Kentucky, Colleges of Agriculture and Engineering, and the Department in a very respectable manner with their participation in the ASABE Q-Scale Tractor Design Competition. This event was held over weekend in Peoria, IL. Overall the team placed 4th in this year's competition. A total of 28 teams registered for the event. In addition, UK placed 3rd in overall pulling performance and won the second heat of the 1050 lb. weight class. Not to be outdone, the X-Team won overall pull performance, and placed 2nd overall. Congratulations to the students on a job well done!

Milk Transport Security System Grant Announced (05/20/08)
The Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute for Hometown Security announced at an Awards Ceremony on May 12 that UK BAE would receive a grant for $1.175 million to continue the development of a milk transport security system. The grant titled "Technology Optimization of a Milk Transport Security System" would continue the work that began at UK in January 2006. The objectives for this proposed project include the optimization of the security monitoring system, development of software products, and the development of a data server system. Successful accomplishment of these objectives will provide the dairy industry with a commercially robust system that will secure milk during transport, automate the collection of milk data, and provide a trace back system to facilitate recalls if ever needed.

Congratulations to Award Winners! (05/02/08)
It is always a pleasure to announce that our faculty are recognized, but especially when it is for outstanding teaching and advising. We congratulate two of BAE's faculty for their recent awards within the College of Agriculture.

Dr. Scott Shearer - Joe T. Davis Outstanding Advisor Award
Dr. Tim Stombaugh - College of Agriculture Outstanding Teacher Award

Congratulations to these outstanding teachers. And, thanks to all who make educational programs in the College the best they can be!

End of an Era in BAE - Dr. George Duncan Retires (04/30/08)
On April 30th, 2008, Dr. George Duncan resigned from his post-retirement appointment. Dr. Duncan's professional contributions to the BAE program have been many with the variety of changes to KY agriculture during his tenure.

"To be certain George has seen a lot of change, and what is more remarkable is that George was responsible for much of that change. Perhaps most notable is his work in the area of tobacco, fruit and vegetable production and post-harvest handling. George was instrumental in helping burley producers and buyers transition to marketing burley tobacco in bales versus "hands." George was also a strong supporter of the adoption of appropriate burley mechanization technologies ranging from the carousel setters to tobacco harvesting aids. His influence on the development of float bed systems for transplants will continue for some time too. And as if he did not have enough on his plate helping tobacco producers, he always found time to help fruit and vegetable producers in areas ranging from greenhouse control, to plasticulture and drip irrigation, and sorting, packing and cooling of fresh produce. Further, George was a strong supporter of the 4H program serving as its interim director for a period of time.

In my estimation George's career embodies the absolute best of the Cooperative Extension Service. In fact, I believe that is was through the efforts of George and his extension colleagues in the early years of BAE that we now enjoy the facility that we do today", said Scott Shearer, Chair of the BAE Department.

We celebrate George's career and wish to express our thanks to him for his contributions. We wish George the best as he transitions from serving KY agriculture to being simply George: husband, father, grandfather and friend.

SWE Officers include BAE's Own (04/04/08)
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a very active organization within the College of Engineering. In addition to hosting the annual career fair, SWE was just notified that they have been selected to host the 2010 Region G Conference. Pamela Griffith (BAE) and Miranda Salyers (ChemE) were instrumental in submitting the bid for UK to host the 2010 conference. Please join me in congratulating the following officers of SWE:

President - Britney Thompson, ME
Vice President - Lisa Rogers, ME
Secretary - Michelle Tucker, BAE
Treasurer- Amy Boatman, ME
Public Relations- Marilyn West, ME
Programs Director- Jessica Allen, CE
Outreach Director - Becki Engle, ME
ESC Representative- Kassy Lum, ME
Fundraising- Allison Kosnik, CE
Career Fair - Tabitha Graham, BAE
Conference Director- Miranda Salyers, ChemE
Spring Banquet Dir.- Sarah Lynn Dennis, ME
SWE Bowl Director- Carissa Dowden, ME

We note with pride the level of BAE participation! Please congratulate the SWE officers (past and present) when you have a chance!

COE Hall of Distinction (04/01/08)
Four graduates of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering were inducted into the colleges Hall of Distinction during ceremonies Friday, April 4, 2008 in the UK Student Center Theater.

The four are J. Ralph King of Lexington, Davis L. Marksbury of Lexington, Wendell S. Norman of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and the late Larry W. Turner of Lexington.

"The College of Engineering is justifiably proud of the more than 21,000 individuals who have earned degrees in engineering and computer science since its creation in 1865. Those we honor this year are being inducted into the Hall of Distinction due to the special recognition they have brought upon the university through their professional and civic endeavors. We are honored by their achievements and contributions to the greater good," said Thomas W. Lester, dean of the UK College of Engineering.

Dr. Larry W. Turner, from Rising Sun, Ind., earned his Ph.D. in agricultural engineering at UK in 1984. He had joined the university in 1978 as an Extension agricultural engineer and faculty member in energy management. He was named chair of the UK Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering in 1999 and was promoted to associate dean for Extension in the UK College of Agriculture. As department chair, he saw external research and Extension grants increase from $250,000 to $4 million in a three-year period. Turner also led a statewide streamlining and enhancement effort called "Re-envisioning Extension." He was a strong backer of the Health Education through Extension Leadership program that partnered Extension agents with the UK College of Medicine to improve and support health education projects in Kentucky. He was killed in 2006 in the crash of Flight 5191 in Lexington, after which an athletic field at Lexington Christian Academy was named Larry Turner Memorial Field. He is survived by his wife, Lois, two daughters and a son.

Congratulations to Dr. Colliver (03/27/08)
Dr. Don Colliver was recently notified by Dean Smith that he has been promoted to Professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. Please join us in extending a hearty BAE congratulations to Don for reaching this milestone in his career!

BAE Professor assists with opening of the 2007 US Solar Decathlon (02/15/08)
University of Kentucky, Biosystems and Ag Engineering Associate Professor Don Colliver (second from right) representing the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers spoke at the opening ceremony and assisted US Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman with the ribbon cutting opening the 2007 Solar Decathlon, Friday Oct 12 on the National Mall in Washington DC. The Solar Decathlon is a unique competition in which 20 college- and university-lead teams from around the world work to design, finance, construct, and operate the most energy-efficient, solar-powered homes imaginable. The team-constructed houses built on the Mall between the Washington Monument and the Capitol will be evaluated in ten areas evaluating the next generation of totally-off grid solar-powered homes. The Decathlon event winner will be awarded Oct 19th. Additional information about the houses and the event can be found at www.solardecathlon.org.

Individuals in photo to the left are: (L-R) Bob Azzi, Sr VP Sprint; Lee Edwards , Pres BP Solar; Michelle Moore, US Green Building Council; Samuel Bodman, Secretary of Energy; Alexander Karsner, Assistant Secretary of Energy; RK Stewart, Pres AIA; Donald Colliver, ASHRAE; Bobi Garrett, Assoc Director, National Renewal Energy Laboratory.