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#PEF AND MORE! AGRICULTURALAGRICULTURAL & BBIOLOGICALIOLOGICAL EENNGGINEERINGINEERING WINTER 2015 Greetings from Agricultural and Biological Engineering It feels like just yesterday when I became head of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department on November 1, 2004. It has been extremely fulfilling for me to have the precious opportunity to work on a personal level with so many colleagues, students, ABE@Illinois alumni, friends, partners, and supporters of ABE@Illinois. I have Winter 2015 personally experienced how an academic unit can stay sustainable and competitive when its stakeholders continue to be passionate in Editors: helping us build a great department. Anne Marie Boone K.C. Ting, We, as a department, have had our share of challenges. However, Leanne Lucas Professor and Head we have also actively pursued exciting opportunities that enabled us to Published by the Department of be strategic in advancing our goals. Many of our accomplishments over the past 10 years are the results Agricultural and Biological Engineering of of the collective wisdom gathered through a number of strategic planning activities. Examples include the College of Agricultural, Consumer and doubling the enrollments of both our undergraduate and graduate programs, creating the master’s Environmental Sciences and the College degree program in Technical Systems Management, adding new faculty positions using the campus and of Engineering at the University of Illinois college initiatives, improving gender diversity of our faculty and students, leading and participating in at Urbana Champaign. new research initiatives, and enhancing global engagement. We are especially proud of our students’ participation in activities beyond the classroom. In this 338 Agricultural Engineering Sciences issue of ABE@Illinois, you will read about the work of Lauren Delaney, Nora Onstad, and Loren Building Piedrasanta, active members of the Illinois chapter of Engineers without Borders. Lauren has been 1304 W. Pennsylvania Ave. working on campus with a Nigeria water project, Nora has traveled to Cameroon three times to work Urbana, IL 61801 on two water related projects, and Loren spent time this summer in Guatemala. Also featured in this issue are the internship experiences of three of our students, Lizzie Bohne, April-Hope Wareham, and Phone: (217) 333 3570 Pete Vandermyde. E-mail: [email protected] Our campus, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), and the College of Engineering have developed new strategic plans including initiatives, goals, and metrics. Our department is in the process of developing our vision for the next five years (i.e. vision 2020). We are currently in the process of performing a SWOT analysis. We will use the feedback garnered from that analysis to revise our vision and mission and develop new goals, initiatives and actions. We are paying special attention to the following aspects: alignment with the campus and colleges; locally operated and globally connected; resource generation and deployment; internal and external Cover: Pete Vandermyde (Internships offer communications (including branding); advancement and development; outcome assessment; and students insight into the real world, pages continuous improvement. 9-10), and Paul Davidson and Loren Piedrasanta I invite you to help us chart our future and continue to be the partners of our success. (ABE and EWB bring hope for clean water to Best regards, Guatemalan villages, pages 11-12). K.C. Ting Professor and Department Head

Funk’s expertise still in demand Ted Funk left the Department of “Often, a farmer wants another set Agricultural and Biological Engineering in of eyes to help determine where some 2012, but the word retirement isn’t in his trouble spots might be with regard to vocabulary. “I can’t stop working,” he said environmental management,” said Funk. recently. “I have to keep doing things.” “That might involve looking at a nutrient One of his main bread and butter management plan or an emergency response projects is with the Illinois Pork Producers plan. I’ve done a number of those over Association. Funk works as a consultant the last couple of years, which means I get on news articles and regulations related to to see some of my favorite people - swine environmental education, and he does on- producers.” farm environmental reviews for producers. Ted and Jan Funk continued on page 3

2 http://abe.illinois.edu Funk’s expertise still in demand continued from page 2 Funk has also traveled to China three times, working with the U.S. Soybean Export Council and the U.S. Grains Council to conduct workshops on swine farm facility and manure management. Recent trips focused on nutrient management planning for livestock farms, and he said they are now looking at a longer-term project to further assist with

nutrient management planning issues in the EMERITUS PROFILE country. “The livestock and poultry production facilities have just exploded in China in the last few years,” said Funk. “The industry geared up in a hurry to supply the demand for meat, milk, and eggs, and now there are some real problems with manure management. They have severe water quality issues, some of which are TTedd FFunkk speaksk att BerningB i AcresA directly related to the rapid expansion of “Bill Peterson taught me how to take these livestock facilities. In some cases the on an engineering challenge and have the production facilities are placed close to courage to try new things. We did a lot Inside: population centers, and they don’t have land of experiments together, and he was an Profile Emeritus access for manure application. That causes interesting guy to work with.” 5FE
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15 http://abe.illinois.edu 3 TSM graduate program offers students more options 2011 was a landmark year for the Technical learning the business. Systems Management (TSM) program in the If you go out with a Department of ABE. That fall marked the graduate degree geared first semester students could pursue a graduate towards management, that degree in TSM. Joe Harper is a professor in shortens the process quite the department and the major advisor for the a bit - or it should.” program. He was instrumental in the effort to Harper said there is bring the new degree program on board. continued and increasing “We’ve enrolled approximately 25 students interest in the program. since the program began in 2011, with our “If we had the resources, first graduates in December of 2012. Overall,” we could easily double said Harper, “the program is going very well. the enrollment,” he “I do think the department as a whole concluded. “We don’t have is still trying to work out how to fit TSM those resources right now, research into what we do in engineering but the program has a lot Joe Harper, faculty coordinator for the new TSM graduate program, at research,” he continued. “We have some senior more potential.” work in TSM lab faculty who are very accomplished researchers, and they have an understanding of how it works, so I think we’re going to get a handle TSM graduate program overview to complete. A non-thesis master’s is only on it.” Students in the TSM graduate program allowed with departmental approval at or The TSM program for undergraduates focus on the application of engineering before initiation of graduate study, and a has one of the highest placement rates in principles, the study of technology used in final report is required. the College of ACES, and students earn top agriculture, and the integration of business A master’s with a PSM option requires salaries. Harper believes a graduate degree in concepts in the food and agricultural 32 hours of science course work in a TSM can take a student even further. industries. specific field; 10 hours in business course “A graduate degree, especially in the PSM There are two degree paths available in work; attendance in an industry seminar program, will put you on a shorter route to the program; a master’s of science (thesis or series which provides weekly interaction management and the salaries are even higher,” non-thesis) and a master’s of science with a with business experts and an examination he said. “If you plan to go into management, professional science master’s (PSM) option. of current and emerging business issues; you need either an MBA or something like A thesis master’s requires 25 hours of and an industry internship. The program the PSM degree. A student with a bachelor’s coursework, eight hours of thesis research is full-time, self-funded, and completed in degree can be a management trainee, but and takes approximately 18 to 24 months 16 months. that takes anywhere from three to five years

Agricultural and Biological Engineering ranked best in nation The undergraduate program in the engineering; those receiving the most mentions of Engineering. Ting said the strength of Department of Agricultural and Biological are ranked in the publication. each college “is a tremendous asset to our Engineering (ABE) at the University of Illinois K.C. Ting, department head of ABE department.” is once again ranked best in the nation by since 2004, said, “Developing and delivering Ting added that outstanding faculty, staff, U.S. News and World Report. The 2015 U.S. great educational programs are among our and students also contribute to the overall News Best Colleges placed Illinois in a tie core missions. We are very encouraged that quality of the department. “Our teaching with Purdue University for the top spot. Texas our agricultural and biological engineering is student centered, many of our courses A&M, Iowa State, and Florida rounded out undergraduate program is recognized as a top are project based, and students have diverse the top five. program.” ABE at Illinois has been ranked opportunities for international study abroad. U.S. News ranks undergraduate programs consistently in one of the top three spots for We offer a complete educational package, accredited by the Accreditation Board for almost a decade, including a previous four-year which makes our department very appealing Engineering and Technology based solely on stint as number one. to incoming students. the judgments of deans and senior faculty from The department is part of two of the top “We are in good company,” Ting participating colleges. U.S. News also asks for colleges on the Urbana-Champaign campus; concluded, “and we feel honored to receive nominations of the best programs in specialty the College of Agricultural, Consumer and this recognition.” areas, such as biological and agricultural Environmental Sciences and the College

4 http://abe.illinois.edu time, sheisresearching watershedand river 50 percent research appointment. At this together.” livinglikegypsies,we’reand forth, finally Chu. “After somany years ofmoving back synchronize ourschoolingandjobs,” said Environmental, Inc. asaSenior Engineer. Champaign; henow works with Waterborne that positioninSeptember andcameto the USDA-ARSinOklahoma. He resigned Oklahoma State in2010,thenworked with department. months before positioninthe takinghernew this year, butwasonlywiththecompanyfour Environmental, Inc. inChampaignApril of She obtainedaposition at Waterborne Florida, thenanotheratSt. LouisUniversity. Ph.D., Chudidapost-docattheUniversity of While waitingforherhusbandtocompletehis engineering atOklahoma State University. will tellyou love,” shesayswithalaugh. the reason hecametotheUnited States, he obtain theirPh.D.’s. “If you askmyhusband to couple decidedtochooseathird country Netherlands. Jorge isfrom Columbia,sothe water resources.” adrenaline andfrom thenon,Istayed rush, in that research issomethingthatgave mean interesting,”very saidChu.“Idiscovered turn from doingstructures, butIfoundit in hydrology andwaterresources. in theNetherlands andreceived hermaster’s UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education then appliedforandreceived afellowship at in thecivilengineeringdepartment. She University ofSouthern Mindanao asalecturer City, Philippines. Chubeganhercareer atthe Western Institute of Technology inIloilo she received abachelor’s degree from the resources. with aresearch focusinhydrology andwater ABE faculty. Chuisanassistantprofessor http://abe.illinois.edu Maria Chu New faculty Chu hasa50percent teaching and “We to spentalotoftimetrying Her husbandcompletedhisPh.D. at Chu received herPh.D. inbiosystems Chu metherhusband,Jorge, inthe “It wasquiteachange,really a180degree Chu hasabackground incivilengineering; Maria Chuisthenewestmemberof work. Thatshouldhappensoon.” I willteach,andwanttogetbacklab of water, sediments,andnutrients.Eventually climate andlandusechangestothemovement and landuse.“I’m lookingattheeffectsof ecosystem dynamicsunderchangingclimate assistant professor. He wasoffered and in2012asavisiting came tothedepartment as assistantprofessor inABE.Bhattarai first Rabin Bhattarai Rabin Bhattarai has acceptedaposition accepted thepermanentpositionthisfall. Illinois. to ABE see thearticle Champaign. Chemical ScienceatIllinois, andtheylive in is asoftware engineerintheSchoolof and Training Center. His wife,Urbashi, the Erosion andSediment Control Research Prasanta Kalita(anotherprofessor inABE)at soil andwaterresources, andworks with For more informationonDr. Bhattarai, Bhattarai teachesavariety ofcoursesin intheSpring 2014issueofABE@ New facultybringnewexpertise Erosion andSediment Control Research and Bhattarai atthe Training Center Maria Chu 5 CELEBRATE Young alumni find fulfillment early in their careers Three recent graduates of the Recently Cate was invited to a dove department describe the high points of their hunt with some of her current clients. “I new careers and share the value of a degree shot skeet for a bit growing up, but I had from one of the best departments in the never been hunting. It was a new experience country! for me. Now I’ve added a few camo pieces to my wardrobe!” Catherine Gagliardo Catherine Gagliardo is the refined fuels Gina Francis Vinsand marketing manager (Gulf Coast) for NGL Gina Vinsand is an enterprise product Energy Partners. Cate monitors all of the delivery process coordinator for John Deere gasoline and diesel supply in New Mexico, Des Moines Works. Gina coordinates the Texas and Louisiana. delivery process for the sprayer, tillage, “That includes watching the market, cotton, air seeding, and planter product selling product each day, talking with lines. She also manages and creates new customers, and setting prices each night product program management tools, and that get sent out for the next day’s business,” she trains product development employees said Cate. Cate and her twin brother Michael on the new product delivery process. “I enjoy working in a fast-paced “My job allows me to help new product environment,” she continued. “There really her TSM degree opened the door to a lot of program teams avoid unnecessary work,” isn’t anything boring with working in opportunities. “The TSM degree exposed she said. the energy industry. It’s always changing, me to a mix of business and science classes. “Unfortunately, there can be a lot always growing. When you think you’ve Since I wanted to work in fuel, it gave of red tape and excess processes in a big got something nailed down, it throws you me the skills to understand commodities corporation, so I sift through enterprise for a loop and keeps you learning. I like and finance while also allowing me to and local rules and processes to find the to be challenged, so being able to discover understand the chemical structure of the most important ones. Then I guide teams something new all the time is really great.” fuel and how it’s produced.” and program managers through the ones Cate said marketing is a good fit for her Her time at Illinois taught her three that should be used based on the scope of a because she is able to build relationships key skills that have helped her in the product program.” with customers. “Marketing allows me to professional world - hard work, time continued on page 7 put a lot of heart into what I do. I genuinely management and networking. “Out of those care about the outcome of my work and three, networking is the most important how the customers perceive me.” skill I learned. It seems like networking is Cate earned a degree in technical a no-brainer, but if it’s something someone systems management in 2012, and she said has never done before, it can be daunting.” Cate was a member and president of the Ag Mech Club. As president, she was in charge of the lawnmower winterization fundraiser. “I had never done anything like that before. Some members, Dr. Harper, and I spent most of that weekend winterizing about 30 lawnmowers for people in the community,” she said. “If I ever have issues with my lawnmower, I’ll know what to do to get it GinaGi (middle( row, farf left)f) and her husband Doug Cate with friends at a Black Hawk game started.” (top left) with friends at the orchard.

6 http://abe.illinois.edu Young alumni find fulfillment early in their careers continued from page 6 Matthew Pence Matt Pence is a sales representative with Birkey’s Farm Store (BFS), Inc. Matt strives to improve and increase the BSF, Inc. customer base while providing valuable customer service and support. He is responsible for daily changes to manufacturers’ terms, finance plans, and programs, and he

maintains a pipeline of current sales SPOTLIGHT ALUMNI process to help set and maintain financial and personal goals. Gina, Sam, and her husband Doug “People buy from people, and I’ve learned in ag sales that it’s all about Gina has trained over 300 employees relationships with your customers,” and said she believes training makes all the said Matt. “No matter if you are selling difference. “At Deere there’s a constant push equipment, seed, commodities, or fertilizer, to find the best or newest way to complete it’s important to build those relationships work and get it done faster. What I’ve found Matt Pence and provide customer service support. is that for the most part, we don’t need new “No two days are ever the same in processes to be better. We just need better a farm,” he continued. “My experience this position,” he noted. “I enjoy getting education for everyone working in the at Illinois enabled me to expand on that to know producers and learning about current processes.” knowledge and passion and develop myself their operations. I love working with the Gina earned a bachelor’s degree in ABE professionally.” latest equipment and technology and in 2010. She said she has always wanted Matt took full advantage of his time implementing that value into each unique to know how everything works. “My at Illinois. He was active in Illini Pullers, operation.” engineering degree from Illinois taught me the Ag Mech Club, and Orange Krush. Matt earned a degree in TSM in 2012. what to look for and what questions to ask He also spent two summers as an intern “Coming from a small community, I was when figuring out a new system. I’m able to with Case New Holland in New Holland, nervous about feeling like a small fish in apply those skills every day as I constantly Pennsylvania. a big pond at Illinois. I can’t begin to tell work to improve processes. “If you wake up and love what you you how wrong I was about that,” he said. “My time spent solving problems in are doing each day,” he concluded, “you’re “From my first day on campus, I felt a sense class taught me to look at a problem from going to find a way to be successful.” of family in the College all sides,” she continued. “Always look for of ACES and the ABE the simplest solution. It can be easy to solve department. It really set a problem with the same technique you’ve them apart from the rest. always used, but the big rewards come from I was working towards finding the most efficient solution for the personal and professional problem.” development, but I felt During her time at Illinois, Gina said at home, and I knew she “quickly learned critical thinking skills. everyone was looking out And being around thousands of bright for my best interest. students was an incredible motivator to “I have always learn as much as I could in four years. The had a strong passion energy on campus with so many students for agriculture, excelling in class and in extracurricular growing up in a rural activities is probably not an experience I’ll community and around Left to right: Tim Beckman (Illini football coach), Terry Pence have again.” (Matt’s father), John Groce (Illini men’s basketball coach), Matt Pence, Matt Bollant (Illini Women’s basketball coach). http://abe.illinois.edu 7 Internships offer students insight into the real world One of the best opportunities for an said, “and we measured the temperature undergraduate is completing an internship of each pool to make sure they were in their field of interest. It is one of the most at the right temperature to continue valuable and effective ways to experience the fermentation. If they were finished with real world before making the plunge after the first fermentation, we would lower the graduation. Whether they travel to another temperature so the mixture wouldn’t go country, another state, or stay right in their bad. We had 20 different concrete pools own backyard, interns return to campus which would be tested and evaluated daily.” with a new perspective on their future Another part of the process was career - as well as some great pictures! Read the remontage, pumping the wine and about the intern experiences of three of our grapes up from the bottom of the tank to current students. submerge the skins. “When wine starts to ferment, the skins rise to the top,” said Lizzie Bohne Lizzie. “The skins have to come in contact with all of the liquid to extract the tannins, Lizzie Bohne always planned on so it has to be mixed together to make sure studying abroad, and she first thought she Lizzie resting as she hikes the Andes that happens.” would travel to Spain. “My mom was a Lizzie said the second fermentation student at Illinois in the early ’70’s,” said I talked to Meredith Blumthal [director of requires a chemical measurement to Lizzie. “She was a Spanish major and she the ACES Education Abroad Programs] determine when the malic acid converts to went to Spain with one of the first study and learned there was a new program in lactic acid. Then it’s ready to go to the lab, abroad groups when she was here. She Mendoza, Argentina. I could be a pilot where a more in-depth chemical analysis is talked about her experience a lot and always student for it. It sounded perfect.” done, and the flavor is tested. told me I had to study abroad - I would In March of 2014, Lizzie began never regret it.” the program with a month of classes in In the summer of 2013, Lizzie went Mendoza. “We were able to adjust to the to Costa Rica to do volunteer work and city, explore, and go on field trips. At the said she fell in love with the Latin culture. end of March, I began my internship at a “I knew then I didn’t want to go to Spain winery in the city, Bodega Carinae.” when I studied abroad. If I did, I would Lizzie was able to participate in every be with 30 English-speaking students, and step of the wine-making process, beginning I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to go with picking grapes by hand, using a clipper somewhere by myself and do something to take the bunches off the vines. Next came completely new. I wanted to find a program the selection process. “We poured grapes that offered complete Spanish immersion. onto a conveyer belt and we would do this Lizzie (top left) helping with the selection process for hours. You stand over the belt and take out all the rotten grapes and all the leaves, Once the wine is removed from the because leaves give wine a bad flavor. We pools, the skins and seeds are shoveled out also had to pick out any sticks or spiders or and placed in the winery’s original hydraulic crickets - any little bugs. You don’t realize press to extract the last bit of liquid. The how much manual labor goes into wine- skins and seeds are then used to fertilize the making until you do it.” vineyards. The conveyer belt then carried the Lizzie completed her internship in May, grapes to a machine that would spin the and then attended another month of classes grapes to take them off the stem. From through the end of June. When she was there they were pumped to the concrete done with the program, she was able to go pools where they would ferment. “Every white water rafting and mountain hiking in morning we measured the specific gravity the Andes. She backpacked from Argentina of the grapes in the pools to determine Lizzie at work at Bodega Carinae how much they had fermented,” she continued on page 9

8 http://abe.illinois.edu to have anotherinternshipnextsummer. graduate inDecember of2015.She hopes visited theGalapagos Islands. to Ecuador, hikedMachu Picchu, and http://abe.illinois.edu I satinonthemeetings withthecounty landthatwenew hadjustpurchased, and steel bins.Iworked to have thatmoved to location where we wantedtoputfournew We hadagrainbunkerthatwasin a got involved management. inconstruction renovation myfirst week, soI thatstarted “They were undergoinga$25million capital projects duringhertimeatCargill. but itwears off.” sounds really exciting, anditisforawhile, the traincarsandopencloselids.“That themselves, andshegottowalk ontopof the lever armtoloadthetrains to run the cars.” grading thegrainwhileit’s beingputinto grading, andthere are peoplefrom thestate to maketheproper grade.So it’s real time grain intothedifferent carstomakesure operation. That’s puttingdifferent typesof learning andwatchingwithamixblend out ondifferent trains.“Sometimes Iwas rail linesoApril-Hope spenttimehelping how tomaintainitorfixwhenbroke.” different equipmentandhow itworked, and the different operations.Ilearnedabout operations management.“Ilearnedall and itwasmostlybecauseIjustasked.” todosomanydifferentopportunity things, self-driven,” saidApril-Hope. “Igotthe center.grain elevator andfarmservice Minnesota, withCargillAgHorizons, a interninPipestone, production supervisor handy whensheworked lastsummerasa to askquestions,andthattraitcamein April-Hope Wareham Internships offerstudentsinsightintotherealworld Lizzie isaseniorinABEandwill April-Hope wasinvolved withtwo She saidshealsohadtheopportunity The Pipestone facilityisontheBNSF April-Hope’s positionfocusedon “I loved thatalotofmyinternshipwas April-Hope Wareham isn’t afraid so Igottotalk business units, over 70different there. Theyhave were country around the “Interns from intern forum. attend Cargill’s Minneapolis to traveling to in training,first amount oftime spent asignificant learn.” things theywanttheiroperationsinternsto needed togetdone,andit’s oneofthemain areas intheelevator. It wassomethingthat she said.“Iorganized someofthestorage obtaining underground permits. the electricalwork thatwent intoit,suchas and April-Hope worked withcontractors on grainprobe,company hadpurchased anew grainbunker.”floor inthenew industrial. ThenIworked onpricingforthe to rezone thelandfrom agriculturalto Bracht, atthePipestoneNationalMonument April-Hope withanotherCargill intern,Derek April-Hope “I hada5Sorganizationproject aswell,” The secondproject wassmaller. The

continued frompage8 April-Hope at herjobwithCargill in Pipestone, Minnesota with CargillinOttawa, Illinois. trainee position asaproduction supervisor graduate inMay of2015andbeginher good people,andletthemgo. Ilikethat.” philosophy seemstobechalkthefield,hire isdriven todowell. Theirhiring everybody working there. It’s agoodenvironment and accepted itthenextday. Ireally enjoyed from Cargillthefirst week ofclasses.“I this fall,shereceived afull-timejoboffer South Dakota. inspection attheCargilllocatedinEmory, inspections andendedupdoingan side.” She even learnedhow todoplant got toseethingsfrom theaccountancy so Ispentsomeofthedaywithhimand Sioux Falls. We hadoneaccountantintern, And Ispentadayatourregional officein people, “justsoIcouldseehow thatwent. got herinvitedonride-alongswithsales got toknow eachotherpretty well.” training, we didSix Sigma training,andwe AgHorizons businessunit.In additionto5S There were 16operationsinternsfrom the an operationstrainingcampforthree days. with otherconfections.Afterthatwe had ingredient systemsplatformandworking for instance,peoplewhowere onfood with peoplefrom alotofdifferent areas, April-Hope isaseniorin TSM. She will When April-Hope returned tocampus April-Hope’s desire tolearnallshecould continued onpage10 9 OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Internships offer students insight into the real world continued from page 9 Pete Vandermyde It had to have this much horsepower, run this long, Pete Vandermyde says he’s more of a and could we add an extra people person than a straight ‘thoroughbred’ seat for a turret guy? I was engineer, so an internship in technical learning on the fly. If I got a marketing with Caterpillar was a good spec sheet of 500 things the match for him. customer wanted, we could “Technical marketing is selling usually please them on Caterpillar products with the knowledge of 400 of those things. Then how they work, knowing the specifications, we could probably find 30 and what they mean,” said Pete. “It was more that we could modify a sales role, a hybrid of sorts, where I to make them happy.” Pete is a member of the UI waterskiing team still worked with engineers. I worked for It was those 30 that Defense and Federal Products, and we kept Pete busy, exchanging phone calls employees, all veterans, to learn how to use sold white, tan, green, and some yellow and emails with engineers and studying CAT equipment to dig graves.” equipment to governments all over the drawings to determine what modifications Pete said the group was of all ages and world as well as domestically.” For the could be made. “Can we put a hand rail from all walks of life. “One guy was 23 and uninitiated, white equipment is neutral, tan here? A military modification mount there? another was 75, but every one of them had is sold to the Army, and green goes to the Obviously, I wasn’t an expert on every a great deal of respect for what they were Navy and Marines. machine, but Caterpillar is a company of doing - putting their comrades to rest. I Pete began his internship uploading 120,000 people. There’s always somebody know it sounds like a cheesy cliché, but my data into Salesforce, a customer relationship who is an expert, regardless of what it is.” dad has always said Caterpillar is more than management tool. “They were behind in data It also helped that half of the 70 people iron. They’re service, too, and it’s true.” input and working towards new styles of in the Defense and Federal Products group Pete’s family has a history with reporting the data, so I took spreadsheet after are ex-military. “Some are still involved in Caterpillar and with ABE. His father is an spreadsheet and uploaded all the information. the military,” said Pete, “so they know what’s ABE alumni and works for Caterpillar in It wasn’t the most riveting work. going on out in the field, and they can Peoria. His uncle is an ABE alumni and relay that to the rest of the group. They’re works for Caterpillar in Decatur. Now Pete’s expertise and helpfulness was invaluable.” younger brother, Jake, is a freshman at Pete said a portion of the equipment he Illinois in - you guessed it - ABE. sold was not standard. A bulldozer might Time will tell if Pete and his brother have modifications to be set up for light become part of the Caterpillar family as well, combat use. If a vehicle was used to haul but Pete has a good start. He is a junior ABE troops, they put a big armor package under and works for Caterpillar 12 hours a week at the floor. An IED could explode underneath Research Park as a design engineer. it, and the tracks might fall off, but the troops inside would be safe. Some of the tractors sold within the group were remote controlled. “If there’s a suspicious vehicle Pete with his brother Jake along the road,” said Pete, “they could drive the remote controlled tractor up to it and “Then we had some people in our group push it off. Even if it exploded, nobody got leave to take other positions within the hurt.” company,” he said, “and suddenly there were Pete said a very unique part of his some sales jobs open. When my boss asked if summer involved working with the National I would be interested in quoting machinery, Cemetery Administration (NCA) at the well, that’s when it got kind of exciting. Edwards Demonstration Grounds. “The “I was talking with customers who NCA oversees all the national cemeteries wanted a product for, say, a desert situation. around the country. They brought forty Digging graves with the NCA

10 http://abe.illinois.edu ABE and EWB bring hope for clean water to Guatemalan villages Paul Davidson, assistant professor in Piedrasanta said there were two NGOs Chichimuch begins in November and lasts the department of ABE, recently traveled working in the area that focus on children’s for six months, when residents have to live to Guatemala with a team of University health and nutrition, Wuqu Kawoq and Mil on a very limited supply of water. of Illinois students, all members of the Milagros. “The NGOs sometimes require “They have a tank at the highest point non-profit organization Engineers without people in the community to use the filters of the village,” said Davidson. “It’s supplied Borders (EWB). Loren Piedrasanta, a junior in order to receive free health care,” she said, by mountain springs that are several miles in Technical Systems Management, was a “but if people didn’t want to use the filter, away, so during the dry season they never member of the team. Their mission was to they would claim they couldn’t because it have enough water. They only turn the valve

work with several small communities to was ‘cracked.’ We suspect they damaged to that tank on for an hour a day. Everyone INTERNATIONAL provide them access to clean, safe water. them so they wouldn’t have to use them but fills their buckets and their sinks to get as The first week in country was spent still get the free health care.” much water as they can to get them through monitoring biosand water filters installed Despite that resistance, Davidson said the day. They asked us to do a preliminary in Santo Tomás La Unión, a municipality they have seen a change in the health of assessment of their situation and to look for in Guatemala made up of several small the people, “and I think it’s been pretty a new water source.” communities. The filters were made of significant, especially in the children. The team first did a land survey to concrete, approximately four feet tall and Most of the pathogens that they’re filtering measure the elevation and develop a a foot square, with a layer of gravel at the cause diarrhea, so a lot of the kids were topographic map, which was difficult, bottom, topped by two-to-three feet of sand. underweight and often sick. I think that’s Davidson said, because “we’re talking about More than 1000 filters were installed by improved a lot in the communities that are a 200-foot elevation difference within EWB a few years ago, and this year the team using the filters.” the community and we had to navigate was tasked with obtaining water samples The second week of the trip the team cornfields, groves of trees, and houses. from the inlet and outlet of many of these traveled a few hours north and west to Lake The survey helped us define the area and filters to see if they were removing bacteria. Atitlán and the community of Chichimuch, “We had a homemade incubator that population 372. The dry season in continued on page 12 could maintain a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Davidson, “and we used simple thin layer chromatography plates to incubate the water samples overnight. The next day we would count how many colonies there were. You could look at the raw dirty water versus the clean filtered water to see if they were working.” Davidson said the filters were fairly effective if they were being maintained properly. “A biosand filter generates a biofilm within the sand; that’s what breaks down many of the contaminants. In order to maintain that biolayer, you have to keep a certain level of water in there, and you have to sometimes disturb the top to keep it from sealing over. “There were communities where people wanted the filters,” Davidson continued, “so they maintained them. Other communities, people weren’t buying into it. They thought their water was fine the way it was, even though there was an increased prevalence of illness, so those filters weren’t really used or maintained.” Paul Davidson with bear hunters in Guatemala http://abe.illinois.edu 11 ABE and EWB bring hope for clean water to Guatemalan villages continued from page 11 determine where the and phosphate. “We couldn’t test that in the water drains. It also field, but there’s a lot of corn in this region, provided information so we’re concerned about the nutrients. that will help us design There’s also livestock, so there are all sorts of a system to pump water opportunities for bacterial contamination to all the houses if that’s as well.” what we need to do.” Davidson said they also looked at the The residents tank that is currently in use. “During the suggested a possible wet season, the water from those mountain water source, a spring- springs comes fast. You can’t just shut off fed stream at the a spring, so the water exceeds the capacity lowest elevation in the of the tank. They have an overflow tank, community. “We first but there’s still a lot of water lost. We were measured flow rates at there during the wet season, so we tried to different places along calculate how much water was being lost the stream to see if there and if it would be worthwhile to build was enough water to be another storage system.” a reasonable solution,” At the end of the trip, team members said Davidson. Because held a debriefing with the Chichimuch the spring is at the base of water committee. Davidson said the community, they took another trip was tentatively scheduled water samples and tested for next spring. “The goal is to take all them for total coliform the information we gathered, do the and E. coli, and they calculations we still need, write a report brought samples back to which is required for EWB, and provide the the U.S. to test for nitrate committee with a summary report that will Biofilters used in Santo Tomás La Unión give them a number of options.” At some point, he said a third trip would probably be necessary to install whatever system is chosen. Davidson said the community is cautiously optimistic about the opportunity for a safer, more reliable water source. “In the past they’ve had groups within Guatemala come to offer help and propose solutions,” he said. “They came, collected their data, and left. The community never heard from them again. “But I think they’re excited to work with us,” he concluded. “It’s the first time they’ve worked with a group outside of Guatemala. They were hesitant at first because they didn’t know if we would follow through. As we got to know them, I think they started trusting us more. With the help of the NGOs in the area, I think we’ll be able to sustain the project.”

Loren Piedrasanta with Guatemalan children

12 http://abe.illinois.edu Engineers without Borders gives students international opportunities to help others There are a multitude of service complete, and a water supply project in included research into chlorination, and organizations that allow students to use Chichimuch. The Nigeria program has currently she helps write and edit grants to their knowledge and skills for others. one, a water project in the community of raise money for the project. Engineers without Borders (EWB) is one of Adu Achi. In Ntisaw Village in Cameroon, Nora Onstad is a senior in the soil and the best. In a world where more than two there is a water distribution system project water resources specialization of ABE. Nora billion people lack access to the most basic and a sanitation project, both of which has traveled to Cameroon three times to

are in the monitoring phase. work on two different projects. UPDATE CLUB Another program in Soppo “The Ntisaw Village partnership started Likoko, Cameroon has a project in 2009,” said Nora, “and I got involved to construct an electrical grid in the fall of 2011. We built and installed system to provide electricity to six latrines in the schools, the community 50 households and four schools. center, and the mosque in the center of the Lauren Delaney and Nora village. We finished those in early 2013. Onstad are active members of In January [of 2014] we completed an EWB. Lauren, a senior in food implementation trip to install a second and bioprocessing, works on water source for the village because their campus with the Nigeria water water was going dry in the dry season.” project, the longest running After completion of the project, Nora project in the organization. remained in Cameroon for four-and-a- It began ten years ago, when half months, working on research with volunteers built a water Dr. Richard Cooke (an ABE professor in distribution system. soil and water resources) to determine if “People in the village had eucalyptus wood charcoal (sawdust created been walking two kilometers a in local wood shops) could be used as a day to carry water from a river water filtration media. Nora Onstad working in Cameroon that was contaminated,” said “I want to go back,” said Nora, amenities, such as clean drinking water and Lauren. “We built the distribution system, “hopefully in the next five years. I wasn’t adequate sanitation, EWB strives to design and the ultimate goal was to improve the sure what I wanted to do with my degree and implement sustainable engineering health of the community.” until I traveled with EWB. Now I’m pretty projects that help meet those needs. Lauren joined EWB in 2011, working sure it will be water-related research on The Illinois chapter of EWB is one of on the website for the Nigeria project, projects like this.” the largest student chapters in the United building information that would “get our For more information on the Illinois States. It was established in 2004, and today project out there to the world.” Other work Chapter of EWB, visit EWB@UIUC. there are more than 150 active members involved in a variety of projects with the organization. Nao Nishio, a senior in civil engineering, is the chapter president. “Students who join EWB have a passion to help others,” she said, “and they want to do something more hands-on than other organizations. The Illinois chapter currently has four international programs established in three countries, Guatemala, Nigeria, and Cameroon.” According to Nao, there are often multiple projects within a program. Currently, the Guatemala program has two, a biosand filter project in the municipality of Santo Tomás La Unión, which is almost Project members Ryan Migalla, Lauren Delaney, and Arjun Kumar meet to discuss Nigeria water project http://abe.illinois.edu 13 RESEARCH E² Energy lab advances research in biofuel production The Department of ABE has established contains most of the nutrients in the original manure and algae into oil. We are right next a new educational and research facility on manure, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, to the SRC and the manure lagoon. We can the University of Illinois South Farm. The which can be used to grow algae. These fast- produce approximately two gallons of crude Environment-Enhancing Energy (E2- growing algae remove excess nutrients and oil a day,” he said. “I have graduate students Energy) laboratory serves as a research and capture carbon dioxide. The algae is then fed working on upgrading the crude oil to make development facility used to demonstrate back into the HTL reactor to be converted it a value-added product. It’s not ready to put the process of converting swine manure and into additional biocrude oil. The E² Energy into an engine yet, so we need to upgrade it to algae into crude oil, a technology which technology mimics the natural process of be able to blend it with a transportation fuel, simultaneously treats wastewater, recycles forming fossil fuels, but reduces geologic time possibly diesel or even jet fuel.” nutrients, captures carbon dioxide and scales to less than an hour. Zhang is currently working with industry produces biofuel. The facility was renovated Zhang said he believes the ability to partners to raise funds to develop a pilot plant from an unoccupied swine isolation building recycle nutrients will prove invaluable as that will enable him to continue the research at the Swine Research Center (SRC) and the scientific and agricultural communities that will improve and increase production. developed with the support from UIUC struggle with food production for an ever- “This pilot plant will cost approximately $5 Vice Chancellor for Research, ACES Office growing population. “Many people think million, so I am hoping to acquire funding of Research UI Extension. Industry partners 200 bushels of corn is automatic,” he said. from a variety of sources, including local, include Snapshot Energy and Illinois Pork “It is not. Why can we feed the world today? state, and industry support.” Producers Association. Because we use fertilizers. In Illinois, manure Zhang said meeting the challenge of The E2-Energy lab evolved from the can only support about 12 percent of the energy production in a way that is both combined research of two ABE professors, nutrient need for our crops. Where does the economically viable and environmentally Yuanhui Zhang, the Innoventor Professor in other 88 percent come from? Fossil fuels.” sustainable is the goal of E2-Energy research. Engineering, and Lance Schideman. Zhang Zhang’s research has shown that by using the “Our economic development demands has spent much of his career researching E2-Energy process they are able to recycle the energy,” said Zhang, “yet energy consumption the conversion of swine manure into crude nutrients multiple times, thereby amplifying has historically led to increased environmental oil. Schideman’s work has been in the area the production of biofuel and other chemicals pollution. The relationship of environment of integrated algae systems for wastewater such as fertilizer. and energy is more often as opponents rather treatment and biomass production. Zhang said it is time to move this research than friendly co-existents. Environmental The process first converts swine manure to the next level. “Right now, at the lab scale, protection and energy production will be into crude oil in a hydrothermal liquefaction it’s working. We have greenhouses that grow among the greatest challenges facing us in the (HTL) reactor. The resultant wastewater algae; we have reactors in house to convert the 21st century,” he concluded.

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Dr. Loren E. Bode Dr. Loren E. Bode, former professor recognized as an international authority and head of the Department of Agricultural regarding the design and use of equipment and Biological Engineering (ABE), died on for applying agricultural chemicals. His Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at Carle awards and honors included the College of Foundation Hospital in Urbana. ACES Senior Faculty Award of Excellence Loren is survived by his wife, Linda, his in Extension (1991) and the College of children Jeffrey Bode and Becky Mulkerrin, ACES Funk Award (1993). Loren received three grandchildren, and five siblings. the department’s Ben and Georgeann Jones Loren came to the department in 1973 Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008. He as an assistant professor. He became a full was elected as a fellow in the American Society professor in 1983, and served as associate of Agricultural and Biological Engineers head under Roscoe Pershing from 1986- (ASABE) in 1992, where he served as an 1993. When Roscoe went to the College of officer on many technical committees, as a Engineering, Loren became interim head, trustee on the ASABE Foundation, and on the then head of the department. ASABE Board of Directors. The day after Loren was named head,US Loren felt one of his most important News and World Report came out with their contributions as head was providing guidance national rankings, and the department was as the department began the transition from Loren Bode ranked as the best agricultural engineering agricultural engineering to agricultural and department in the nation. Loren would joke, biological engineering. He stepped down as “I always liked to kid Roscoe that it only took department head in 2004, but continued careers of faculty and students, impacting me one day to get the department to number teaching until his retirement in 2008. He what they would do for the rest of their lives. one.” remained active in the department through That was incredibly important, and I took it Many current faculty members came to his service on a variety of committees, and very seriously. It was an honor for me to be in the department during Loren’s time here, he was involved in student recruitment and that position.” or under his direction as head. Bob Aherin, departmental tours. The Department of ABE extends our Richard Cooke, Tony Grift, Al Hansen, Serving the department in Extension deepest sympathies to Linda, to their children, Prasanta Kalita, Kent Rausch, Vijay Singh, and as an administrator gave Loren great and to his extended family. Loren Bode was Lei Tian, Xinlei Wang and Yuanhui Zhang all satisfaction. “I knew my work in Extension an exceptional husband, father, friend, and served with Loren during his tenure. made a difference because I was out in the colleague, and he will be greatly missed. Loren’s career spanned four decades of world, solving real world problems. And as research, teaching and extension. He was an administrator, I knew I was affecting the http://abe.illinois.edu 15 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID 
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„ Agricultural and Biological Engineering „ Technical Systems Management Integrating life and engineering for the enhancement of complex living systems SOIL & WATER ENGINEERING OFF-ROAD EQUIPMENT ENGINEERING BIOENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING FOOD & BIOPROCESS ENGINEERING BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING