Contact: Robbie Ward
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The head of Mississippi State's department of agricultural and biological engineering is a new Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
University professor William B. Batchelor was among 15 inducted recently at the professional organization's annual international meeting in Reno, Nev. He was recognized for numerous contributions to information and electrical technologies and biological engineering as a teacher, researcher and administrator.
Specifically, Batchelor was cited for research into new methods to simulate stress on plant growth, as well as crop-growth techniques that led to improved methods of determining the economic impact of "variable rate management prescriptions" for precision farming.
"This is the highest honor that the society can bestow upon a member and is a reflection of the programs that MSU has in place to promote professional excellence," Batchelor said.
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers works to advance engineering applicable to agricultural, food and biological systems. Founded in 1907 and headquartered in St. Joseph, Mich., its 9,000 members are spread among more than 100 countries. (For more, visit www.asabe.org/about.html.)
Only about 2 percent of the active members achieve the rank of ASABE Fellow.
In 2005, Batchelor spearheaded a faculty proposal that resulted in a $26 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop MSU's Sustainable Energy Research Center. He continues to serve as co-director of the center, which is investigating several sources of renewable transportation fuels--including bio-crude, bio-oil, and syngas--that do not compete with existing crops such as corn and soybeans needed for the global food supply.
A University of Florida doctoral graduate, he also serves as director of MSU's Energy Institute, which includes about 200 researchers in several centers and departments.
During a 24-year ASABE membership, Batchelor has held various leadership roles within the organization's information and electrical technology and biological engineering divisions. In addition, he is a member of the editorial board for the society's journal, Agricultural Systems.
For more about the 2009 Fellows, visit http://asabe.org/awards/fellow/asabefellow_2009.html.)
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NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS; For other information, contact Dr. Batchelor at 662-325-3280 or wdb105@msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.