U of A inducts 4 into engineering academy
April 12, 2005Contact Information:Dr. Lalit Verma, Department Head, Biological and Agricultural Engineering
479-575-2351 / lverma@uark.edu By Fred Miller, Science Editor
479-575-5647 / fmiller@uark.edu
FAYETTEVILLE --- The University of Arkansas department of biological and agricultural engineering inducted four alumni into the Arkansas Academy of Biological and Agricultural Engineering during its third annual induction ceremony Friday, April 8, in Fayetteville.
The four new members of the academy are Dr. Terry Siebenmorgen, professor of food science at the University of Arkansas; Dr. David Beasley, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at North Carolina State University; David P. Anderson of Lincoln, Nebraska; and Darrell Holmes of Katy, Texas. Mike Jones of Charlotte, N.C., who is a member of the 2003 class of the academy, was formally inducted during the ceremony Friday.
Siebenmorgen is widely recognized as a leader in the field of food process engineering, primarily working in the area of rice processing. The scope of his work ranges from pre-harvest property characterization, through drying, storage, milling, and quality evaluation. He is coordinator of the University of Arkansas Rice Processing Program. Before moving to the food science department, he was on the faculty of the biological and agricultural engineering department at the U of A for more than 15 years.
Siebenmorgen graduated with a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering from the U of A in 1979, received a master's degree In Agricultural Engineering at Purdue University in 1981 and a doctorate in Engineering from the University of Nebraska in 1984.
Beasley, a native of Eastern Arkansas, has made significant contributions to biological and agricultural engineering in several states in research, teaching, extension, and administration. He briefly served on the faculty at the University of Arkansas before moving to Purdue University in 1978.
He served on the faculty at Purdue University, University of Georgia, and North Carolina State University and as department head at Georgia and North Carolina.
Beasley leads efforts to review research, teaching, and extension programs in biological and agricultural engineering for the USDA-CSREES. He is well respected nationally and internationally in waste management and soil and water engineering. He also served on the University of Arkansas Biological and Agricultural Engineering Advisory Board during 2001-2004.
Anderson is a respected registered professional engineer who recently retired from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. During his 33 years with the Service he made many significant contributions that were recognized with state and national awards. While assistant state conservationist for water resources in Mississippi, he helped develop and directed the largest watershed program in the United States.
While providing national leadership at the Watershed Science Institute at Lincoln, Nebraska, Anderson developed computer models that are widely used to track phosphorus through a watershed. From 1976 to 1981 he served as a project engineer with Miller-Newell Engineers at Newport, Ark.
Though now residing in Lincoln, Neb., Anderson plans to move to Arkansas next spring.
Holmes graduated from the U of A with a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering in 1981. He made notable achievements in energy production enhancement since he began his career with Halliburton Energy Services in 1982. He has worked in several locations in Oklahoma and Texas and is presently the director of global quality for Halliburton Energy Services Group in Houston, Texas. He now leads Halliburton in a Global Correction, Prevention, Improvement System.
His accomplishments have included the development of global monitoring processes and standards of performance for acid, nitrogen and coiled tubing services; created the "Done Right Index" to track service quality performance and initiated equipment training simulators for of service personnel.
The academy was founded Jan. 10, 2002, by the department of biological and agricultural engineering. Members are eminent graduates of the Biological and Agricultural Engineering program of the University of Arkansas, having graduated at least ten years prior to selection for membership.
The academy's objectives are to strengthen the dedication of students to biological and agricultural engineering through personal and professional example, to recognize those graduates of the department who bring honor to the field as practitioners and as citizens, to provide advisory guidance and counsel at the call of the department head, faculty or students, and to encourage personal, corporate, foundation, and government gifts and grants of money, equipment and facilities to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees for the benefit of the biological and agricultural department.
The department of biological and agricultural engineering is part of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering.