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Vol. 11 No. 2 December 2001
Agricultural and Biological Engineering
ABE NEWS
Mississippi State University
Career/Research Day Is Huge Success
T he Day on September 14,Career was her-
first ABE Alumni and Re-
search 2001,
alded by all participating as a great suc-
cess. The decision to go ahead with the
event was made on Wednesday, the day
after the tragic terrorist attacks. There were
at least four speakers and panelists who
could not attend because of flight prob-
lems. However, the attendence was still
quite large, with over 120 people partici-
pating.
The purpose of the event was to bring
back to campus some of our outstanding
alumni of the department for a day during
which we could interact with them about
their careers and options in the future for
our graduates. There was great interest
among the Agricultural Engineering Tech-
nology and Business students and the Bio-
logical Engineering students. There were
also a number of parents of students in
CONTENTS
Department Head’s Remarks....................2 attendance and numerous alumni of the de- on topics ranging from the “Future of Ge-
Lee to Be Interim Pres................................2 partment. netically Modified Seed Technology” to
Career Day Participants.............................2
The day began at 9:00 a.m. with wel- “Evaluation of Chitosan as a Cell Scaffold
Medical Scholarships ...............................3
Field Day Launches PREPS.......................3 coming comments by Drs. Jerry Gilbert, for Cartilage Tissue Engineering.” In ad-
Alumni Profile: Jesse Orsborn ...................4 Vance Watson (MAFES Director), Joe dition to the ten podium talks, there were
Alumni Profile: Marcus Scott .................4 McGilberry (MSU-ES Director), Charles Lee five career panels which had five to seven
BE’s in Enviro Competition....................5 (VP for DAFVM), and Wayne Bennett (Col- alumni as panelists. The panels were:
Columbus Receives Award ........................5 lege of Engr Dean). Two parallel podium Agriculture Career, Biomedical Career, En-
Fundraising..............................................5 sessions ran throughout the day, one in vironmental Career, Physician Career, and
Alumni News...........................................6 the area of Agriculture and Environmental Surveying Career.
Student News..........................................6 Engineering and one in the area of Bio- The day was exciting and very infor-
Alumni Info Sheet.......................................6
medical Engineering and Premedicine. Ten mative. We will continue it in the future on
accomplished alumni made presentations a biannual basis.
Vol. 11 No. 2 December 2001
Dr. Charles Lee to
Be Interim Pres
On Thursday, November 15, 2001, the IHL
Board of Trustees unanimously selected
Dr. J. Charles Lee, the VP of the Div of Ag,
Forestry and Vet Med at MSU, to be the
Interim President of MSU on Jan. 2, 2002.
He replaces Dr. Malcolm Portera who is
leaving to be the chancellor of the Univ of
Alabama system. Dr. Lee brings a wealth
of administrative experience to the posi-
tion, including positions at MSU and Texas
A&M. Those positions include Dept
Head, Dean, Assoc.Director, Exec Vice
President, Provost, and Vice Chancellor. As
A new feature in this newsletter is a IHL Pres William Crawford stated, “He is ...
Dept Head’s Remarks formal presentation of two alumni profiles. the right man for this job at this time in the
Jesse Orsborn and Marcus Scott agreed life of Mississippi State University.” The
We are certainly living in challenging
to be the first two alumni to participate. I whole university is excited to have him as
and interesting times. When the Septem-
think this will be a great way to highlight our Interim President.
ber 11th attack occurred, it was a difficult
decision to go forward with the Alumni Ca- the careers of our alumni and to demon-
reer and Research Day. However, we had strate the great wealth of expertise and
an excellent turnout. There were a few last opportunities that emanate from our de-
minute changes. Graduate student Dana partment.
Nettles filled in beautifully for Dr. Paul As the department begins 2002, we
Weinhold who could not fly out of Raleigh, are proud to have Dr. Charles Lee as the
NC, and the career panels were reduced in Interim President of MSU. His experi-
number because Bryce Stokes of the USDA ence in the Division of Ag, Forestry, and
Forest Service in D.C. and Greg Dakin of Vet Medicine bodes well for those units,
the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety such as ours, which are funded through
in Virginia could not get flights. I appreci- the Division. Dr. Lee is very supportive
ated the efforts of all participants, the fac- of our efforts to seek support for a new
IHL President William Crawford (left) with
ulty, staff, students, parents, and alumni departmental facility.
Dr. Charles Lee.
who made this first event a success de- I can’t help but be very optimistic
spite the challenges. about the department, the university, our
I continue to be proud of our excellent
students (and our faculty and staff who
state, and our nation. To paraphrase Wil-
liam Faulkner, I think that we will not merely
CAREER DAY
inspire them, teach them, and befriend
them). This past summer we had a record
endure: we will prevail.
- Jerry Gilbert
PARTICIPANTS
number of our students participate in in- We would like to thank the following
ternship and study abroad programs. alumni participants who helped make the
Upon graduation, they are securing inter- first Career and Research Day a success:
esting and well-paying jobs and many are Randy Dismuke (S,P), Bill Mayfield (S,P),
choosing to go onto graduate school and Barry Royals (S,P), Brent Bailey (S,P), Eric
professional school. We keep replacing Sculthorpe (S,P), Dana Nettles (S), Eric
these excellent graduates with fresh groups Welch (S,P), Ken Kerut (S,P), Robert Hester
of some of the finest students at MSU and (S,P), Keith Miller (S,P), David Cochran (P),
our numbers keep slowly growing. Our David Sanders (P), Greg Belford (P), Rusty
fall BE enrollment is at 155 and the AETB Crowe (P), Sam Davis (P), Sarah Mooney
enrollment is at 73. This is a 7.5% increase (P), Allen Butler (P), and Ronnie Kent (P).
over last year. Note: S=Speaker, P=Panelist.
2
Vol. 11 No. 2 December 2001
Medical Scholarships for 2 MSU Engineers
Each year, the medical school at St. apply for scholarships on the strength of
Louis’ Washington University awards only their academic credentials, adding that the
about a dozen full scholarships to its 120- selections “speak volumes about the qual-
member entering class. Two recent Mis- ity of their academic preparation.” “Be-
sissippi State University graduates are cause the people who apply for scholar-
among this year’s select group: BE gradu- ships are extraordinary, it is very rare to
ate Patrick F. Bergin of Madison and ChE have two students from the same school
Graduate Benjamin D. Womack of Utica. receive the awards in the same year,”
They recently began professional Walters said. “They are the ‘crème de la biological engineering professor Joel D.
training with four-year awards covering the crème’.” Bumgardner. “Patrick was an extraordinary
approximately $35,000-a-year tuition. Bergin was a co-founder of the MSU student,” Bumgardner said. “As a senior,
Bergin received a biological engineering chapter of the American Medical Student he was performing work on a par with a
degree in May of 2001; Womack, a chemi- Association and a Starkville Habitat for Hu- senior doctoral student. He is one of those
cal engineering degree last December. manity volunteer. He also was a member of rare individuals who thinks independently
Dr. John F. Walters, WU medical Phi Kappa Phi, Golden Key and several and is able to draw conclusions with little
school’s assistant dean for student affairs other honor societies. While completing his supervision.”
said Womack and Bergin were invited to studies, Bergin worked in the laboratory of
Field Day Launches New PREPS Program
ers, poultry ing the farm property.
company repre- A primary purpose of the PREPS pro-
sentatives, and gram is to show policy makers, environ-
other officials. mental regulators and the public that poul-
PREPS empha- try producers are proactive in taking steps
sizes best man- to reduce the impact of poultry operations
agement prac- on the environment. Poultry production is
tices such as a leading income generator among the
poultry litter state’s agricultural enterprises, and produc-
management, ers and officials alike are eager to show
proper disposal how these steps can protect the environ-
of poultry mor- ment through use of best management prac-
tality, litter feed- tices.
ing, and other PREPS was developed by the Missis-
environmen- sippi State University Extension Service,
tally related with assistance from the Mississippi Farm
practices. Bureau Federation (with the help of Bio-
A special program is underway in In the PREPS program, producers com- logical Engineering alumnus Brent Bailey
ABE to help poultry producers deal with plete an environmental self-assessment de- and others), and is coordinated through
environmentally related issues. The pro- signed to show how the farm measures up the Department of Agricultural and Bio-
gram, called PREPS (Producers for Respon- to an environmental standard. The self- logical Engineering.
sible Environmental Preservation and assessment is confidential, and producers For more information about the PREPS
Sustainability), is coordinated by Dr. Jimmy are under no obligation to make changes in program, contact the Dr. Jimmy Bonner at
Bonner, Extension associate specialist in their operations as a result of their partici- the Department of Agricultural and Bio-
the department. Details of the program pation in PREPS. On the basis of an evalu- logical Engineering, Box 9632, Mississippi
were announced during a field day on the ation of the self-assessment, individual pro- State, MS 39762, call (662) 325-3103, or
William Gatewood farm in Scott County on ducers may receive recognition and a sign send e-mail to jimmyb@ext.msstate.edu.
September 17 attended by poultry produc- placed on a highway right of way border-
3
Vol. 11 No. 2 December 2001
Alumni Profile: Jesse Orsborn
responsibility for the current production What You Like Most About Your Job:
models of cotton machines as to support I like the people. The dedicated and pro-
and feature definition, and reliability im- fessional people on the teams, and the
provements to the existing products. farmers and friends and industry contacts
Typical Day in Your Job: My job as a that I have made over the years are the
manager of many functions and disciplines best things about this job. The worldwide
requires a great deal of communication. This travel is interesting. The ability to see ideas
is perhaps my greatest challenge in this job. transformed into tools that make custom-
A typical day will start with a quick review ers more successful is rewarding.
Name: Jesse H. Orsborn of e-mails and usually several prearranged What from Your MSU Degree Has
meetings during the day. These meetings Helped You Most: The Engineering
Year of Graduation and Degree: 1972 cover the subjects of: making sure that ad- knowledge that I acquired at MSU was the
BS Agricultural Engineering equate resources are available, removing most helpful, and the way that the practi-
Current Position Title & Company/ any roadblocks that may exist to getting cal uses of this knowledge was always re-
Institution and Location: Title: Plat- the jobs done, ensuring that the plans are lated to the students during the studies
form Manager World Wide Cotton Equip- being executed, putting new plans in place, anchored the skills to the reality of the real
ment; Company: CNH Global – East Moline reviewing new designs, reviewing test re- world.
IL. (Product: Case- IH Cotton Equipment). sults, and at every step communicating the Professional Involvement Outside of
Job Responsibilities: I lead a multifunc- information to those who need to know. Work: I have been a member of ASAE
tional team in charge of cotton equipment One thing that I have learned is that you for over 25 years. The cotton team has re-
development. This team has supporting cannot over communicate, and you can ceived several ASAE 50 awards over the
members from Engineering, Manufactur- never assume that someone knows what years for products introduced to market. I
ing, Marketing, Sales, Product Planning, he needs to know. Most days I try to speak attend the Belt Wide Cotton Conferences
and Product Support who provide the ex- with a customer or end user of our prod- on a yearly basis.
pertise required to plan, design, develop, ucts. This connection must be maintained Other information: I hold 26 U.S. pat-
and deliver a product to market. In addi- to get the feedback of the ultimate judge of ents and have been named a Master In-
tion to new development, my team also has your success. ventor for Case IH.
Alumni Profile: Marcus Scott
plants and fracture fixation devices). scanning calorimetry, electron paramag-
Job Responsibilities: I conduct labora- netic resonance). Other days I spend writ-
tory experiments in order to predict whether ing reports. I typically leave work at 4 pm.
an orthopaedic implant will be safe and per- What You Like Most About Your Job:
form well when implanted in patients. I I have the freedom to be creative.
analyze experimental results and make rec- What from Your MSU Degree Has
ommendations to our regulatory department Helped You Most: The BE curriculum
whether or not to seek FDA approval of at MSU fosters critical analysis and prob-
the medical device. If we choose to seek lem solving by students. As a professional
Name: Marcus Scott FDA approval, I prepare technical docu- in R&D, the ability to think critically in or-
mentation to support the regulatory filing. der to solve problems has helped me
Year of Graduation and Degree: 1996, Typical Day in Your Job: I arrive at greatly in my career.
BS, Biological Engineering work at 7 am. Some days I work in the labo- Professional Involvement Outside of
Current Position Title & Company/ In- ratory, which could include microscopy Work : Member, Orthopaedic Research
stitution and Location: Senior Engi- (light, interferomic, scanning electron, and Societ y
neer, Research and Development, Smith atomic force), spectroscopy (FTIR), and Other information: Married to Jessica
and Nephew, Inc., Memphis, TN (interna- mechanical/physical property characteriza- Scott, who I met at MSU. I have a beauti-
tional manufacturer of orthopaedic im- tion (tensile and wear testing, differential ful 6 month-old daughter named Lillian.
4
Vol. 11 No. 2 December 2001
BE’s in 2002 ASAE Environ- Columbus Receives
mental Design Competition Kenaf Award
A team of Biological Engineers at MSU by a laptop computer and is to fit in a bag
is competing in the 2001-2002 Environmen- or container with the sum of the linear di-
tal Student Design Contest through ASAE. mensions (length+width+height) not to
Lizbeth Meigs, Derrick Milner, and Ricky exceed 62” (158 cm) and weight not to ex-
Schultz have taken this challenge on as ceed 44 lb (20 kg mass). The test solution
their senior design project. The problem is will consist of five liters of a sucrose solu-
a simulation of a newly sited confectionary tion with 9.4 grams of sucrose per liter. A
3
plant that is projected to produce 570 m formal written report and poster presenta-
per day of liquid wastewater with an or- tion must accompany the completed
ganic fraction composed mostly of su- project which must be demonstrated at the Eugene Columbus is shown above re-
crose. The owners of the confectionary competition at the annual ASAE meeting. ceiving the first annual American Kenaf
plant want the consultants that will com- Society Service Award from AKS Presi-
pete for the building of the treatment sys- dent Thomas Abbott. The award was
tem to compete in a small-scale competi- made “in recognition of exceptional ser-
tion. vice to the American Kenaf Society and
The problem is to design a bench-scale the kenaf industry.” Mr. Columbus has
waste treatment system to reduce the COD led the kenaf research effort in the Mis-
in a test solution by 60% in an eight hour sissippi Agricultural and Forestry Experi-
test period. The system is to be controlled ment Station since joining the department
in 1995.
Fund Raising: Progress of Project ABE 2002
Over $518,000 has been pledged or donated to the project since January 1, 1997, exceeding our initial goal by over $143,000! The
fund raising efforts will continue until 2002. We would like to recognize contributions that have been made as of Nov. 21, 2001.
Pledges and Contributions of $1,000 or more:
Estate of B. Bass Mr. & Mrs. Stanley R. Gray T.H. and Mayme Scott Foundation
Estate of Hamp Bass Mr. &Mrs. James E. (Ed) Hester Dr. and Mrs. Al Sills
Dr. & Mrs. Timothy N. Burcham Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth B. Hood Mrs. Ross Smith
Drs. Thomas P. Cathcart Mr. & Mrs. Emmett Kimbrough Southern Cotton Ginners’ Assoc.
and Karen E. Koch Dr. & Mrs. David S. Martin Mr. &Mrs. Mike Sturdivant, Sr.
Drs. Lung-Hua & Liza Chen Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Matthes Dr. & Mrs. James Taylor
Mr. Rex F. Colwick* Dr. & Mrs. Bobby Mitchell, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. G. B. Welch
The Cotton Foundation Dr. & Mrs. Mark Molpus Drs. Philip & Betsy Williams
Deep South Equipment Dealers Assoc. Dr. & Mrs. Steven Murphey Dr. & Mrs. Bob Williams
Delta and Pine Land Company Mr. & Mrs. George B. Nutt Mr. & Mrs. E. B. Williamson*
Dr. & Mrs. Jerome Gilbert Drs. Jonathan & Linda Pote
* now deceased
We would also like to thank these other donors for their financial gifts and pledges to the Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department: Mr. & Mrs. A. H. Beckham, Mr. & Mrs.
Fred Long, Ms. Theresa Polk, Mrs. Stephanie Walker, Dr. Larry C. Brown, Mr. & Mrs. Robert McCain, Dr. Barry Lurate, Mississippi Section ASAE, Mrs. Kathryn Arant, Mr. Shannon
Lowery, Mr. Kenneth Dean, Mr. Robert A. Hartness, Jr., Dr. Robert Ward, Mr. Brent Bailey, Mr. & Mrs. Darryl Bruemmer, Mr. & Mrs. Carroll Harpole, Mr. & Mrs. William R. Wright, Dr.
Jason & Kim Read, Mr. Brent Eiland, Mr. & Mrs. Turner Arant, Mr. & Mrs. Steve Boggan, Dr. Keith McGregor, Dr. Paul S. Weinhold, Mr. Sunil Dhar, Mr. David Baraldi, Mr. and Mrs.
R.A. Hartness, Terry and Nancy Turner, Bill and Sara Ann Henley, Mr. and Mrs. B.F. Smith, Mrs. Louis Guy, Mrs. Louis Loughran, Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Creel, Mr. G. Porter Robinson,
Dr. Rayburn E. Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Seaton, Charles Weatherly, Pfizer Inc., the family of Prof Felix Edwards, the Merck Foundation, Sarah Mooney, MS Farm Bureau, Clyde D. Hamer,
Libba Mullins, Lucius Fouche, Justin Towery, Mrs. Amy McKinney, Michelle Purdy, Ralph Lord, Jason Ervin, Moore Brothers Farms, Kam Boon Horng, New Dixie Fasteners, Chad
Bringle, Eric and Kathy Sculthorpe, Mr. and Mrs. William S. Goff, and several other anonymous contributors. -- Please advise us if we left your name off in error.
5
Vol. 11 No. 2 December 2001
Alumni News: and growth factors to treat skin wounds.
The product just received FDA approval
IBE Makes Several Trips
for treating donor sites for burned patients. The student chapter of the Institute of Bio-
Hsin-Yi’s main task while working at logical Engineers (IBE) made several trips
Belford Receives Ortec was to investigate a more efficient this fall, including a visit to the University
of Georgia where they interacted with the
way of making collagen scaffolds. A suc-
Achievement Award cessful protocol was developed during the students and
summer, and it reduced the current produc- faculty there.
tion time by one half. They also
Living in NYC was eye-opening for made a trip to
Hsin-Yi. Broadway shows, museums, jazz the manufac-
and comedy clubs, free concerts, and great turing facilities
restaurants. Hsin-Yi commented on her of Smith and
time in New York: “It’s a community where Nephew, an or-
all the races and nations mix together and thopedic im-
have their unique ways of life in the US. I plant company
... enjoyed my stay in New York.” in Memphis.
Charles Lee, Countess Belford, Greg Belford,
and Jerry Gilbert at CALS Ag Breakfast.
Greg Belford received an Achievement
Scholarship Recipients
Award from the College of Agriculture and for 2001-2002
Life Science at the Ag Alumni Breakfast at
Homecoming, October 13, 2001. Mr. Charles Robinette - TH Scott Scholar-
Belford graduated in 1973 with a B.S. de- ship
gree in AETB and then received an M.S. Andrew Humber - TH Scott Scholarship
degree in Ag Engineering in 1975. He has Terrence Cannon - ASAE
faithfully served the public by promoting David Dees - George Nutt Scholarship
environmental stewardship throughout his Ben Carlisle - George Nutt Scholarship
career. In his current duties at the Yazoo Hsin-Yi Lin with artificial skin in the lab. Judd Sanborn - Hugh M. Arant Sr.
Mississippi Delta Joint Water Management Memorial Scholarship
District as a Watershed Engineer, Mr. Lizbeth Meigs - M. R. Smith Memorial
Brandt Nichols - Theo Dinking Scholar-
Belford helps manage water resources in
the Mississippi Delta. He also serves on
AETB Club Raises ship
Sheryl Tasselin - ABE Pre-medical
the AETB Advisory Board for the AETB
Curriculum.
Money Bonnie Bowers - ABE Biomedical
The AETB student club undertook a vari- Kori Brabham - ABE Biomedical
ety of methods to raise money in the fall Kris New - Deep South Equipment
2001 semester. They recently purchased a
SOUTHERN COTTON GINNERS ASSOC
Student News: larger cooker and have sold smoked Bos-
ton butts throughout the football season.
They also raffled a hunting riffle. The club
Max Brock - SCGA Mississippi
James Wages - SCGA Tennessee
is not only using the money to sponsor Justin Hurt - SCGA Memorial
Grad Student Interns club activities but is also using it to help
others. They made a generous donation
in NYC to the family of the late Deborah Green (sis- Dec 2001 Graduates
Three months working as an intern in Ortec ter of dept Bachelor’s Degrees: BE’s: Kori Brabham,
International, New York, was definitely a exec sec Brandon Etheridge, Cody Fisher, Brian
great learning experience for Hsin-Yi Lin, S h a r r o n Flowers, Christine Morrison, Ben Rudolphi
PhD grad student of Dr. Joel Bumgardner. Miles) who AETB’s: Richard Aust, Patrick Cannon,
The company makes a composite culture succumbed Allen Chittom, Almon Ellis, Andrew
skin called OrCelTM. Porous collagen scaf- to cancer Hunber, Kris New, Frederick Rogers.
folds are used to hold human skin cells this fall. Master’s Degree BME: Dana Nettles
6
Vol. 11 No. 2 December 2001
Alumni Information Sheet
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Please complete and return this sheet if you have had any changes in the last 6 months.
Name:__________________________________________________________________
Last First Middle
Year(s) grauated from Mississippi State:
B.S. Ag. Eng_____________, Bio. Eng____________, AETB_____________
M.S. Ag. Eng_____________,Bio Eng____________, Ph.D.______________
Degrees from other institutions: ________________________________________________________
Employer:__________________________________________________________________________
Current position and responsibilities: _____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Home Address: ____________________________ Work Address: __________________________
____________________________ __________________________
Phone: ____________________________ Phone: __________________________
Family (spouse, children & ages): _______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
News (professional honors, career activities, travel, service to civic organizsations, future plans, etc.):
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
I want to help support the Ag & Bio Engineering Department
There are a number of available options for donations to the Ag & Bio Engineering Dept., all of which constitute
participation in the 5-year fund raising effort ABE 2002. If you would like to donate, please make your check out to
MSU Foundation, Inc. and mail to ABE, Box 9632, Miss. State, MS 39762. Indicate the amount in the blank(s) below.
_______Advancement Fund (General Dept Support) ______Building Fund (general building improvements)
_______Premedical Scholarship (for ABE premeds) ______Williamson Scholarship (students with ag interests)
_______Biomedical Engineering Scholarship ______Edwards Scholarship
_______Quarter-Scale Tractor Fund ______Other, please indicate:___________________
_______Surveying Equipment
Your Name and Address: ___________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
7
Vol. 11 No. 2 December 2001
Biological Engineering Educational Objectives
1. To educate students in the academic discipline of Biological Engineering so that they are able to formulate and
solve engineering problems in which biological systems are involved
2. To expect students to develop effective written and oral communication skills. Students should demonstrate the
ability to make a formal technical presentation
3. To foster a learning environment in which students will make extensive use of computer technology
4. To develop the students’ ability to work both individually and in teams to complete engineering design project.
5. To prepare students for employment in engineering jobs or for study in graduate and professional schools
An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action University
Address Correction Requested
Permit #81
Miss. State, MS
PAID Mississippi State, MS 39762
U.S. Postage Box 9632
Non-Profit Org.
Agricultural and Biological Engineering
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