Spring Seminar Series
All events start at 3:00 pm and will be held in 208 Scoates Hall. YouTube videos of the presentations will be available on the event pages.
February 6, 2015
Grand Reopening of Scoates Hall Lecture Room
In conjunction with the Capital Improvement project in Scoates Hall, the TAMU Classroom Renovation Committee and the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department initiated efforts to upgrade the instructional environment of that classroom and to recover the unique architectural features that had been obscured over the years. Come join us thanking those who made the restoration possible and celebrating the return of the artistry of Samuel Vosper.
February 18, 2015
Edward A. Hiler, Topic – Water Engineering… A Century of Progress
Ed Hiler is a former Biological & Agricultural Engineering department head, former dean and vice chancellor for Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M System, as well as director of the agencies now known as Texas AgriLife Research and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. He has served in leadership roles for the National Academy of Science and the National Research Council. He is a past president of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
March 25, 2015
Otto R. Kunze, Topic – Rural Electrification and Post-harvest Processing
Dr. Otto R. Kunze has had a long interaction with our department, extending back to his first time in Scoates Hall in 1940. Kunze is part of what has been called the “Greatest Generation.” His education was interrupted by World War II, where he served in Europe, and earned two Bronze Stars. He returned to Texas, began his studies at Texas A&M and ultimately became a faculty member with expertise in electrical applications and post-harvest processing of agricultural commodities. He is internationally known for his work on the phenomenon of rice grain fissuring. A Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers, his work on rice was recognized in 2000 by ASABE as an “Outstanding Achievement of the 20th Century.” He retired from our faculty in 1990.
April 15, 2015
Calvin B. Parnell, Topic – The Impact of Agricultural Engineering in the History of Cotton
Dr. Calvin B. Parnell, Jr., Regents Professor and holder of the Cotton Engineering and Mechanization Chair, has had a long and distinguished career in the area of cotton engineering as an Extension Specialist, researcher and teacher. Widely recognized for his expertise, the Secretary of Agriculture appointed Dr. Parnell to four two-year terms on the USDA Air Quality Task Force. A Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers (ASABE), he has been honored with numerous awards that include the prestigious ASABE G.B. Gunlogson Countryside Engineering Award, the ASABE Mayfield Cotton Engineering Award, and the National Cotton Ginners’ Association Merit Award.