Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

NIFA NCAC16 AND SAC16 multi-state project review and ASABE administrative meetings Room 1410, Waterfront Centre, Washington, DC January 30-31, 2013 Meeting notes and minutes Paul Heinemann Attendees: Brad Rein (NIFA), Mark Riley, John Nieber, Sreekala Bajwa, Dorota Haman, Dan Thomas, Robert Evans, Ajit Srivistava, Mary Leigh Wolfe, Paul Heinemann, Donald Slack, Bruce Miller, K.C. Ting, Saied Mostaghimi, Scott Shearer, Joe Harner, Raul Piedrahita, Tanju Karanfil, Beth Ahner, Richard Straub, Steve Taylor, Steve Mickelson, Steve Searcy, Jim Dobrowolski, Brad Rein, Clyde Ellis (NIFA), Bernie Engel, Effu Baldwin (NIFA), Camilla Bailey (NIFA), Eric Drumm, Darrin Drollinger Wednesday, January 30, 2013 Meeting began with welcome by Brad Rein, NIFA Division Director, at 1:00 PM Attendees were introduced Updates from NIFA Carmela Bailey, NPL Agricultural Materials, update on bioenergy and bio-based products programs Jim Dobrowolski, NPL Environmental Systems, update on environmental systems programs Presentation files will be distributed Update on USAID HESN initiative Ajit Srivistava (Ajit is one of the PIs on a USAID project) UCD/ASABE follow-up discussion Mark Riley Dublin meeting - Presentations on several issues, differences in programs, educational systems in US and Europe. What is the benefit of getting together and collaborate? Challenges  not a good mechanism to bring people together from US and Europe. Also, time, distance are challenges. Four main points came out of meeting: 1. How do we foster continued interaction between US and Europe? 2. Online meetings, in-person meetings 3. Developing coordinated initiatives. 4. Recognition & image Dick Straub  part of a global situation, should go further than Europe; Asia, Africa, and South America as well. Ajit Srivistava  identity: theme to bring us all together. Without it, ABEs becomes irrelevant in certain parts of the world. Creating a platform to start talking about this will help all regions. ABEs are custom-made profession for international development  food, water, etc. Need to create this platform  ASABE meetings, or some other meeting to begin this? Dan Thomas  Our ability to advertise and market what we do hasnt worked, particularly in Europe. We need to engage outside groups to market us. Perhaps request foundation funds  need to invest. Push a marketing initiative. KC Ting  agree that we need to do this globally. China is already doing this. Large gathering in China, two day seminar - marketing of ABEs was focus. Bill Stout developing a plan, should work with him. Sreekala Bajwa  Department of State has objectives in international programs in food security, perhaps we could take advantage of these opportunities. Ajit Srivistava  scorecard idea similar to what Civil Engineers do. We could do something like this for food security. Perhaps we could produce some sort of metrics that measure food security; we have the expertise to do this. KC Ting  Deere, Monsanto, others have a World Harvest report every year; perhaps ASABE could partner on this, get our name on this report. Annual Borlaug ceremony, brings people from all over the world, many disciplines involved. Scott Shearer  we were going to have someone from the Global Harvest Initiative was to attend this meeting, but was unable to make it. John Nieber  this is very time-sensitive, institute at Minnesota gives world food forecast. Scott Shearer  Brought up Global Harvest Initiative at UCD meeting, European counterparts thought we may be selling out if we align with these industries. Dan Thomas  But it may be important to partner and be involved. Scott Shearer  At Ohio State, metrics for budget include international activities, so these efforts would help at the local levels too. Steve Taylor  need certain number of students to make program viable  working together can help these programs succeed that otherwise may not happen. Summarizing: 1. communications needed with ABE leaders across the globe. 2. Identity across the globe, ASABE should be involved in that. 3. Scorecard idea, foundation initiative, World Harvest initiative partnership. Mark Riley is willing to get things going. Ajit  get group of active senior faculty to work on the partnership. NCAC16 and SAC16 Multi-state project review organization Richard Straub and Saied Mostaghimi, Administrative Advisors Reviewed who was responsible for reviewing proposals (discussion on these will be Thursday morning). Additional discussions Richard Straub  discussion on people who come in from outside to direct centers, getting appropriate level of rank and tenure, what is happening at other universities? Raul Piedrahita  losing many faculty in next couple of years, what challenges are being faced? Thursday, January 31, 2013 Update on USAID HESN initiative Ticora Jones, Senior Advisor, HESN program manager NCAC16 AND SAC16 multi-state project reviews Richard Straub and Saied Mostaghimi, Administrative Advisors 10 proposals reviewed S1025, S1032, S1026 (S1054  new #), S1035, S1041, S1042,SERA038, SDC346, NC1023, NCERA197 It was recommended that SERA038 be discontinued and merged with S1041. The other nine were supported for continuation. SDC345 listed but not reviewed ASABE Executive Director Update Darrin Drollinger State of the Society is very good. Budget is met for 2012. $100,000 available for initiative funding. PE license name change (to Agricultural and Biological Engineering) study is progressing. NCAC16/SAC16 Business Meeting Minutes Scott Shearer, Chair Succession and leadership of the committee, NCAC16/SAC16 Secretary/Vice chair  nomination of Sreekala Bajwa, nominations closed Approved by acclamation Paul Heinemann will be chair for 2014 NCAC16/SAC16 meeting. Thanks to Dick Hegg and Brad Rein for hosting this meeting. Next years meeting places: Should NCAC16/SAC16 have a meeting in the Fall? Possibly international meeting Thailand a possibility, to meet with Asian counterparts? October/November timeframe, or January? Latin/South America? Some universities participating in Science without Borders with Brazil Straw poll voted in favor of Thailand, early January. Don Slack will investigate. Motion that we organize a meeting in Thailand in January. Seconded and approved. Washington is a backup plan, mid to late January. Business meeting closed Dick Hegg and Clyde Ellis: CSRIS classifications for engineering updates Classifications for engineering have not been updated in decades, survey requested suggestions from department heads. Bioprocessing, ecological and natural resource engineering, agricultural air quality are suggested new knowledge areas. What is the purpose of these categories? Primarily for review process. Emissions could possibly be placed in another category since it is more specific. NIFA approach will be to simplify these categories. Additional items Mary Leigh Wolfe, Ph.D. credit requirement comparisons distributed. Discussion ensued on differences between programs. Sonny Ramaswamy, Director, NIFA update Meeting ended at 12:15 PM