South Dakota Section American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Meeting
2026 South Dakota Section American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Meeting
April 2, 2026, at Raven Precision Agriculture Center, Room 176, Brookings, 日本av视频, from 2-7 p.m.
This event promises to be an engaging and informative gathering for agricultural and biosystems engineering professionals.
Event Highlights
- Poster presentations: Explore the latest research and advancements in agricultural and biosystems engineering through technical presentations by industry experts and academic scholars.
- Industry updates: Stay informed about the latest trends, innovations and developments shaping the agricultural engineering landscape with insightful industry updates.
- Greetings and meetings: Connect with fellow professionals, colleagues and leaders in the field during networking sessions and meetings designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange.
- Social networking: Enjoy opportunities for casual networking and socializing with peers and industry professionals in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
The South Dakota American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Section is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the ASABE Professional Awards, which recognizes outstanding contributions from professionals in industry and academia who are actively engaged in society activities.
The award criteria and submission process are listed in the link below, where you can download the nomination form. Award recipients will be recognized at the South Dakota American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Section Meeting on April 2, 2026. To nominate an outstanding professional, please download, complete and submit your nomination form via email. Self-nominations are also encouraged.
For questions, please get in touch with Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan and Sushant Mehan.
We look forward to recognizing and celebrating the remarkable contributions of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers professionals in industry and academia.
We are pleased to invite nominations for the executive positions within the ASABE South Dakota section. Per our section bylaws, we encourage members to submit their nominations to run for an executive position by March 21. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to the leadership of our section and to help guide our efforts in supporting agricultural and biological engineering in South Dakota. Use the form attached to this email/post to submit your nominations.
Executive Positions and Responsibilities:
Vice chair: Assists the chair and assumes the chair鈥檚 responsibilities in their absence. The vice chair also supports organizing key events and initiatives and is anticipated to transition to the role of chair in the next term.
Secretary: Maintains meeting minutes, issues notices for meetings, and manages the section鈥檚 records and documents. The secretary also handles communications and document execution for the section.
Treasurer: Manages the section鈥檚 funds, including collecting dues and overseeing disbursements. The treasurer maintains accurate financial records, prepares financial statements, and coordinates budget approvals with the Executive Committee.
The immediate executive group will also elect committee chairs as outlined in Section VI of the bylaws. These chairs have responsibilities such as overseeing membership changes, organizing professional development activities, coordinating the annual meeting, managing public relations, and liaising with student groups.
We encourage you to nominate yourself or a fellow member for these important leadership roles. Please email your nominations to Sushant Mehan by March 21.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the roles or nomination process.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement with the ASABE South Dakota Section.
Register soon for the 2026 South Dakota American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Section Meeting. On-site registration closes on April 2, 2026, at 5 p.m. 鈥 don't miss out!
Submit your abstract for the poster session at the 2026 South Dakota American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Section Meeting. Submissions are closed.
Guest Speaker
A 24-year member of ASABE, he has been with CNH Industrial since 1999 and currently is chief engineer for Case IH midrange combines. During his time with CNH, he has received more than 50 patents. He has served as the Quad City section chair-elect, chair for two years and past chair.
Keynote Speaker
Jim Nelson has served as president of Aerostar since 2021. Aerostar, a world leader in the design and manufacture of aerospace and defense solutions, is committed to rapid innovation of groundbreaking technology to connect, protect and save lives. From engineering services to mission planning and support, research and design, and advanced technical product development, Aerostar offers tailored turnkey solutions for successful operations.
Previously, Nelson served as director of engineering for Raven Aerostar. Prior to that, he worked at the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, where he held roles including engineering and development manager, Landsat 9 project manager, Landsat data continuity mission project manager, LDCM ground system manager and LDCM chief engineer.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and computer science from the University of Sioux Falls and a Master of Engineering in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Title for the keynote: 鈥淎I Above the Field: Edge Intelligence for Real-Time Decisions鈥
Summary: AI is transforming agriculture, but the biggest breakthroughs won鈥檛 come from algorithms alone 鈥 they鈥檒l come from deploying AI reliably in the real world, where connectivity is limited, conditions are variable and decisions must be timely and trusted. Drawing from high-altitude autonomous operations used for applications such as defense, wildfire response, disaster response and methane monitoring, this keynote will highlight how edge computing, autonomy and decision-support analytics are turning sensor data into action. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for applying AI in the real world: where it works, what pitfalls to avoid and how to design systems that earn trust and deliver measurable outcomes.
Program Details
Time | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2-2:30 p.m. | Raven Precision Agriculture Center, Atrium 199 | Sign in and Registration |
| 2:31-2:40 p.m. | Raven Precision Agriculture Center 176 | Introduction and update on department and agricultural, biosystems and engineering program 鈥 Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan |
| 2:41-3 p.m. |
| |
| 3:01-3:20 p.m. |
| |
| 3:21-4 p.m. |
| |
| 4-4:30 p.m. |
| |
| 4:31-5:30 p.m. | Raven Precision Agriculture Center, Atrium 199 |
|
| 5:31-6:45 p.m. | Raven Precision Agriculture Center 176 |
|
| 6:46-6:55 p.m. |
| |
| 6:56-7 p.m. |
| |
| 7 p.m. |
|
South Dakota ASABE Section Executive Committee
Sushant Mehan 鈥 Chair
Sushant Mehan, Ph.D., works at the water resources engineering and hydroinformatics interface. His research agenda includes advancing the understanding and physical representation of nutrients' fate and transport to manage water resources using computing infrastructure. He is also interested in exploring how interactions between climate and land management operations impact water quantity and quality. His passion for working on water resources, precisely water quality, is driven by the idea that resolving water problems can solve much unseen unpredicted chaos in the ecosystem. He loves to work as a problem solver on issues related to water sustainability.
Travis Burgers 鈥 Treasurer
Travis Burgers is a staff research engineer at CNH Industrial in Sioux Falls. At CNH, he uses data to answer business and engineering questions in areas like product development, product value proposition, system analysis, competitive analysis and customer insights. He has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has over 20 years of experience in medical research, medical devices and agriculture. Burgers is a member of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and has authored 21 publications in agriculture, orthopedics, and bone and molecular biology. He holds adjunct positions and mentors students in mechanical and biomedical engineering at 日本av视频 and the University of South Dakota.
Lin Wei 鈥 Vice Chair
Lin Wei, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at 日本av视频. Wei and his research team have devoted themselves to the research and education of precision agriculture, agricultural engineering, biomass conversion and bioenergy, food processing and food safety. Their research aims to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of agriculture, food production and bioproduct development while reducing environmental impacts to move forward to agriculture digitalization era.
Ramesh K. Singh 鈥 Secretary
Ramesh Singh, Ph.D., is a program manager at the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, managing science contract for ASRC Federal. He is an agricultural engineer with specialization in soil and water management. He is a Husker fan, receiving his doctoral degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has more than 25 years of professional experience in water resources assessment, development and management both in government and private sectors. He has authored more than 40 publications in journals and proceedings. He has been a member of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers since 2006 and a certified project manager from the Project Management Institute. He lives in Sioux Falls and enjoys biking, gardening and volunteering in the community.
Explore program highlights and the agenda of the 2025 meeting of the South Dakota American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Section.
