May / June, 2004

2004 AE Distinguished Alumni Award

This annual recognition is bestowed upon an alumnus who has distinguished himself/herself as a leader through professional contributions, public service, and personal accomplishments. Contributions to the Biological/Agricultural Engineering profession shall be the primary selection criterion. As a general rule, only alumni who have graduated ten or more years ago, with an undergraduate and/or a graduate degree will be considered.

Allison W. Blanshine (deceased)

Allison (Al) Blanshine was born in Muskegon, MI in 1919, and graduated from the Department of Agricultural Engineering in 1943. His primary interest was in designing improved agricultural production machinery. He has over 30 patents to his name. The most profound is the “New Holland” round Baler, others being improvements to the Sugar Cane Harvester, the modernization of the Corn Picker, and a completely newly designed 10 ft. PTO driven Windrower. During his career he worked for such companies as J. I. Case, The Oliver Corp., Hawaiian Sugar Cane Planters Ass’n, New Holland Corp, and he was a consultant for the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture.

Al was also a husband, and father of three sons. He and his wife, Hazel, helped to support their sisters and their families that circumstances had left stranded without adequate self-support. Al along with Hazel was a 47 year member of his church, he was also a member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE).

Carl W. Hall, Ph.D.

Dr. Hall came to MSU in 1951 as an instructor, transferred credits to earn his PhD in agricultural engineering in the Department in 1952. Between 1952 and his departure from MSU in 1970, Dr. Hall started programs emphasizing the biological aspects of engineering, initiated the animal waste management program, and the electrical technology program. He taught courses in processing of agricultural and food products. He served as department chairperson from 1964-1970. During his tenure at MSU, Dr. Hall advised fifty graduate students. In 1970 he left for Washington State University where he was the dean of engineering, and professor of mechanical engineering until 1982.

He joined to the National Science Foundation in 1982 as deputy director and helped establish the Engineering Directorate. He was responsible for design of the program and obtaining support for the Engineering Research Centers that became a pattern for university, government, and industry support. His work has taken him to South America, Russia, Nigeria, Indonesia, India, Japan, and to several countries in Western Europe.

During his outstanding career Dr. Hall served as the president of the ASAE, vice president of the ASME, and CIGR, he also stayed active in ABET, NSPE, ASEE, and AIBS, just to name a few. He is author/coauthor or editor/co-editor of 28 books and written more than 400 articles and papers. His specialty areas have been drying, energy, and food and biological aspects of engineering.

Arthur J. Gold, Ph.D.

Dr. Gold received his PhD Agricultural Engineering Technology from the Department in 1983. Since then his primary research focus has been the assessment, modeling and control of non-point water quality pollutants. He is interested in the assessment and modeling of watershed processes. Recent studies have been conducted on nitrogen losses to groundwater from rural and suburban land uses, as well as on the role of wetlands and riparian zones in pollution abatement. He has written more than 50 publications and awarded over $3.5 million in research funding.

Art has spent his academic career at the University of Rhode Island where he is an active researcher and teacher. In 1988 he added an extension component to his duties and initiated a water quality extension program that targets watershed management practices for local decision makers and the public. The program has attracted more than $5 million in outside funding and now includes 10 staff.

Dr. Gold has served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Environmental Quality and has worked with the Science Advisory Board of the EPA. He has received the Research Scientist of the Year Award, the Outstanding Teaching Award, and the University of Rhode Island’s Scholarly Excellence Award, the highest award bestowed by the University.

Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering
Michigan State University
A.W. Farrall Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1323
(517) 355-4720

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June 4, 2004