It is with a great deal of mixed feelings that the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineers wishes him our very best as he embarks on his new adventure. His 14+ years of leadership of the department has seen many accomplishments, including:

• Growth of undergraduate and graduate enrollments (74% and >50%, respectively)
• Growth in faculty numbers (21 to 37); hired 26 new faculty
• Reinforced research strengths and grew into new areas
• Increased diversity in faculty – by almost any diversity metric
• Growth in external research support
• Built exemplary Extension programs
• Enhanced student learning experiences, including adding more lab experiences
• Helped faculty and staff achieve research and other goals
• Achieved rankings consistently among very top ranked programs
  • 8 consecutive years ranked #1 undergraduate program
  • Graduate program ranked #1 10 of last 11 years
• Built the ADM Agricultural Innovation Center
• Construction of a new ABE building with completion date of December 2020

We are sad to see him go, but delighted that he is only moving about 2 blocks away (at least geographically). Best of everything, Dr. Engel!

See Dr. Plaut's announcement:

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Bernie Engel has accepted my offer to join our leadership team as Associate Dean and Director of Agricultural Research and Graduate Education, effective January 15. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the College, and I am excited about the leadership he will provide to our research and graduate education programs.

 I am also pleased to announce that Dr. Nate Mosier has agreed to serve as interim head of the ABE department.  Dr. Mosier has been on faculty since 2003 and is well known for his research on biofuels and bioprocessing technology and teaching  in biological engineering.  Dr. Mosier will also retain his Indiana Soybean Alliance Soybean Utilization Endowed Chair.

 I want to thank all those who have served in interim roles in Agricultural Research and Graduate Education, especially Shawn Donkin, Marshall Martin, and Barbara Golden. They have been a fantastic team and have not only kept the many activities and programs going forward, but have also enhanced them. Dr. Donkin will go back to his role as Assistant for Graduate Education. Dr. Martin will continue as the Sr. Associate Director and Assistant Dean of Ag Research and Dr.  Golden will continue to serve as a Fellow assisting me with faculty development and supporting efforts in graduate education.

 My thanks also go to Jason Henderson and the search committee for giving so much of their time and effort to work through an outstanding pool of applicants: Layi Adeola, ANSC; Shalamar Armstrong, AGRY; Stephen Cameron, ENTM; Melba Crawford, AGRY; Natalia Dudareva, BCHM, Alan Duttlinger, ANSC; Songlin Fei, FNR; Margaret Gitau, ABE; Steve Hawkins, ARGE/PAC; Steve Lindemann, FS; Jake Ricker-Gilbert, AGEC; Jyothi Thimmapuram, ARGE; Ariana Torres, HLA; and Becky Rice, Dean’s Office, who provided support for the search.

 We will begin the search for the next department head later in the semester.

 Please join me in welcoming Dr. Engel to his new position as Associate Dean and Director of Agricultural Research and Graduate Education and Dr. Mosier to his position as Interim Head of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

 All the best,

 Karen Plaut, PhD

Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture

Purdue University

615 W. State Street

West Lafayette, IN 47907

(765) 494-8391