Ajay Shah, Associate Professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE), was recently honored with the Young Engineer of the Year award at the Northeast Agricultural and Biological Engineering Conference (NABEC), a community of the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers (ASABE). Each year, the award honors one member of NABEC, who has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the agricultural and biological engineering profession.
“It’s an honor to receive this award from my colleagues. It means a lot to have my work recognized by them. I would like to thank all my team members, internal and external collaborators, and funding agencies for their support – their contributions have made this possible.”- Shah says.
Shah holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tribhuvan University in Nepal, a master’s degree in Biological Engineering from Mississippi State University and a doctoral degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering from Iowa State University.
Dr. Shah leads the BioSystems Analysis Lab (BSAL), where his program contributes to enhancing the techno-economic and environmental sustainability of advanced plant-based food, material and energy production systems throughout their life cycle, from field production through conversion to end-products. More specifically, his program focuses on biofeedstock production, harvest and supply logistics; biomass conversion; and organic waste management and value-addition. He is also developing systems to minimize post-harvest grain dry matter losses for small-holder farmers in developing countries. Additionally, Dr. Shah is the director of the Program for Bioproducts and the Environment (ProBE).
By Katelyn Moreno