FROM THE ISB PRESIDENT
Ashley Butkus
ISB President, 2025–2026 |
Hi, everyone!
Wow, happy spring! The semester is flying by, and ASABE has lots to report!
Rally season is upon us, and the Midwest and California/Nevada had some great meetings full of networking, industry tours, and lots and lots of fun!! See below for some photos. The Southeastern rally is coming up this weekend at the University of Arkansas. |
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 Elsewhere, last week the officers of your International Student Branch held our annual headquarter's visit (see adjacent photo), and it was filled with new ideas, initiatives, and the planning of our ever-loved AIMGO cards. Spoiler alert, if you meet Caitlin Clark in Indianapolis, it's an automatic bingo!!
Here are some other opportunities for fun and engagement.
Are you a chapter president and want to hear new ideas and collaborate with other chapters? Email Abbie Davidson to get added to our new ASABE Chapter President GroupMe!
Are you an artist or do you know an artist who wants to earn some money and have their art displayed at AIM? Join the AIM T-Shirt competition. Hosted by ISB, the competition is open to any major, school, or program; ASABE membership is not required! The winner earns $100, and their work will be on the official AIM 2026 student t-shirt. Enter here → T-Shirt Competition Google Form
That's all for now! Be sure to check out the information below to find out about ASABE opportunities and upcoming scholarship or competition deadlines!
Ashley Butkus, President
ASABE International Student Branch |
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FEATURED COMPETITION
Bioprocess Startup Competition
Registration Deadline: April 15
Learn More
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About: This “shark tank” competition encourages students to develop a new product or process that utilizes a unique biological resource. Students design a product or process, conduct any necessary experimentation, testing, and/or modeling, and write a brief report describing their design and marketing of the product or process; a physical prototype is not required for competition.
Eligibility: The competition is open to all ASABE undergraduate and graduate student members. A written report is required, and the top three teams will attend the 2024 ASABE annual meeting to make their pitch. Additional requirements apply.
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FEATURED SCHOLARSHIP
NEW!
James Koelliker NRES Scholarship
Submission Deadline: March 15
Learn More
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About: A yearly scholarship of $2,000 will be given to one undergraduate student, with a special interest in natural resources and environmental systems.
Eligibility: Applicant must be a biological or agricultural engineering student with at least one full-year completed as an undergraduate. Other requirements apply. |
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AIM Higher!
SO MANY REASONS FOR YOU TO ATTEND THE
2026 ASABE Annual International Meeting
Student Competitions • Technical Sessions
Professional Development • Research Exposure
Lifelong Memories
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Where Conversations Advance Innovation—and Careers
ASABE's Annual International Meeting is one of the world's largest gatherings of agricultural and biological engineering and technology professionals. And the 2026 event is shaping up to be one of the best in recent years.
Student members enjoy generous registration discounts, as well as technical and social programming shaped to advance careers and strengthen professional networks.
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ASABE Rallies
Connecting Student Members to Careers, Peers, and Leadership Opportunities
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CALIFORNIA/NEVADA STUDENT RALLY
photos courtesy Carolyn Jones
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MIDWEST STUDENT RALLY
photos courtesy Ashley Butkus
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Southeastern Student Rally March 13–15
Here's a shoutout to our student members attending this weekend's Southeastern Student Rally, hosted by the University of Arkansas. Have a great time, share your photos and videos online, and don't forget to tag @ASABEorg and @asabe_isb!
Woo Pig Sooie! |
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Grow Your Skills, Earn a Trip to AIM with Our Leadership Program
Are you looking for ways to make professional connections beyond your campus, grow your leadership skills, and have fun along the way? We have a great opportunity for you, and it starts with involvement in your student chapter.
Each year, student representatives are selected from upcoming rally host institutions and “most deserving”/”up-and-coming” chapters to participate in the Student Rally Leadership Networking Program ( SRLNP) and travel to the ASABE AIM. The program encourages cross-pollination of successful student chapter and rally leaders to translate the excitement generated by the regional rallies into persistent benefits to the institutions, regions, and ASABE society.
This year, participating students can look forward to building their network at socials and professional development workshops, building confidence to host rally by learning from peer rallies held around the country, cheering on their school in fountain wars, robotics, and bioprocess shark tank competitions, getting involved with the International Student Branch, and exploring around Indianapolis.
The first step to participating in the program is to get involved with your chapter and your regional rally. For more information, contact your student chapter advisor or Sarah Rodriguez, ASABE director of member engagement.
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Winners Circle
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Meet Sandeep Dhakal, a PhD student in Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University whose research is helping shine a light on one of environmental science's more overlooked challenges — the long-term monitoring of historical waste coal piles. Using satellite image classification and change detection algorithms, Dhakal's work bridges the gap between cutting-edge data science and real-world environmental stewardship.
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Dhakal's dedication was recognized at the 2025 ASABE Annual International Meeting, where he took first place in the Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award. It was a testament to both the quality of his research and his ability to communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences. We sat down with Sandeep, who is continuing his studies at the doctoral level, to ask him about his academic journey and what winning the Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award has meant to that journey.
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MEMBER BENEFITS
Did You Know?
Students aren't just welcome on our technical committees, they're encouraged to join.
Our tech committees offer great opportunities for you to stay informed on evolving, real-world issues and technologies related to your technical interests. Plus, they offer a great way to get acquainted with professionals who could turn into lifelong friends and—nudge, nudge—colleagues.
Ready to get started? Follow the link below to browse our list of committee and then just tell us, "I'm Interested!"
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Award, Competition & Scholarship Directory
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