FROM THE ISB PRESIDENT
Ashley Butkus
ISB President, 2025–2026 |
Hey ASABE!
Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! I’m your new ISB President, Ashley Butkus, and I’m so excited to work with you all this year!
A bit about me: I’m a junior at the University of Wisconsin–Madison studying Biological Systems Engineering with an emphasis on ecological engineering.
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This year’s ISB team includes students from both the U.S. and Canada, representing a variety of degrees and backgrounds:
- Adrian Schouten, a senior at Purdue University studying Agricultural Engineering. He joined ISB to actively engage and recruit other students to become more involved in ASABE.
- Abbie Davidson, a senior at the University of Kentucky studying Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. She joined ISB because it allows her to serve and give back to ASABE.
- Alex Belles, a junior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo studying BioResources and Agricultural Engineering. After thoroughly enjoying her involvement in student rallies over the past two years, she decided to take part in the larger organization this year through ISB.
- Sarah Lake, a junior from the University of Guelph studying Environmental Engineering.
This year, the ISB team is hoping to increase student participation across all aspects of ASABE—including student competitions, scholarships, rally participation, and more! We’ll continue to communicate with you through this newsletter, our Instagram (@asabe_isb), and through chapter engagement at rallies and AIM.
ASABE is an incredible program for students to get involved in, and we want you all to take full advantage of it.
Stay tuned for more info—and keep an eye out for new bulletins coming soon!
Ashley Butkus, President
for the ASABE ISB Team
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Meet the Team
Our International Student Branch officers will be planning activities for the coming year. Newly elected to their positions, from left: Adrian Schouten, Purdue University, second vice president; Sarah Lake, University of Guelph, first vice president; Alex Belles, Cal Poly, secretary; Ashley Butkus, University of Wisconsin–Madison, president; and Abbie Davidson, University of Kentucky, parliamentarian.
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Student Members Visit ASABE Headquarters
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We love visitors! ASABE Headquarters was pleased to host visiting students from Michigan State University and Purdue University this past weekend. Students met Executive Director Cedric Calhoun and Member Engagement Director Sarah Rodriguez (in photo, second and third from left), learned about the Society and opportunities for involvement, played a ilittle cornhole, and enjoyed lunch.
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FEATURED AWARD
Yoerger Preprofessional Engineer of the Year
Submission Deadline: October 31
Learn More & Apply
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About: The Roger R. and Laura M. Yoerger Preprofessional Engineer of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding undergraduate student who has completed a minimum of two years of an undergraduate program of study in the field of agricultural and/or biological engineering. The academic program must be accredited by either ABET or CEAB.
Eligibility: Open to ASABE undergraduate student members.
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FEATURED COMPETITION
International Quarter-Scale Tractor
Student Design
Competition
Registration Deadline: There is no firm deadline, but teams are encouraged to register by October 31.
Learn More & Register
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About: IQS provides a 360-degree workplace experience. A panel of industry experts judges each design for innovation, manufacturability, serviceability, safety, sound level, and ergonomics. Teams also submit a written design report in advance of the competition, and on-site, they must sell their design, in a formal presentation to industry experts playing the role of a corporate management team.
Eligibility: Team members must be ASABE members and meet several other participation requirements. Check the IQS webpage for full details.
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FEATURED SCHOLARSHIP
William J. Adams, Jr., & Marijane E. Adams 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 agricultural machinery product design and development, who meets eligibility criteria. Multiple scholarships may be awarded in a given year.
Eligibility: Applicant must be a biological or agricultural engineering student enrolled in an ABET or CEAB-accredited program. Other requirements apply, see Adams scholarship page for complete details. |
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February 8–11, 2026
Seelbach Hotel, Louisville
Education • Innovation • Networking
The premier event for industry professionals for more than 30 years
Students Attend Free!
Limited availability
Student Poster Competition with cash prizes!
Learn more
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Winners Circle
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Paige Seibert has distinguished herself as a multiple competition winner and participated in ASABE's Annual International Meeting (AIM), presenting research on anaerobic digester efficiency and engaging with the broader agricultural engineering community.
Her experiences offer valuable insights for students considering how competition participation can enhance their engineering education and career preparation.
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How have the ASABE competitions you competed in helped you in the real world?
The Gunlogson competition was helpful for practice making a real-world engineering pitch, including 3-D renderings, a budget, working within constraints and criteria, etc. All competitions are helpful for practicing working with a diverse team. The Bioprocessing competition was extra helpful for me because I was an undergraduate, but got the opportunity to work directly with graduate students for the competition. I feel like seeing how graduate students tackled this competition quickly elevated my presentation, critical thinking, and writing skills.
Read more
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RESOURCE MAGAZINE
Got a Great Photo?
Submit It to the Visual Challenge!
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Resource magazine invites you to share your photos that illustrate the scope, impact, and beauty of the profession.
PartIcipate in our annual Visual Challenge, and your work could end up as a featured image in the January/February issue of the magazine.
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MEMBER BENEFITS
Did You Know?
The ASABE Online Technical Library contains over 40,000 journal articles, meeting papers, standards, books and more. Student members have access using their member login. Many universities have purchased access for all students and staff.
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Re-Engage Your Network
For students like you, who are among the first to go through college immediately post-Covid, it can be a real struggle to build and maintain strong professional networks. But such connections are essential for professional and personal satisfaction.
Check out this HBR article for some tips on how to keep your relationships healthy and make the most of them.
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Leverage the ASABE Brand
Chapter volunteers! Boost engagement with our ASABE Brand Guide. This simple yet effective tool is designed to help you leverage the ASABE brand, streamline your messaging, and implement the new ASABE logos, fonts, and colors.
Bonus! We created an additional reference just for our student chapters. The University Brand Guide is a quick reference tailored specifically to the day-to-day needs of student chapters, with brand basics, ready-made graphics, and templates for your chapter logo.
Get started! |
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Award, Competition & Scholarship Directory
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