From the Executive Director
 Dear ASABE Members,
As we move into 2026, I am excited to share our foundational focus on revitalizing how we connect as a professional community. Our top priority is dedicated to perfecting our internal engagement to ensure every member feels the "passion" of our organization.
We are launching a "small army of the willing" to experiment with new content types via our Engage platform and find the perfect rhythm for our communications. This effort is designed to transform our digital and social spaces into vibrant hubs where you can discuss hot topics and areas of interest. By identifying these high-visibility technical topics now, we are laying the groundwork to deliver highly relevant articles and premier professional development content tailored specifically to your needs.
We are committed to empowering our sections to serve a greater purpose by deploying new tools to better understand and support local activities. Our goal is to provide the national resources necessary to help local sections thrive, eventually transitioning them into powerful engines for growth and industry focus. By strengthening these local communities, we ensure that your ability to engage with ASABE is more accessible, impactful, and aligned with your professional journey, whether you are participating in a local meeting or accessing our national Body of Knowledge.
I will continue to keep you apprised of our progress and look forward to any feedback you want to share as we move the needle on meeting our goals.
Cedric Calhoun
ASABE Executive Director |
|
Time to Cast Your Ballot
 Elect your Society leadership!
Balloting for the annual Society leadership elections is underway and closes March 1, 2026. Voting members, who include graduate students, were sent an email on January 14 from Intelliscan with instructions and a secure link to a ballot. Simply check for your email message, click the link, and vote. It's that easy! Not seeing the email? Please check your junk file.
Vote now and validate the important work of these volunteer candidates have pledged to assume.
Thanks to those who have voted! Need special accommodations? Please contact Joann McQuone, by email or by phone (269-932-7022).
Back to top |
|
AE50 Award Winners Announced
 ASABE has recognized 47 groundbreaking products reshaping modern agriculture through autonomy, AI, and precision technology, and more. Highlights include fully autonomous tractors, AI-powered spot-spraying systems that reduce herbicide use, and robotic grain management that eliminates dangerous bin entry.
"The 2026 AE50 Award winners reflect an industry at an inflection point," said ASABE Executive Director Cedric Calhoun. "From fully autonomous tractors to AI-powered spot-spraying systems and robotic grain management, these innovations address agriculture's most pressing challenges—labor shortages, sustainability demands, and the need for increased efficiency—while boosting safety and productivity."
Winning technologies, generated by startups and legacy corporations from seven countries, will enjoy the spotlight at an awards luncheon and special session on February 10, at this year's Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference.
AE50 winners scoring in the top ten are now under consideration for the Davidson Prize, to be presented by ASABE and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers next month at Commodity Classic, in San Antonio, Texas.
Full AE50 Announcement
Back to top |
|
Mark Your Calendar!
ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MEETING
|
|
ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MEETING
July 12 – 15, 2026
Indianapolis
|
Registration for 26 AIM continues through May 12 at the early bird rates!
The portal to collect options such as the breakfast socials and receptions, CPDs, and tours is still open. Plan now for these events so they can be added to the registration link in February! |
|
On the annual meeting website you can currently find updated information about:
- The call for abstracts
- Key deadlines
- JW Marriott Indy
- Child care at AIM!
- Submitting your social or CPD before February 1
|
|
Will We See You in Louisville?
AETC 2026
Online Meeting and Hotel Registration Continues through January 31
|
|
A busy schedule awaits for all those joining us next month! If you haven't registered yet, you can still do so online through January 31. Onsite registration begins Monday, February 9, at the Seelbach Hilton.
A Great Speaker Lineup!
Monday, February 9 we welcome two great speakers: our luncheon keynote talk, "Feeding a Hungry World - The Borlaug Mission," with Randy Renze, and later, at 5:45 pm, the Distinguished Lecture will be delivered by R. Andres Ferreyra, PhD, "Data Interoperability in Agrifood Systems: Stories of Excitement, Horror, and Hope." Both talks are open door for all that are registered at the conference.
More about our speakers
Students! Last Call for Posters!
Open to all undergraduate and graduate student members attending AETC, the Student Poster Session & Competition is your chance to present your research in front of an attentive audience for an opportunity to win cash prizes! Deadline is January 31!
More about the Poster Competition
|
|
Join Us February 4 for Member Hour
|
|
 |
This year's annual international meeting will use a new AI-based sorting process, SMART (Session Matching and Automated Recommendation Tool), to conduct the initial categorization of presentations and to monitor the process of session organization.
Join AIM Program Vice Chair Joe Dvorak on February 4 at 2 pm eastern to learn about the new sorting process, how it works, the technologies that power the processes, and results from AIM 2025, where parts of it were trialed and from the ongoing organization of AIM 2026.
|
|
South Dakota State Celebrates 100 Years
 We extend belated congratulations to associates and alumni of South Dakota State University's agricultural and biosystems engineering department, which celebrated 100 years of service in 2025.
The department marked the milestone with a gala back in November. ASABE Past President Dana Osborn Porter (at center in photo) was on hand to present a commemorative plaque on behalf of the Society.
The department has played a particular role in the development of precision agriculture, according to ASABE member Joseph Schumacher, retired research engineer with the department. Schumacher details some of that history in a blog post he recently contributed for us.
Photo courtesy Sushant Mehan. |
|
New in Resource Magazine
 In the January/February 2026 issue of Resource, we spotlight the latest AE50 Award winners—innovative products and solutions advancing agricultural engineering and influencing the marketplace. The program continues to showcase the breadth of new technologies and the companies behind them.
We are also pleased to present the winning photographs from the 15th annual VisualChallenge, a reader-powered competition that reveals the beauty, detail, and diversity of today’s agricultural world.
Innovation and imagination are on full display. It is an inspiring issue that underscores both the technical ingenuity and artistic perspective of our community.
Back to top
|
|
Call for Papers: Constructed Wetlands, Climate Change Impacts, and Regenerative Agriculture
We invite you to contribute to our scholarly community by submitting manuscripts to our new all open access (OA) Journal of Natural Resources and Agricultural Ecosystems and our other hybrid journals. Just follow our step-by-step submission instructions.
These special collections are accepting manuscripts. Note the deadlines for submission:
February 28
Ecosystem Evapotranspiration: Advances, Challenges, and Future Needs in Measurement, Modeling, and Application
March 15
Water Quality Monitoring: Technologies and Data Stewardship for Low Cost, High-Frequency, and In Situ Data Collection
May1
Sustainable Groundwater in Agriculture
June 30
Regenerative Agriculture
Back to top |
|
New Podcasts from ASABE
We have some great additions to our podcast lineup. Newly dropped conversations:
- Puerto Rico Coffee Production Seeks Harvest Efficiencies
- Applying Ag Engineering Principles at Delta Dirt Disgtillery
- Achieving Circularity Goals with Public-Private Partnerships
- Monitoring In-Shell Peanut Kernel Moisture Content in Real Time
Listen Now
Back to top |
|
Advertise Your Expertise in Guide to Consultants
Engineering consultants can provide invaluable assistance with complex issues and our Guide to Consultants is a great way to get the word out about your expertise. The guide is published as a supplement to the May/June issue of Resource magazine.
Advertise with us! March 18 is the deadline to submit the order form to Jill Straub.
Back to top |
|
Nominate Now for Standards Developers Award
Each year, ASABE recognizes the significant efforts of those teams who devoted time and energy to revision and development of ASABE Standards during the previous calendar year.
To be considered for this award, nominations must be submitted by the chair of the committee responsible for the standard by March 1, 2026.
For further information please contact Scott Cedarquist at cedarq@asabe.org
Back to top
|
|
Student Scholarships, Competition Deadlines
Students, don't wait to prepare for our valuable scholarships and competitions. For eligibility and other guidelines, please visit our website.
Scholarships, Nye Fellowship
The Nye Graduate Fellowship, Adams Scholarship, and Foundation Engineering Scholarship are presented annually and are valued at $2000 each. Entry deadline for these is March 15. Applicants must be ASABE student members.
Soon to Be Announced!
We're delighted to report that a new scholarship has been established, the James Koelliker NRES Scholarship. Criteria and a timeline for applications are in development, and details will be announced soon.
ASABE Student Competition Registration Deadlines
March 15
- Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Competition
April 15
- Bioprocess Startup
- Fountain Wars
May 15
- AGCO National Student Design Competition, KK Barnes Student Paper Competition, Gunlogson Design Open Competition
June 1
Back to top
|
|
In Memoriam
 Alvin R. Womac
ASABE Fellow Alvin Ray Womac, age 66, of Athens, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on December 27, 2025.
Born on January 22, 1959 in Athens, Tennessee, Womac was a highly respected professor of biosystems engineering, known especially for his extensive research contributions to the field. His work focused on advancing agricultural systems, machinery, and practical engineering solutions that supported farmers and improved efficiency and sustainability. While he valued education, his greatest professional passion lay in research—asking questions, solving problems, and developing innovations grounded in real-world agricultural and energy needs. His work earned the respect of colleagues and left a lasting impact on the discipline.
An introvert by nature, Womac preferred a quiet, traditional lifestyle rooted in hard work and self-reliance. He spent many years raising beef cattle and took great pride in working his farm. Known for his ability to fix nearly anything, he would even create novel tools to help solve unique challenges without existing solutions. Repairing, building, and maintaining were not just tasks to him, but a way of life.
He is survived by his wife, Eleanor, and two sons.
Elected a Fellow in 2020, Womac was a 39-year member of ASABE.
Full obituary
Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|