The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) recently presented awards to four young members for notable career achievements. The five were honored at the 2013 ASABE Annual International Meeting, held in Kansas City, Missouri.
Matthew J. Darr is the recipient of the 2013 A.W. Farrall Young Educator Award for his outstanding leadership and contributions in educating future agricultural and biological engineers and systems management professionals. Darr, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, teaches upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in machinery systems and instrumentation within both the agricultural engineering and technology systems management programs. He has made outstanding contributions in developing resources and inspiring student enthusiasm in the classroom for the emerging fields of embedded electronic technology in agricultural production processes and biomass energy production. Darr solicited and acquired more than $580,000 worth of electronics, software, and hardware to support teaching facilities and maintain high-level course material for growing student enrollments at Iowa State. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Darr maintains a vigorous research program focused on the use of embedded systems and advanced instrumentation to enhance the efficiency, productivity, and control capacity of agricultural systems, including those for food, fiber, and energy production.
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