Kenneth Hellevang, NDSU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Fellow and Professor Emeritus, is the recipient of the 2024 G.B. Gunlogson Countryside Engineering award for enhancements and leadership in grain and potato storage, energy efficiency, building moisture and mold problems, and restoration of flooded buildings.
Hellevang is a retired Extension agricultural engineer and professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. In that role, he provided education and technical assistance in grain drying and storage; structures with a focus on energy efficiency; indoor environmental engineering primarily related to grain moisture and mold; and flood preparation and recovery to farmers, citizens, agribusiness and professionals in the region.
Hellevang has synthesized information on the design and management of grain drying and storage systems and conveyed it through seminars, publications and technical assistance to farmers and agribusinesses across the United States. The extensive reach of his post-harvest educational program is demonstrated by his article, “Grain Storage Practices to Maintain Grain Quality,” being published in The Miller Magazine that is distributed in more than 130 countries.
Hellevang developed guidelines for building sandbag dikes that are incorporated in a publication and video, “Sandbagging for Flood Protection.” Communities use his material to train staff and citizens, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has distributed his video. He presented seminars on flood cleanup in several states and seminars on mold and building moisture management to medical doctors and public health and building professionals. In addition, he has provided energy efficiency education and technical assistance. Major design projects have included the ventilation system for several 700-ton sugar beet storage buildings for two cooperatives and ventilation systems for outdoor piles storing about 10 million tons of beets valued at about $500 million.
In his 45 years of ASABE membership, Hellevang has provided leadership to Food and Processing and Structures and Environment Division committees, served a term on the board of trustees, and chaired the meetings council. He was inducted as an ASABE Fellow in 2013. In addition to having received various other awards, he has received several ASABE awards. Some of his ASABE awards include the Sukup Global Food Security award, the Professional Engineer of the Year award, three Educational Aids Blue Ribbon awards and a Presidential Distinguished Service citation. He is an active member of several other professional organizations.
Hellevang has authored or coauthored more than 230 technical publications. These include technical papers, proceedings, professional standards, chapters in handbooks and peer-reviewed Extension circulars and bulletins, videos and other electronic educational materials. More than 250,000 of these publications have been distributed internationally.
