Ken Hellevang, NDSU professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at South Dakota State University.
He was recognized for significant contributions to society and accomplishments that have brought credit to SDSU’s agricultural and giosystems ngineering department. Hellevang earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SDSU before earning his doctorate at NDSU.
Hellevang has provided education and technical assistance in grain drying and storage, energy efficiency in structures, indoor environmental engineering primarily related to moisture and mold, and flood preparation and recovery to farmers, citizens, agribusiness and professionals across the U.S. and internationally since 1980.
He uses publications, presentations, media, individual consultations and the internet to provide education and technical assistance to clientele. He has written or co-written more than 220 publications and numerous online resources, and presented more than 1,000 seminars.
Other accomplishments include:
• Conducting research on a variety of grain drying and storage topics, including moisture content changes in stored grain during the summer, drying and storing dry edible beans, air temperature increases due to grain drying and aeration fans, and aeration duct design
• Leading the flood preparation and recovery team for the national Extension Disaster Education Network and eXtension.org, and writing eXtension’s mold remediation section
• Serving on the national leadership and training committee for the Healthy Indoor Air for America’s Homes program and providing education on mold remediation nationally
• Presenting numerous seminars on mold and building moisture management in several states to medical doctors, and public health and building professionals
He also led a task force of representatives from agencies and organizations interested in biomass for energy in North Dakota. The task force’s efforts supported funding for renewable energy grants and the creation of the NDSU Bio Energy and Product Innovation Center, which he directed for several years.
Hellevang is a registered professional engineer. He is active in the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, which named him a fellow in 2013.
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