With farming converting into a type of corporate business from its past image of family driven manual labor, agriculture graduates with an economics and engineering background are farther ahead career-wise, MSU College of Agriculture officials say.
Otto Loewer, a 1980 MSU alumnus, recently became the president-elect for the American Society for Agricultural Engineers, due in part to his dual background in those subjects.
He earned a master's degree in agricultural engineering at Louisiana State University and a doctorate at Purdue University, as well as a master's in agricultural economics at MSU.
"Studying agricultural economics broadened my perspective of the importance of engineering to the world," Loewer said. "It helped me see that technology drives economics, and economics drives social change."
Several MSU faculty members are a part of the society. With 9,000 members in more than 100 countries, the society's purpose is to publish research and define product and system standards in agricultural engineering.
Loewer said he looks forward to utilizing his experience and education in his new position. He will officially be named president of the society in one year, after shadowing the executive director and president.
"It's a dynamic organization that has outstanding members," Loewer said. "I want to help promote the economic and social well being of people throughout the world through our expertise."
Nominated by a committee and elected by the members, executive vice-president Melissa Moore said each candidate for the position was carefully considered.
"People wanted the most outstanding individual when looking at candidates that will both lead and represent the society," Moore said. "The individual should have outstanding communication, leadership and administrative abilities and high professional stature."
Tom Coon, associate dean for research in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said it made a lot of sense Loewer was chosen for the position.
"A lot of agricultural engineering has to do with agribusiness," Coon said.
"It's unusual but not rare for an agricultural engineer to have some education in business.
"In all of our graduate programs, we strive to make sure we develop leadership, as well as the expertise in the discipline."
Society members said Loewer was chosen for his leadership in the evolving agricultural industry.
Having recently attended the society's annual conference, Ajit Srivastava, chairman of the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, said members discussed changing the society's official name from the American Society of Agricultural Engineers to the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
MSU's Department of Agricultural Engineering changed its name to the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering last month.
"American agriculture is going through a significant transformation," Srivastava said.
"People are concerned with many issues central to society, such as food safety and quality, environmental quality and conservation of natural resources.
"It's much more than simply producing food on the farm."
