MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When the new head of Mississippi State University's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering assumed his duties in January, he already knew a lot about the department's work.

William D. Batchelor's background is in plant growth and development modeling.

"A lot of that technology was developed here at MSU," he said. "Most of my previous work has been with corn and soybeans, and I look forward to working with cotton."

Batchelor, a Georgia native, earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in agricultural engineering at the University of Georgia. His doctorate, also in agricultural engineering, is from the University of Florida.

Prior to joining the MSU faculty, Batchelor was a professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University. His previous experience also includes work as a research associate in Virginia Tech's biological engineering department and as a U.S. Department of Agriculture Fellow in agricultural engineering at the University of Florida.

The new MSU department head was honored as the New Holland Young Researcher of the Year in 2002 by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. His honors also include a United Soybean Board Meritorious Service Award and multiple Exceptional Student Support Recognition awards from Iowa State University, among others.

MSU's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering offers undergraduate degrees in biological engineering and in agricultural engineering technology and business, which lead to opportunities to pursue careers in the fields of biomedical engineering, medicine, environmental engineering, and agriculture and natural resources.