In an internship or co-op education program, students gain valuable work experiences that complement each semester at North Dakota State University. Internship programs provide financial benefits while in college, increased employment opportunities and higher starting salaries. Internships are often scheduled during the sophomore, junior and senior year.

Students should contact Julie Bietz, student coordinator, at julie.bietz@ndsu.edu; the Career and Advising Center; or their student advisor if they are interested in an internship program. More information is also available at: www.ndsu.edu/aben/internships.

We reached out to NDSU Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering students who have participated in an internship to share their experiences.

Senior Cameron Wake, a native of Remer, Minn., obtained an agricultural and biosystems engineering degree with an emphasis in machine design.

He completed an internship with Yanmar/ASV, Grand Rapids, Minn., for three months and a co-op education program with CNH Industrial, Fargo, from January 2023 to May 2024.

Q. How did you discover this internship was available?

A. For the ASV internship, I had a design project with them at Itasca Community College and they offered me the position after the project was completed.

For CNH, I applied online on the company’s careers page after I met with them at the NDSU career fair, and they said I would make a good fit.

Q. Why did you want to complete an internship?

A. The goal was to gain experience and get a crash course on what I wanted to achieve after graduating from NDSU. I also used the opportunities to help pay for my schooling and living expenses.

Q. What were your job duties?

A. At Yanmar/ASV, I was on the current product design team, where I completed ECOs, design projects and ran tests to help the design engineers complete projects and tasks. I worked on current machines in production, such as compact track loaders. I also worked on prototype parts and completing work orders.

At CNH, I was also working in the current design section for the construction division, working on wheel loaders. I worked on ECOs, running tests, creating prototypes, completing work orders and solving other various problems.

Q. What did you learn from this internship you did not necessarily expect to learn?

A. From both internships, I learned a lot of technical skills that will carryover to a lot of companies. I knew what I was getting into when I started working, because my dad has been an engineer for more than 20 years. I was exposed to what came with the job and, more importantly, the responsibility and professionalism you need to have when working in that type of work setting.

Q. How beneficial was this internship to assisting you in developing your career skills?

A. Both internships were very helpful with developing my career skills. I learned a lot of technical skills, such as running engineering software, Excel skills and 3D CAD modeling skills. I learned a lot of personal and professional skills as well, such as teamwork skills and professional documentation techniques to help keep production running smoothly.

Q. What was the most challenging aspect of the internship?

For the ASV internship, the most challenging part was learning the engineering process for the first time. I used it in school, however, it was at much lower volume than in a professional setting.

At CNH, the most difficult aspect was balancing school and work at the same time. It took some adjustments to be able to work 20 hours a week and still complete my homework assignments. Once I was able to create a good routine, it was much easier to complete the workload. This challenge has really improved my organizational skills and helps me meet my deadlines.

Q. What was the most fun aspect?

A. I had the most fun interacting with new co-workers. I had a lot of fun solving complicated problems while working with a team as well.

Q. What would you say to others considering internships?

A. If you are going into the engineering field, I would highly recommend a co-op or internship. It not only looks great on your resume, but it also helps improve engineering skills you won’t necessarily get from classes. It also shows you whether you want to continue your career path or if you want to try something else.

Q. Anything else you would like to add?

The ABEN Department was very helpful and involved in my college career. If you are wondering what degree to pursue when coming to NDSU, I would recommend the ABEN Department. The small class sizes made it easy to talk with your professors and interact with your classmates. If you are a transfer student like me, I would highly recommend talking with Joel Hanson. He was very helpful when it came to transferring my credits.

This could be YOUR story!

Internships are just one more great opportunity through ABEN!

Consider a rewarding career with a degree through the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at North Dakota State University.

Visit https://www.ndsu.edu/aben. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aben.ndsu. Twitter: https://twitter.com/aben_ndsu.

Or even call us at 701-231-7261! That’s just how student-focused we are!

We hope to see you here to start YOUR journey!

Hosted by the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department, the 75th annual Agricultural Technology Exposition named Ben Van Berkom and Scott Drovdal as the grand champions this year.

The two NDSU seniors presented their project, “High Capacity Batteries in Agriculture,” during the Feb. 11 event. Van Berkom is a precision agriculture major, while Drovdal is majoring in agribusiness. Both are graduates of Des Lacs-Burlington High School.

During the Agricultural Technology Exposition, students present on a topic related to technology within the agricultural industry.

Van Berkom and Drovdal explored the technology being advanced by companies such as Bobcat and John Deere in battery-powered equipment. The project explored the advantages and disadvantages of the batteries and specifications on how they operate.

“The biggest learn from it, content-wise, was the fact that there are so many variables that go into electric or battery-powered machinery,” Van Berkom said. “One thing I really enjoyed about this project is the learning I was actually able to do as I presented it. I learned more presenting it than I did while I was preparing it. I thought that was fun. I love learning.”

The Agricultural Technology Exposition is also a great environment to hone presentation skills, he said, and to have balanced conversations.

“It is a hotly debated topic. I thought it was fun to practice presenting information and having open conversations about a topic that can sometimes be a more of a heated topic,” he said.

After serving as the North Dakota state FFA president in 2019-20, Van Berkom initially started a major in agriculture education at NDSU.

“That was a huge part of my high school career and really opened up a lot of doors for me. I thought I might as well just invest back into the thing that made a difference in my life,” he said. But after taking precision ag classes to fill his electives, he discovered a new interest.

“I’ve loved the precision agriculture program,” he said. “I think there are incredible job opportunities in the Fargo area with a precision agriculture degree.”

The Agricultural Technology Expo began in 1948 and is sponsored by the student branch of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the Agricultural Systems Management Club. It is the largest student activity in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.

More than $1,500 in scholarships are typically awarded during the event. Scholarships are awarded to the grand champion project, division winners and best freshman project.

Ag Tech Expo winners included:

Justin Lester, a senior in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABEN), will be the student speaker during North Dakota State University’s winter commencement ceremony Friday, Dec. 16, at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.

Lester, a native of Buffalo, Minn., will graduate with a degree in agricultural and biosystems engineering, with a focus on natural resources.

“I think it is a very special honor,” Lester says about being selected to give the commencement address, in which he will focus on the quote, “Believe in yourself and you will do great things.”

While in high school, Lester took advantage of the post-secondary enrollment option in Minnesota, which allowed him to graduate early from NDSU.

When Lester visited the NDSU campus for the first time, it simply felt like the right fit.

“When I visited, it felt like the right one. It is a little bit smaller, so it was more personal, but big enough that I had a lot of opportunities with student organizations. I just like the feel of the campus. I always tell students as an engineering ambassador it just felt like the right place and that's the most important thing,” he says.

And the ABEN Department drew Lester’s attention due to its degree offerings.

“I can focus on engineering and problem-solving, but also have a natural resources focus, so I can do something to hopefully improve the environment,” he says. “Graduating with an engineering degree proves you are a good problem-solver.”

As a freshman, Lester was part of the Engineering Living Learning Community, sharing a dorm with other engineering students.

“I was able to really take advantage of that to get off on the right foot with different connections as well as meeting a lot of people for studying,” he says.

He also became a College of Engineering ambassador, focusing on the ABEN Department, introducing other students to the campus. And he was a Grand Challenge Scholar, an organization which helps undergraduate students gain the ability and knowledge to address future challenges. Lester is also a member of Alpha Epsilon, the ABEN honor society.

Lester gained experience by assisting Dr. Xinhua Jia’s drip irrigation trial, which studied automatic drip irrigation with remote access for commercial production of melons and squash.

Working with graduate students during the research trial helped him understand their role, he says.

“And from a professional standpoint, I think it really helped in my technical writing skills and my presentation skills,” he says.

“With the ABEN Department specifically, I have really enjoyed how personal the learning experience is, and developing a really good relationship with both the students and the faculty makes for a more enjoyable college experience,” he says.

Lester recommends the ABEN Department to other students due to its open-door policy and family-like atmosphere.

“It’s very broad in what you can do,” he adds about the department. “They do a good job introducing you to all the options and it’s very flexible.”

He also appreciated the hands-on aspects, taking classroom work directly to the lab.

“I think that was really valuable to have a lot of those more theoretical-based classes have a hands-on component to understand it better,” he says.

Reflecting on his college career, Lester sees how much he’s grown as a person throughout college.

During his freshman year’s learning community leadership seminar, the students were asked to line up according to how they saw themselves as a leader.

“I remember going somewhere probably two-thirds on the side of not being a very good leader,” Lester recalls. “Now, I feel like through the different organizations and class projects, I have really developed myself and gotten a lot more confident with speaking. So, I think that would probably be the proudest moment is my development throughout the entire time.”

“I would line up much differently now,” he adds.

Lester interned at Kimley-Horn in St. Paul, Minn., and will now join the consulting firm full time after graduation on the development services team, a team that helps with the planning and design of residential, commercial and industrial projects.

“I think the internship experience is great,” he says. On-campus career fairs help connect students with companies, making the process seamless.

“An internship is a two-way interview process,” he says, as students experience the company’s culture firsthand and the company becomes familiar with the student as a potential employee.

“It’s important to find something that you’re passionate about,” he says.

Our NDSU Extension personnel are gearing up for the upcoming Big Iron Farm Show in West Fargo, September 13-15. NDSU Extension will have exhibits at the east end of the Hartl Ag Building in booths AL 10 - AL 12. In addition, Extension agents and specialists will be available to answer questions about crop and livestock production, and other rural topics.

To read more: https://www.morningagclips.com/ndsu-extension-offering-education-at-big-iron-2/

A North Dakota State University (NDSU) senior, Jake Callander is the grand champion of the 74th annual Agricultural Technology Exposition.

Hosted Feb. 12 by the NDSU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department, the title of this year’s expo was “Innovation in Agriculture.”

Students in agricultural systems management, agricultural and biosystems engineering, or precision agriculture present on a topic related to technology within the agricultural industry.

Majoring in agricultural systems management, Callander’s project, “Vermicomposting Waste Remediation,” introduced his work in vermicomposting and composting to the public.

“Vermicomposting is composting using decomposer worms. It’s using a special type of earthworm to break down the organic material into something usable and higher quality than typical compost,” he explained.

Involved with his family farm near Hillsboro, Callander also operates a market farm on the side.

In 2019, he started researching composting and vermicomposting, then began with a 5-gallon tote bin of earthworms in his garage. About six months later, he converted a cattle trough feeder into a worm bin.

He started with a couple thousand worms, building the bin with organic material. In about two to three months, the worms had produced the finished product that can be harvested from the bin.

During the Agricultural Technology Exposition, students present their projects to the public and staff who stop to ask questions.

“A lot of people who came up to me during the presentation didn’t have any idea what the project was about,” he said.

“It was explaining how we can take any organic material from either our farms that is coming from manure or from our vegetable production or extra crop residue, and instead of paying somebody to haul it away and discard it, we can actually turn it into something that is usable on our farms to reduce our fertilizer inputs or to make a profit off of it,” he said.

“Talking to the public was a lot of fun, being able to speak to a bunch of different people who may have never heard of some things like this,” he said.

The Agricultural Technology Expo began in 1948 and is sponsored by the student branch of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the Agricultural Systems Management Club. It is the largest student activity in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.

More than $1,000 in scholarships are typically awarded during the event. Scholarships are awarded to the grand champion project, division winners, best freshman project, and a people’s choice award.

Callander was surprised to be named grand champion, considering the “low tech” aspect of his project.

“I was very shocked. A lot of the other projects were about big ag and technology,” he said. “My project was talking about worms and how they can break down organic material, so it was a shock.”

“It was a lot of fun,” he added.

Ag Tech Expo winners included:

Machinery

First place - Bill Huber, “Amity Technology Crop Chaser Silage Cart”
Second place - Zach Mcfarland, “Tracks vs. Tires”
Third place - Benjamin Johnsrud, Levi Skjerven, Morgan Penning, “John Deere Autonomous Tractor”

Precision Ag

First place - Krista Rambo, “Reveal: The New Row Cleaner”
Second place - Carson Hovelson, Joe Ellison, “John Deere Exact Apply Nozzles vs. Conventional Nozzles”
Third place - Tyler St. Onge, Cole Nissen, Wyatt Thorson, “Current Spray Drone Technology in Agriculture”

Soil, Water & Environment

First place - Jake Callander, “Vermicomposting Waste Remediation”
Second place - Broden Frolek, Isaac Huber, John Rath, “Carbon Sequestration and the future of Carbon Credits”

Champion Freshman Project

Riley Schafer, Justin Roswick, Ryan Doe, “What in the World is a Grain Weevil?”

Senior Design Champion

Justin Lester, Danika Tweeten, Landon Wanner, “Water Retention Pond”

People’s Choice

Krista Rambo, “Reveal: The New Row Cleaner”

Reserve Champion

Bill Huber, “Amity Technology Crop Chaser Silage Cart”

Grand Champion

Jake Callander, “Vermicomposting Waste Remediation”

The course, Ag Systems Management 291, “Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing,” is new this semester as a trial course in the Ag Systems Management curriculum. Seventeen of the available 20 seats were filled for the first class, which is taught by Matthew Olhoft, a senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. This is the first course at NDSU dedicated solely to 3D printing. The department has seven 3D printers available to students. Olhoft has been involved with 3D printers for several years and recently attended a major conference on additive manufacturing.

“There is a need for our young engineers coming out of NDSU to be more aware of what they can do with additive manufacturing. More and more companies are switching over to additive manufacturing versus subtractive manufacturing, which is the milling of things like parts,” he said. “There’s just a lot more flexibility and the cost factors tend to be a lot cheaper, especially for producing prototype parts, with additive manufacturing.”

The class starts with a brief history of 3D printing, then moves into the different types of 3D printing and the different materials that can be used. It then explores the process of printing, from designing a project to printing the product. The class toured the manufacturing facilities of LulzBot in Fargo and Fargo 3D-Fuel, which manufactures filament. The president of LulzBot is a graduate of the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department. Laser-etching and cutting and 3D scanning were also covered during the course.

A poll of the current class showed about half have 3D printed something before, while half are new at it, Olhoft said.

“3D printing is starting to get pervasive in our society in all kinds of levels. In the not-too-distant future, a lot of the parts that you need for machines will probably come to you via the internet. You’ll purchase an STL file and then you’ll actually print the part at your location or a local business,” Olhoft said. A farmer, for example, could go to a local supplier who will receive the file and print the part for pick-up the same day, he pointed out.

“Engineering students need to know what options are available, especially when it comes to materials they work with,” he said. “What materials can you use to create a part? It’s very easy to have a 3D printer available and be able to print something immediately and have your hands on it in a material that’s going to be an end-use product right off the printer.”