The University of Arkansas student chapter of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers hosted the organization's yearly rally in March. One hundred and twenty-five students from 11 schools attended. The theme of the rally was "Engineering the Future."

Alan Fortenberry, chief executive officer of Beaver Water District, was the keynote speaker. There were also speakers from the U of A and ASABE. Students attended workshops on food, water, energy, sustainability and climate change. They took tours of the biological engineering labs at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, as well as touring Beaver Water District, Tyson Headquarters and Core Brewery. The rally ended with a banquet in the Verizon Ballroom on campus.

The rally was organized by U of A biological engineering students Hailey Flatte and Bailey Smith. Flatte was elected president of the Southeastern region of ASABE at the 2016 rally, and Bailey was elected treasurer. One of their duties as office holders was to hold the annual rally on their campus.

Flatte and Smith explained that students get several benefits from attending rallies, including opportunities to network with other students and alumni in their field, learn from speakers and workshops, and explore options for graduate school. They felt the 2017 rally succeeded in all these areas, and that the most successful aspect of the rally was the Experiment Station tour.

"People were surprised and impressed by the projects we do every year," said Flatte. These projects include building aquaponics systems, weather stations, grain dryers and pumping stations. Students on the tour also got to see a dissolved air floatation system that makes it easier to remove algae from water, and they visited a nanotechnology lab.

Flatte and Smith said serving in leadership roles for ASABE has allowed them to acquire skills beyond the engineering they learn in the classroom. "The skills we gained made us more well-rounded," said Smith. "we learned how to communicate well."

"I am very proud of the untiring efforts of our student club and particularly the dedicated leadership of graduating seniors Hailey Flatte and Bailey Smith," said Lalit Verma, head of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. "This student rally attracted the president and executive director of ASABE, both of whom publicly acknowledged how impressed they were with the program and organization of this rally. Several of our faculty conducted workshops for the many students gathered on our campus. It was a great opportunity to showcase the U of A and our department."