By:
Stu Hutson 352-392-0400Source(s):
Kenneth L. Campbell klc@ufl.edu, 352-392-1864 ext. 120 http://www.agen.ufl.edu/~klc/
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — If water is the land’s lifeblood, you can think of Kenneth Campbell as a first class agricultural cardiologist.
The University of Florida professor has been recognized by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) for his creation of sophisticated computer models that give an unprecedented view of the bustling dynamics underlying the earth’s waterways. His work reveals the ebb and flow of essential nutrients and pollutants through waterways which often dwarf our own circulatory systems in terms of complexity.
“These are systems so big and complicated that trying to figure out what’s going on used to be mostly about guesswork,” said Greg Kiker, a UF professor and former student of Campbell’s. “Ken’s work puts all the data together and really gives this kind of research teeth.”
The Hancor Soil and Water Engineering Award was presented to Campbell at the ASABE Annual International Meeting July 12. The award, first given in 1966, is recognized as one of the group’s most prestigious recognitions of engineering achievement. Campbell was among eleven nominees from such institutions as McGill University in Montreal, the USDA, and Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind.
According to the ASABE, Campbell was chosen in large part for his two-decade-long endeavor to model phosphorous levels in South Florida. In the early 80’s it was recognized that excess phosphorous from runoff was a major factor behind damaging algal blooms that were clogging the area’s water systems. Campbell’s work provides a clear illustration of this effect, and helped to develop regulations to rein in the damaging effects.
Campbell’s interest was seeded at an early age by his father, a farmer in Iowa. To make ends meet, he took a side job as a water management specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (then called the Soil Conservation Service) and would occasionally bring Kenneth along on assignments. From those simple agrarian roots, Campbell was further influenced by a backdrop of evolving environmental awareness of the 60’s as he was completing his education.
“People were just starting to become aware that we can have significant effects on our environment—especially our water systems,” Campbell said.
In 2000, Campbell began a year’s sabbatical in South Africa at the University of Natal. There, he helped develop a new computer model using the object-oriented computer language called Java to help land managers in the near-desert region make the best use of their resources. The system proved to be so adaptable that he brought it back to UF, where he uses it to predict runoff from ranches and farms.
However, the model isn’t the only connection Campbell still holds with South Africa. Since his time there, Campbell has helped four students from the region come to UF to pursue academic degrees.
“His influence on others and his willingness to help other people learn is something that really makes him stand out,” Kiker said. “Probably half of the people in the state of Florida working in this field have been taught by him, and I guarantee you that they’re better for the experience.”
Although recently named interim chair of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering department, he is now looking forward to retirement in the next few years. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean he’ll lose his lifelong interest.
“We live in a fascinating time for this type of research, both technologically and socially,” he said. “I’ll be looking forward to watching what comes next.”
-30-
0
