Distinguished Engineer
Hometown: Tracy, Minnesota
B.S. Agricultural Engineering ,
M.S. Agricultural Engineering ,
Donald M. Edwards, P.E., earned his Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from Purdue University in 1966 after earning two degrees from South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State College. His career began with the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Soil Conservation Service in Marshall, Minnesota. He then joined the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska in teaching and research and later assumed the position of associate dean for the College of Engineering and Technology. Edwards then served as Head of Agricultural Engineering for 10 years at Michigan State University. He retire as dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska and became director of special projects for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Professor of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska.
He was instrumental in setting standards for quality education and established accreditation teams for more than 50 engineering and agricultural colleges world-wide. Edwards assisted thousands of students and wrote three text books and over 150 publications on various topics including surveying techniques, water resources and the history of engineering. He was a registered professional engineer in the state of Nebraska and held many national offices in the National Society of Professional Engineers. Following his retirement, he continued to teach one course at the University of Nebraska and served as a consultant to several businesses, foundations and universities.