Education:

• BS (Engineer) in Agricultural Engineering, University of Leuven, Belgium, 1968.
• MSc in Agricultural engineering, Michigan State University, USA, 1973.
• Ph.D in Agricultural engineering, Michigan State University, USA, 1975.

Research interests:

• Precision agriculture
• Quality monitoring of agricultural product with emphasis on modelling the dynamics of quality change as a function of time and environmental conditions.
• The spatial and temporal variability of quality and the use of statistical process monitoring tools for management of quality and decision making
• Extensive experience in international research projects and projects with industry.
• More than 300 international peer reviewed publications

Memberships and awards

• Doctor Honoris Causa of the Pannon Agricultural University, Mosonmagyarovar, Hungary, 8 September 1997.
• Corresponding member of the ‘Accademia dei Georgofili’ . Agricultural Sciences Academy- Firenze, Italy
• Foreign member of the Polish Academy of Sciences
• Max Eyth Medal Award for contributions in Agricultural Engineering, received from the VDI (German Engineering Society), 2000
• Member of K.VIV (Royal Flemish Engineering Society)
• Past-President(1996-1998).and member of the Executive Board of The European Association of Agricultural Engineers, EurAgEng;
• Chairman of the organizing committee of AG_ENG 2004, the International Conference on Agricultural Engineering, held in Leuven in September 2004
• Member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, ASABE
• Member of the ISHS (international Society of Horticultural Science )
• Member of CIGR

ACTIVITIES IN THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY

• Doctor Honoris Causa of the Pannon Agricultural University, Mosonmagyarovar, Hungary, 8 September 1997.
• Member of K.VIV (Royal Flemish Engineering Society)
• President of The European Association of Agricultural Engineers, EurAgEng; representing all those involved in engineering and technology in agriculture (1996-1998).
• Member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.
• Past-Chairman of -CIGR (Commission International du Genie Rural) section VI: Post-harvest technology
• Chairman of the Flanders Centre for Post-Harvest Research, a joint University-Industry Centre for Research on storage of fruits and vegetables
• Member of the editorial board of the following journals:
  • Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research
  • Agrophysics
  • Post-Harvest Biology and Technology
• Member of the European Union Club of Advanced Engineering for Agriculture (ENGAGE)
• Member of the review committee:
  • IMAG-DLO ( Instituut voor Milieu en Agritechniek) Wageningen, Nl, Febr. 1994, June 1999
  • ATO-DLO (Agrotechnological Institute) Wageningen, Nl, Sept. 1996
• Invitation Fellowship for research from the JSPS, Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, 1997
• Member of the Scientific Council of the ‘Institute of Agricultural Engineering’, ATB, Potsdam-Bornim, Germany
• Member of the evaluation for the Technology Science Group of the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural Research, August 1999
• Member of the review committee BBSRC - (Engineering and physical sciences committee),1997, (U.K.)
• Member of Doctoral examination committees in Germany, Belgium, France, United Kingdom, The Netherlands
• Research project proposal evaluation in the E.U., Belgium, United Kingdom, Israel, U.S.A., Germany, and Sweden.
• Member of the Board of Trustees, Belgian Organization of Co-operative Fruit and Vegetables Auctions.
• Chairman of the International Discussion Group on research and marketing of Endives (involving French, Dutch and Belgian growers) .
• Chairman of BRAVA cvba, A Co-operative Fruit and Vegetable Auction Market, involving approximately 750 active horticultural producers and using state of the art quality control and electronic auctioning systems