Kenneth Hellevang, PhD, PE
Agriculture and Natural Resources, Extension Director/Administrator
Agriculture
Biography
Ken has a Ph. D. degree in engineering, is a registered professional engineer, and has obtained the academic rank of tenured Professor at North Dakota State University. As an Extension (outreach) Engineer of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering at North Dakota State University, he has provided education and technical assistance in grain drying and storage, structures with a focus on energy efficiency, indoor environmental engineering primarily related to moisture and mold, and flood preparation and recovery to farmers, citizens, agribusiness, and professionals across the United States and internationally since 1980.
Ken has provided engineering assistance to thousands of people across the United States and internationally including numerous seminars on mold and building moisture management to medical doctors, public health and building professionals. He provided training on mold as part of a satellite program that was downlinked to about 300 HUD offices and other locations across the United States.
He has written publications on home moisture and indoor air quality distributed by universities and industry across the country. He was the initial author of the mold section of the national Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and led the flood team for EDEN and eXtension.
He served as the “Healthy Indoor Air for America’s Home’s” educational program coordinator for North Dakota and on the national leadership and training committee for the program. He also served as the “Healthy Home’s” educational program coordinator for North Dakota.
He has been recognized by United States Department of Agriculture – CSREES with two national Honor Awards for educational efforts related to flood recovery and home moisture issues including mold removal
He is active in the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE -The Society for engineering in agricultural, food, and biological systems) having served in numerous leadership roles and in other professional organizations. He has been recognized with the grade of Fellow by ASABE, the highest honor bestowed on 0.2 percent of members annually. He was recognized in 2018 as Professional Engineer of the Year, the highest award given to a licensed professional engineer by the Society. It is presented to a licensed engineer who has made outstanding contributions to the engineering profession, the public welfare, and humankind. In 2019 he was recipient of the ASABE Sukup Global Food Security Award in recognition of his outstanding application of engineering in the storage and handling of grains, oilseeds, and other food products.
He serves as Interim Chair of the NDSU Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He and his wife Merna live in Fargo, ND and have three adult children and seven grandchildren.
