The Legacy of Dr. Ying Chen

Welcome to the University of Manitoba Resources for Agricultural Engineering podcast! Your gateway to discovering the latest innovations, research, and practical solutions in agricultural engineering.

In this legacy episode, host Dr. Uduak Edet interviews Dr. Ying Chen, a distinguished professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba who specializes in agricultural machinery and soil dynamics. They discuss her career, key research milestones, challenges as a woman in engineering, and advice for young researchers.

Transcript

Uduak Edet: 0:01

Hello and welcome to the University of Manitoba Resources for Agriculture podcast. I am your host, Uduak Edet, an Agricultural Research Extension Engineer, in the Department of Biosystem Engineering. This podcast is your gateway to discovering the latest innovation, research, and practical solutions in agricultural engineering. Our mission is to forge meaningful connections with the agricultural community and help farmers address their engineering needs and aspiration. Today, we are privileged to have in our midst Dr. Ying Cheng, a distinguished professor in the Department of Biosystem Engineering, University of Manitoba, For over 20 years, Dr. Chen has developed a strong research program in the area of agricultural machinery, soil dynamics, conservation tillage and seeding. Her dedication has not only advanced research, but also inspired countless students and colleagues. Dr. Chen, before we discuss your research and accomplishments, Please tell us a bit about your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in agricultural engineering.

Ying Cheng: 1:25

Yeah, sure. Thank you, Uduak. I grew up in a small village in China where farming was the primary means of living. However, the lack of mechanization made life very challenging for farmers. That inspired me to pursue agricultural engineering. for all 3 of my post-secondary degrees. A major turning point of my life was moving to Canada for graduate studies, which brought me the opportunities of working at University of Manitoba as a faculty member, specializing in agricultural machinery and soil dynamics. For those unfamiliar with the soil dynamics, this field focuses on how soil behaves when interacting with the machines. Soil dynamics play a crucial role in agricultural operations, such as the tillage and the seeding. Understanding soil dynamics will help optimizing machine performance improving efficiency and the sustainability of mechanization.

Uduak Edet: 2:48

Okay, so how do you ensure that your research is not only theoretical but also practical and applicable in real-world agriculture?

Ying Cheng: 2:59

In the early years of my career, I focused on practical research through field and laboratory experiments. Later, I started doing modeling and simulations driven by industry needs for fast prototyping of agricultural machinery. Simulations can help accelerate product development while reducing the cost associated with testing physical prototypes. Modeling also enables us to obtain results and publish papers more quickly. Also, funding from NSERC Discovery Grant supports theoretical research. Another important aspect of theoretical research is to provide the right topics for PhD students, helping them develop a strong understanding of the fundamentals in science and engineering.

Uduak Edet: 4:06

Thank you. Can you share the key milestone of your research journey in agricultural machinery and soil dynamics?

Ying Cheng: 4:15

Yes, not much about milestones, but it's my achievements. So my research achievements can be categorized into 3 main areas. One is machinery for fiber crop harvesting and processing. Two, machinery for livestock manure applications. Three, modeling of soil machine interactions. I believe the third area is expected to have the longer term impact. Talking about modeling in my work on modeling and simulation of soil machine interactions, I have extensively used the discrete element method. It's a numerical method for modeling soil, machine, and crops, all these things. So this method allows us to see more details about soil. In the models, soil are treated as a collection of particles, individual particles, you can analyze the behavior of individual particles. It will help us to understand how the particle moves, how the particles interact with the machines, and how these interactions affect the machine performance and so on. Thank you.

Uduak Edet: 5:41

Okay, thank you. How do you measure the success and impact of your research initiatives?

Ying Cheng: 5:47

That's a good question. Success can be measured using many indicators. I will just mention about publication and funding. On average, I publish four to five referenced papers per year. Not particularly a high number compared to some researchers, but I have to say that it's happy about that. As a principal investigator, I continuously hold the NSERC discovery rights, along with several other NSERC-funded projects. I know the success in research is not solely measured by the number of publications or the amount of research funding received, but also measured by the quality impact of the work. So I have always taken responsibility for ensuring the quality of the work, the quality of the paper before submission for publication. So talking about this, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my graduate students whose contribution played a significant role in my success. Over 90% of my publications were co-authored with my students. So I'm very grateful to my students.

Uduak Edet: 7:11

That's wonderful. Quick question. What challenges have you faced as a human in engineering and how have you navigated them?

Ying Cheng: 7:20

That's a good question. Women remain underrepresented in engineering, both in teams and the leadership roles. For the first 15 years of my career, I was the only female faculty member in the department, often finding myself as the only woman in the room. However, I was fortunate to work in a supportive environment where I did not have to work harder to establish credibility or ensuring my voice was heard. For other women in engineering who may face challenges, seeking support from colleagues and women in engineering organizations can be helpful. The best way to navigate these challenges is to let your work speak for itself. Demonstrating the competence will always be the most powerful statement.

Uduak Edet: 8:19

That's good to know. What role has serving different professional bodies play in your career?

Ying Cheng: 8:26

I have been a member of several professional associations, with the most significant one being a member of the Canadian Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. I joined this society when I was a graduate student. Over the years, it has benefited me in many ways, including networking opportunities, receiving awards, and being honoured as a fellow of the society. I was also fortunate to serve as the president of the society, which allowed me to contribute to the profession where further expanding my connections and the leadership experience.

Uduak Edet: 9:14

Okay, thank you. Let's talk a bit about teaching. What teaching method have you found most effective in engaging students in Biosystem Engineering?

Ying Cheng: 9:25

To enhance student learning, I use problem-based method or you can say case studies. to illustrate theoretical concepts through real-world examples. This approach helps the students understand complex ideas more effectively and return knowledge longer. I believe that teaching should focus on principles and concepts other than technical details, which students may forget soon after the final exam. Concepts and principles on the other hand, can stay with them for a lifetime and are often applicable across multiple subjects.

Uduak Edet: 10:12

Okay. Can you discuss the evolution of your teaching philosophy over the years?

Ying Cheng: 10:17

There are many effective teaching philosophies there that can enhance student learning. But I don't want to spend too much time. But the one important aspect, you care for students in everything you do. That's important. Over the years, this philosophy has strengthened my commitment to put the student first. I believe that teaching should be above everything, although we've got research to do. But teaching should always be the number one duty of a faculty member. So there are many examples that show care for students. For example, you thoroughly prepare each lecture. You're delivering high-quality instruction, ensuring that students have the support they need beyond the classroom, and supervising your TA in laboratory tutorial sessions, provide support to them. So all this will help maintaining high standards for student learning.

Uduak Edet: 11:25

What do you consider the most important qualities of an effective mentor?

Ying Cheng: 11:31

So for mentorship, I'm going to focus on graduate student mentoring. Over the years, my mentoring staff for graduate students has changed significantly. I think this may happen to other faculty members. When you are a young faculty member, so when I first started, I expected students to work a lot independently with a minimum of guidance because I will be busy on other things, writing grants, giving lectures. So you ask a student to produce more, but you give less time to get them. So later I realized the importance of being more approachable and and actively investing in student success. So the ability to provide the constructive feedback, it's essential quality of an effective mentor. I think all this about, it's like what I said, the teaching philosophy is care for students. In this case, care for graduate students. So a great mentor, a great mentor balances high expectation with encouragement, helping students building competence in their abilities. So more importantly, a respectful environment where students feel valued and supported. One example is I visit the lab once or twice a day to address student questions, concerns, to inquire their research progress. Not in a fashion of pushing, but guiding them. I also ensure timely feedback to review their report, papers, thesis. We within two weeks of time, no more than two weeks, I stayed there. So most times within a week, helping them to stay on track for graduation. So as a result, nearly all my graduate students have completed their program within two years for master degree and four years for PhD degree.

Uduak Edet: 13:39

Oh, that's great.

Ying Cheng: 13:40

The last point is on average, my master students publish one or two papers. PhD students publish three to four .

Uduak Edet: 13:50

Oh, that's great. Just to even follow up on this question, what advice do you give to young researchers facing challenges in their early career?

Ying Cheng: 14:02

Yes, so I have been there. I think I just recall applying for NSERC was stressful. Teaching was also stressful, but by learning, attending teaching workshop, you can catch up. So I'll be focusing on research. So first of all, you got to secure NSERC grant, discovery grant. You start with identifying the right area for NSERC. It's a research program, not a project. It's a long-term research. So the right topic is important. Secondly, besides NSERC, I would suggest to develop a secondary research area that aligns with the industry needs to attract additional funding and networking and collaboration with your colleagues, seeking guidance, mentoring from your colleagues. So you got main line of research supported by NSERC and a second line of research supported by industries. Also, don't forget, investing in graduate students is not a waste of time. They are the key driver of your productivity. You can't produce many papers without graduate students. All this to say, to be successful besides teaching well, the bottom line is maintaining research productivity. That's critical. To do so, to be competitive, to continually holding and funding you and your students, the work on publications almost every single day, advice I gave to young researchers.

Uduak Edet: 15:47

Okay. So what are the big challenges facing agricultural engineering these days?

Ying Cheng: 15:53

There are many small things like funding and industry support and so on. But I want to talk about the bigger pictures of the agricultural engineering field. When looking back in history, we see how agricultural engineering has changed the world from the evolution of tractor design, conservation, tillage. So agricultural engineering has impacted the world in enormous ways, making us so proud to call ourselves agricultural engineers. But agricultural engineering is facing the challenge of global population growth, decreasing agricultural agricultural land, climate change, and the water and the energy crisis. So, agricultural engineers must be a part of the solutions, continuing providing safe food and water for the world, and guided by the principle of conservation and sustainability.

Uduak Edet: 16:53

Thank you. What do you intend to do after retirement?

Ying Cheng: 16:57

Yeah, I'm so excited about my retirement. It's coming in 2 months. Afte retirement, I'm planning to continue supervising my current graduate students until they complete their programs. I also intend to finish and publish some research work that I started several years ago, which I have so much interest on those work. Then maybe I will write a couple of technical books. I know that's time consuming. If opportunities arise, I would love to contribute to international projects focused on conservation agriculture and sustainable mechanization. And last, not least, beyond academia, I look forward to spending more time with my family and enjoy personal hobbies like fishing, gardening, and many hobbies. I'm excited about this new chapter.

Uduak Edet: 18:05

We are happy for you as well. What would you like to say to the departments before you retire?

Ying Cheng: 18:11

That's really a good question. Thank you for asking this. I've a lot to say. As I'm preparing to retire after 28 wonderful years in this department, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone in the department who has made this journey so fulfilling it has been a privilege to be part of such a supportive and inspiring academic environment I have always felt valued and encouraged which has made my work incredibly rewarding actually, I don't want to retire it anymore. So I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the department head. Actually, many department heads in the past and the current leadership has fostered a culture of respect and academic excellence. My colleagues have been more than just peers. They are friends, a source of constant inspiration. The department office staff and technicians have been always supported in overcoming small, big obstacles along the way. Here, I don't want to mention all those support, but I just want to thank all of them making these 3 decades easy and meaningful. Lastly, while I may be retiring from my official role as a professor, but I'm excited to see how the department continues to grow in the years to come. Keep in touch.

Uduak Edet: 19:53

Thank you. And thank you so much, Dr. Ying Cheng, for sharing your time, insights, and remarkable journey with us. It's been a real honour speaking with you. As you embark on this new chapter of retirement, know that your influence would endure through the countless students, colleagues, and community you have touched, the advancements you have championed in agricultural engineering, and your unwavering commitment and passion for education.

Ying Cheng: 20:20

Thank you, Uduak for your nice words. Thank you for having me today.

Uduak Edet: 20:24

And thank you all for listening, and please stay tuned for upcoming podcasts on the University of Manitoba Resources for Agricultural Engineering, your gateway to discovering the latest innovation, research, and practical solutions in agricultural engineering.