Deepak R. Keshwani

Photo of Dr Deepak Keshwani

Contact Information:

East Campus (Lincoln)
222 L.W. Chase Hall
402-472-6714
dkeshwani2@unl.edu
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Professional Memberships:


Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Faculty Fellow
Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute Faculty Fellow

Academic Degrees

  • Ph.D., Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, 2009
  • M.S., Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2004
  • B.S., Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2002

Certifications

  • Ph.D.

Appointment

  • 75% Teaching
  • 25% Research

Areas of Research and Professional Interest

  • Bioprocess and biosystems modeling and optimization
  • Design of serious educational video games 
  • Student success and retention

Teaching Interests

  • First-year and capstone courses
  • Processing and handling of agricultural and biological materials
  • Fundamentals of food and bioprocess engineering
  • Sustainability in agricultural and biological engineering
  • Engineering ethics 

Inventions/Patents

System for optimizing fed-batch hydrolysis of biomass (US Patent 10,501,766)

In the News

Oct 13, 2023: Engage, train ag's future leaders with ‘Serious Education Games'

Sep 20, 2023: NU system names 2023-25 fellows for leadership development program

Apr 6, 2023: IANR awards Cultivate ACCESS with Innovation Team Award

About Deepak R. Keshwani

Deepak Keshwani is an Associate Professor of Biological Systems Engineering. He also serves as a Faculty Fellow for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute. 

In addition to teaching and advising both undergraduate and graduate students, Deepak coordinates the Justin Smith Morrill Scholars, a campus-wide, co-curricular program focused on civic engagement and critical societal issues in food, agriculture, and natural resource systems. He also mentors the AGfutures learning community in leadership, service, and civic engagement.

Deepak's scholarly interests are in the areas of bioprocess and biosystems modeling. His research efforts currently include integrated systems modeling related to the Food-Energy-Water Nexus with a focus on Nebraska’s agricultural systems and biofuel industries. He also utilizes this integrated models to develop immersive educational video games. He is also engaged in scholarly work in the area of student success and retention. In January, 2020, he was invited to co-lead a sesssion on Faculty-Staff partnership models for student success at the National First-year Experience Conference. In 2021, he was named a 3-year UNL Fellow for the PASS (Promoting At-Promise Student Success) Program, a Partnership between Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Nebraska, and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation

He earned his Ph.D. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State University; his M.S. in Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and his B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Honors and Awards

  • 2023 James V. Griesen Exemplary Service to Students Award, University of Nebraska
  • 2023 Inductee, the Honor Society of Agriculture, Gamma Sigma Delta
  • 2022 Omtvedt Innovation Award for Teams (Cultivate ACCESS), Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska
  • 2021 Outstanding Young Alumni, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, NC State University
  • 2019 L.K. Crowe Undergraduate Advising Award, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska
  • 2019  A.W. Farrell Young Educator Award, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
  • 2017 IANR Omtvedt Innovation Award for Teaching, University of Nebraska
  • LEAD-21 Fellow (Class 12: 2016-17)
  • 2016 Holling Family Master Teacher Award, University of Nebraska
  • 2016 College of Engineering Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Nebraska
  • 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 Certificates of Recognition for Contribution to Students, UNL Teaching Council and UNL Parents Association
  • 2014 Holling Family Junior Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence in Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • 2014 CASNR Week Superior Advising Award
  • 2013 Presidential Citation, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
  • 2012 Henry Y. Kleinkauf Family Distinguished New Faculty Teaching Award, College of Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Funding

  1. 4-H Foundation. Developing a Food Systems Market Dynamics Game based on Scientific Data and Modeling. 08/01/2022 - 07/31/2023. Amount: $55,000. PI Keshwani, D (100%)
  2. National Science Foundation. Immersive Educational Gane Simulations to Enhance Understanding of Corn-Water-Ethanol-Beef System Nexus. 10/01/2016-08/30/2022. Amount: $999,644. PI: Keshwani, D. (32.5%) Co-PIs: Subbiah, J. (12.5%), Keshwani, J. (22.5%), Koelsh R. (12.5%), Rosenbaum D. (10%), Thompson E. (10%). WBS number: 2563210333001
  3. National Pork Board. Assessing the effects of farrowing crate design and mothering phenotype on pre-weaning piglet survival and performance using imaging technologies. 06/01/2019 - 05/31/2021, Amount: $439,110. PI: Brown-Brandl, T. (34%), Co-PIs: Keshwani, D. (22%), Shi, Yeyin (22%), Stowell, R (22%). 
  4. USDA Higher Education Challenge Program. Excellence in Education for Food, Energy, and Water (E2FEW). 05/01/2017- 05/14/2021. Amount: $150,000. PI: Forbes, C. (33%) Co-PIs: Dauer, J (31%), Heng-Moss T (5%), Keshwani, D. (31%).
  5. USDA NIFA Women and Minorities in STEM (WAMS) program. Cultivating ACCESS: Agricultural Career Communities to Empower Students in STEM. 09/01/2017 - 08/31/2021. Amount: $94,387. PI: Keshwani, J. (20%), Co-PIs: Bray-Obermeyer, J. (20%), Everhart, S. (20%), Keshwani, D.R. (20%), Sandall, S. (20%). 

Selected Publications

  1. Keshwani, D., Keshwani, J., and Lima, M. 2024. The role of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. In Agricultural and Biological/Biosystems/Bioresources Engineering Education: Global Perspectives and Current Practices. ed. U. L. Opara, Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press (Accepted - In Press)
  2. Han, H., & Palala, H., & Keshwani, J., & Keshwani, D. R. (2023, June), Community Building through Technology in a Biological Systems Engineering Course Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2—43245 https://peer.asee.org/43245 
  3. Brown, J.B., Fudolig, M., Brown-Brandl, T., and Keshwani, D.R. 2023. Impacts on Teamwork Performance for an Engineering Capstone in Emergency Remote Teaching. Journal of the ASABE 66(2): 263-274 (doi: 10.13031/ja.15265)
  4. Calderon-Ambelis, H. and Keshwani, D.R. 2022. Sources of Variability and Uncertainty in Food-Energy-Water Nexus Systems. Journal of the ASABE. 65(6): 1191-1199 (doi: 10.13031/ja.15170)
  5. Ingram, E., & Keshwani, J., & Keshwani, D., & Lunn, C., & Binfield, J. (2022, August), Prairie Protector: Systems thinking and STEM-informed decision-making in agroecosystems through game-based learning. Proceedings of the 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. https://peer.asee.org/40545 
  6. Monhollon, E. and Keshwani, D.R. 2021. Leveraging Crop Budgets to Assess the Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Operations. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 37(4):573-582) (doi: 10.13031/aea.14453) 
  7. Rice, N. C., & Keshwani, J., & Keshwani, D. R. (2020, June), Role of Agricultural Simulation Games to Promote Youth-Adult Discussions Related to Agricultural Sustainability. Proceedings of the 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35167
  8. Argo, E.; & Keshwani, D.R. Techno-Economic Implications of Fed-Batch Enzymatic Hydrolysis. Processes 2019, 7, 847. (https://doi.org/10.3390/pr7110847) 
  9. Keshwani, D. R., & Keshwani, J. (2019, June), Understanding Student Successes, Challenges, and Perceptions of Community. Proceedings of the 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. https://peer.asee.org/33660 
  10. Anderson, R., Keshwani, D. R., Guru, A., Yang, H., Irmak, S., Subbiah, J. 2018. An integrated modeling framework for crop and biofuel systems using DSSAT and GREET models. Environmental Modelling and Software. 108:40-50 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.07.004) 
  11. Rice, N. C., Guru, A., Keeler, C. N., Keshwani, D. R., & Keshwani, J. (2018). Comparison of Game-based Learning and Traditional Lecture Approaches to Improve Student Engagement and Knowledge Transfer in STEM Education. Proceedings of the 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Salt Lake City, Utah. https://peer.asee.org/30209
  12. Keshwani, D. R., Anderson, R. D., Keshwani, J., Subbiah, J., Guru, A., & Rice, N. C. (2017). Educational Immersive Simulation Game Design to Enhance Understanding of Corn-Water-Ethanol-Beef System Nexus. Proceedings of the 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. https://peer.asee.org/28198
  13. Tai, C., D.R. Keshwani, Voltan, D., Meyer, G. E., Kuhar, P. 2016. Fuzzy Logic Feedback Control for Fed-batch Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering. 39 (6):937-44
  14.  Igathinathane, C., Tumuluru, J. S., Keshwani, D., Schmer, M., Archer, D., Liebig, M., Halvorson, Hendrickson, J., and Kronberg, S. 2016. Biomass bale stack and field outlet locations assessment for efficient infield logistics. Biomass and Bioenergy, 91: 217-226.
  15. Tai, C., D.R. Keshwani, D.S. Voltan, P.S. Kuhar, and A.J. Engel. 2015. Optimal control strategy for fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass based on epidemic modeling. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 112(7): 1097-0290
  16. Tai, C., Arellano, M.G., D.R. Keshwani. 2014. Epidemic based modeling of enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. Biotechnology Progress. 30(5): 1021-1028
  17. Igathinathane, C., Archer, D., Gustafson, C., Schmer, M., Hendrickson, J., Kronberg, S., Keshwani, D., Backer, L., Hellevang, K. and Faller, T. 2014. Biomass Round Bales Infield Aggregation Logistics Scenarios. Biomass and Bioenergy. 66:12-26
  18. Tai, C., D.R. Keshwani. 2014. Enzyme adsorption and cellulose conversion during hydrolysis of dilute acid pretreated corn stover. Energy and Fuels. 28: 1956–1961
  19. Tai, C., D.R. Keshwani. 2014. Impact of Pretreatment with Dilute Sulfuric Acid Under Moderate Temperature on Hydrolysis of Corn Stover with Two Enzyme Systems. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 172 (5): 2628-2639

Recent Presentations

 

  1. Calderson-Ambelis, H., and Keshwani D. 2022. The value of circularity for a corn‐based ethanol biorefinery. 2022 ASABE Annual International Meeting. July 17-20, 2022, Houston, USA
  2. reFEWSing to give-up: Reflections on a multi-year effort to develop research-based educational video games on Corn-Water-Ethanol-Beef Nexus. Invited Plenary Panel. 2022 NSF INFEWS Workshop organized by Princeton University, Feb 10th, 2022 (Virtual)
  3. Frerichs, N., Keshwani, D. 2020. Designing Effective Faculty-Staff Partnership Models. 39th Annual Conference on First-Year Experience. February 21-24, 2020, Washington D.C., USA.
  4. Monhollon, L.1, and Keshwani, D. 2020. A framework for incorporating spatial variability into LCAs of agricultural systems. 2020 American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) Virtual Conference.
  5. Anderson, R., Keshwani, D, Guru, A., Subbiah, J. 2018. An integrated modeling framework for corn, ethanol, and beef systems using service-oriented architecture. 2018 ASABE Annual International Meeting.   July 29-Aug 1, 2018, Detroit, USA
  6. Mabie, D., Curtis, E., Keshwani, D. 2018. Analysis of math competencies in a general physics course for agricultural science majors to identify at risk populations. 2018 ASABE Annual International Meeting. July 29-Aug 1 2018, Detroit, MI
  7. Keshwani, D., Boesen, B., Quinlan, M., Wahlquist, P. 2018. The Nebraska Hayseed Project: A transdisciplinary teaching initiative linking agriculture, performing arts, and oral history, July 29-Aug 1 2018, Detroit, MI.
  8. Emanuel, E.1, Keshwani D.R. 2017. Techno-economic implications of fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis for cellulosic ethanol production. 2017 ASABE Annual International Meeting. July 2017, Spokane, WA.
  9. Anderson, R.1, Guru, A., Keshwani, D.R., Subbiah J. 2017. Developing an integrated model for the Corn-Water-Ethanol-Beef Nexus System. 2017 ASABE Annual International Meeting. July 2017, Spokane, WA
  10. Keshwani, J., Keshwani, D.R., Curtis, E. 2017. Student Identification of Challenges and Success in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. 2017 ASABE Annual International Meeting. July 2017, Spokane, WA.