Registration is now open for our 2026 Pecan research Workshop. Join us to learn more about advanced methods to improve pecan yield, safety, shelf-life, and overall quality!
Register for National Manufacturing Day
It's official! Registration is open for our next UGA National Manufacturing Day.
Our 2026 I UGA Manufacturing Day event featured a breakfast networking event, guided tours of our lab spaces, panelists discussing human-centric manufacturing practices, and a keynote lecture from Tom Shoupe, retired CEO and VP of Honda North America. Thank you to all who joined us for a fantastic and engaging session!
Link to College of Engineering's Photo Album
Our 2025 National Manufacturing Day Celebration included Industry Exhibitor Tables, yard games, music, networking, tours of our lab spaces, including the 53-foot Georgia AIM Mobile Studio, and an Industry Speaker and Listening Session on"Technology Integration and Workforce Development in Manufacturing."
To see workshop resources and photographs from our Fourth Annual Pecan Post-Harvest Research Workshop, please visit:
https://pecanresearch.uga.edu/index.php/2025-workshop/
UGA's Manufacturing Living Labs joined the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), in collaboration with Albany State University (ASU), SOWEGA Rising, the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Atlanta, The Vicks Estate, Farm, & Fishery, the Truist Foundation Fellowship, and The Watson Institute, is set to host the AgriTech & AI Innovation Expo at ASU’s West Campus. Held on April 22, 2025, Earth Day, the expo brought together leaders in agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced manufacturing together to shape the future of workforce development and economic growth in rural Georgia.
The AgriTech & AI Innovation Expo is designed to connect education, industry, and entrepreneurship, offering hands-on AI demonstrations, workforce development resources, and expert discussions on how automation and innovation are reshaping agriculture and manufacturing.
10.04.2024
Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Engineering are trying to crack a tough problem: extracting more high-quality meat from shelled pecans.
“Typically, 4 – 6% of all pecan meat is unusable either because it is too small or it was damaged in the shelling process,” said Jaime Camelio, a professor in the College of Engineering and the project’s principal investigator. “In the pecan world, this equates to 15-million pounds of pecans every year that are thrown away. We see similar figures in other agricultural industries and we can’t throw away food like this.”
Researchers believe real-time monitoring could improve shelling by providing producers real-time feedback on the quality of their production line’s output. Currently, it takes 24 hours for producers to determine the percentage of pecan halves rolling off their lines.
“Short term, we need to address the shelling and cracking issue,” said Beshoy Morkos, an associate professor in the College of Engineering. “Long term, we need to identify other areas of agricultural manufacturing that may be improved through intentional and strategic integration of advanced manufacturing technologies. This requires a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of the major agricultural manufacturing processes...”
