Ralph B. Brown, PhD., P .Eng. is awarded the 2003 CSAE/SCGR John Clark Award for his contributions to research and teaching in the area of Energy and Processing Systems. Ralph is a professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph.

After obtaining a B.Sc. (Agr.) and M.Sc. in Agriculture with specialization in crop science, Dr. Brown worked as a research associate with Dr. Lambert Otten, P.Eng., FCSAE of the School of Engineering on projects related to grain drying and energy conservation in agriculture. While working he took undergraduate engineering courses and earned a B.Sc (Eng.) in 1986. He continued his studies with a Ph.D. in engineering at Guelph in 1989. He subsequently joined the faculty of the School of Engineering at Guelph.

Ralph Brown's major research area, supported by the Ontario Corn Producers Association, is concerned with improving corn quality and developing a viable food-grade corn industry in Ontario. One of the main innovations coming from that program is "damp corn" storage technology, an area that the farm community has received with enthusiasm. He receives about $400k in research funds per year, some in conjunction with other researchers.

During his career at the University of Guelph Dr. Brown has also developed an effective research program in application technology for herbicides and pesticides. The major aim of this research is to maximize the effectiveness of the chemicals applied and to minimize effects of the application to the environment. His publications on developing viable precision weed and pest control methods are well known. In 1995 Dr. Brown organized the very successful National Conference on Pesticide Application Technology held in Guelph.