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Billy G. Ram

Billy G. Ram, Assistant Professor

Precision Agriculture

Dr. Billy Graham Ram joined the Department of Agricultural Systems and Education as an Assistant Professor of Precision Agriculture at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Fall 2025. He earned his Ph.D. in Precision Agriculture from North Dakota State University, where his research focused on weed and disease detection using hyperspectral imaging. Trained as an engineer, Dr. Ram’s work emphasizes the integration of sensing technologies, automation, and site-specific management practices. He believes that the next five years will bring significant advances in agricultural automation and data-driven decision-making to support more sustainable and efficient farming systems.
Billy G. Ram Agricultural Building, Room
158-B
618-453-2328
billy.ram@siu.edu

Special Interests:

Dr. Ram’s research focuses on applying cutting-edge technology to advance site-specific applications in agriculture. His work includes the use of sensors for remote and proximal sensing (RGB, multispectral, hyperspectral, and LiDAR), unmanned aerial and ground platforms for mapping, visualization, and field-based actuations, artificial intelligence for plant-focused modeling, and robotics for agricultural automation. In the past, he has started and co-advised robotics clubs for the ASABE robotics competition.

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering (Precision Agriculture), North Dakota State
    University, North Dakota, USA, 2024
  • M.Tech. in Irrigation & Drainage (Remote Sensing), Sam Higginbottom University of
    Agricultural, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), India, 2020
  • B.Tech. in Agricultural Engineering, SHUATS, India, 2017

 

Courses:

Fall courses:

  • AGSE 373: Precision Agricultural Equipment
  • AGSE 318: Computers in Agriculture (odd years)
  • AGSE 471: Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) (even years)

Spring courses:

  • AGSE 472: Introduction to Precision Agriculture
  • AGSE 463: Electronics in Agriculture (odd years)
  • AGSE 478: Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture (even years)

Social Media:

Affiliations:

  • American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
  • International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA)
  • Association of Agricultural, Biological, and Food Engineers of Indian Origin

Professional Service:

  • Computers and Electronics in Agriculture (Reviewer)
  • Journal of Agricultural and Food Research (Reviewer)
  • Journal of the ASABE (Reviewer)
  • Data in Brief (Editor)