Leslie L Christianson

Education

• B.S., South Dakota State University, 1974
• M.S., South Dakota State University, 1976
• Ph.D., University of Missouri, 1978

Biography

Dr. Les Christianson attended South Dakota State University and received a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1974 and a master's degree in 1976. He then attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, where he received his Ph.D. in the same subject. While earning his Ph.D., Christianson served as an instructor at the University of Missouri from 1976 until his graduation in 1978. He then took a position as an Assistant Professor in the College of Engineering at South Dakota State University. He remained at South Dakota until October of 1985, moving into the position of Associate Professor and serving as Associate Dean of the College. In October of 1985, Christianson joined the faculty of the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Illinois as an Associate Professor. He later served as Professor in the Department as well as in the Bioengineering Department of the College of Engineering. In 1982, he became the Director of the Bioenvironmental Engineering Research Laboratory. Throughout his engineering career, Christianson has worked as an engineering consultant and has been the co-owner of a number of businesses, including the Illinois Technology Center; Plastic Designs, Inc.; Green Valley Manufacturing; WorldWide BioEnergy; and Skyview Farms, where he owns and manages 240 acres of farmland and raises dairy steers and purebred sheep. Christianson has been a member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers since 1971 and a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers since 1972. He has served on the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council. Christianson was given the Teaching Excellence Award from the Department in 1987 and 1991; the Stanley H. Pierce Award from the College of Engineering in 1989, and the Andersen Consulting Award for Excellence in Advising from the College of Engineering in 1989, 1990 and 1991.

Research Interests

• Biological responses to microenvironments
• Ventilation effectiveness
• Indoor air quality
• Heat and mass transfers within rooms
• Room air and contaminant measurement