Rate My Professor Glen Rains

Glen Rains is a Professor in the Department of Entomology and Adjunct Professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia's Tifton campus. He earned a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Georgia in 1987, an M.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1989, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1992. Rains is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ohio (Registration #62280). His career trajectory includes serving as a Professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Georgia from 1998 to 2012 prior to his current role in Entomology.

Rains specializes in applying engineering science to precision agriculture and insect ecology, developing sensor technologies for detecting plant pathogens and pests via volatile compounds, monitoring changes in invertebrate foraging behavior, and advancing sustainable management practices. Notable efforts include testing apparatuses for volatile emissions from stressed plants, nano-biosensors for pre-symptomatic pathogen detection in collaboration with engineering colleagues, precision sensors for pest management, and autonomous vehicles such as the Remote Control Electric Field Rover for crop condition sensing and operations. Key publications encompass "4D Crop Monitoring: Spatio-Temporal Reconstruction for Agriculture" (Dong et al., 2017), "An Extensive Review of Mobile Agricultural Robotics for Field Operations: Focus on Cotton Harvesting" (Fue et al., 2020), "Shortwave Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging for Detecting Sour Skin (Burkholderia cepacia)-Infected Onions" (Wang et al., 2012), "Using Insect Sniffing Devices for Detection" (Rains et al., 2008), and "Nitrogen and Water Affect Direct and Indirect Plant Systemic Induced Defense in Cotton" (Olson et al., 2009). His research has garnered over 3,300 citations on Google Scholar. Rains co-directs the Georgia AgrAbility project, supporting farmers with disabilities through assistive technologies.