Richard Stephen Gates

Richard Stephen Gates, 67, of Ames, Iowa, passed away peacefully in his home after a bravely fought battle with pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by loving family and friends during his last moments. A private celebration of life will be held on a later date.

Rich was born on May 1, 1956, in Plymouth, Minnesota. He was the son of the late David Stephen Gates and Margaret Byrd (Miller) Gates. He graduated from Rockford High School in 1974 and went on to study at the University of Minnesota where he received a Bachelor of Science in agricultural engineering (1978). Rich continued his education earning a master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering (1980) and doctoral degree in Biological Engineering (1984), both from Cornell University. Rich met Celia M. Osada while studying at Cornell, and they married on August 14, 1982, in Camillus, New York.

Rich’s zest for life started early on the farm in Minnesota, where he was the eldest of six children. He spent time working the farm by cultivating row crops and alfalfa, breeding pigs and Herford cattle, and running a tree farm with his mother. Alongside his siblings, Rich helped his dad in his construction business, doing everything from building homes to renovating businesses. He cherished the time spent with his siblings, enjoying activities like taking canoe rides down the nearby river, riding horses and hunting with his Weimaraner Rex. Rich did not like milking the cows (surprisingly) or biking “uphill” on the county road 116 to go to town. Years later, Rich would revisit the infamous road 116, to discover that the hill was actually a gentle rise. His most beloved childhood memory occurred at age 14, when he took part in the wagon trail that ran from Minnesota to South Dakota first with his family horse, Goldie, and a second time riding her stubborn colt Rocket whom Rich saddle broke himself. His love for horses carried on through life as he integrated them into some of his research and even saddled up for a ride during one of his many trips to China, France, and South Africa.

Rich possessed an incredible wealth of practical, applied and experimental engineering knowledge and skills. His work encompassed research, teaching, and extension, all centered on controlled environment agriculture, with an emphasis on ventilation, control systems and physiological responses of animals with their environment. He also conducted research on animal welfare, precision livestock farming, post-harvest loss, and greenhouse ventilation. Rich’s extension work specialized in applying research to address issues related to efficient livestock production, including air emissions and their mitigation, odor control and facility siting, environmental control systems, avian influenza prevention, emergency ventilation shutdown, manure management, and strategies for reducing heat stress. Notably, Rich held a patent and had developed eight different inventions in these fields, now widely adopted in the agricultural equipment industry across the U.S. and Europe.

Rich’s love for life, research and education led him on numerous international adventures during his tenure as a professor at the University of Kentucky, University of Illinois, and Iowa State University. His professional research travels included Australia, Brazil, China, South Africa, Greece, Japan, and Israel, sharing his knowledge as one of the most highly regarded agricultural engineers in the world. Of these many places, Rich particularly cherished his numerous trips to Brazil that were filled with fond memories such as farm visits, road trips, and enjoying churrasco and caipirinhas with his colleagues, friends, and students across Brazil.

Rich was a beloved professor to many, mentoring and influencing over 110 students during their journeys toward master’s and doctoral degrees, many of whom now hold positions in industry, university or government research institutions in the U.S., Brazil, China and Europe. He was a perpetual teacher at heart and a selfless mentor to all he encountered, leaving a lasting influence not only as a professor but also as a colleague and administrator – serving as chair of the University of Kentucky Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (2002 – 2007) and briefly as acting chair for the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University (2020). Rich’s extensive research portfolio included over 200 peer-reviewed publications, more than 400 presentations and invited lectures across the world, and many popular press articles.

Rich remained dedicated to his work until his final days. At the time of his passing, he held the Iowa Egg Council Endowed Professor at Iowa State University and served as the Director of the Egg Industry Center. Rich was also a professor in both the Departments of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Animal Science. He was a licensed professional engineer and a proud member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ASABE) for over 40 years, earning the prestigious ASABE fellowship in 2010. Rich had been a devoted member of the Poultry Science Association for 35+ years and a longstanding contributor to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers for 25+ years. Throughout his illustrious career, he received numerous awards, including two Presidential Citations and the Henry Giese Structures and Environment Award (ASABE), Outstanding Teacher Award (University of Kentucky), two advising awards (University of Illinois).

Rich treasured mentoring students and spending time with family and friends the most. An avid lover of the outdoors, he often traveled to visit his mother at his parents’ cabin in Minnesota and, eventually, to his sister’s ranch in Oregon. He also loved driving, smoking cheap cigars, loading and shooting, fishing, and going four wheeling across mountain tops with his family.

Rich is survived by his wife, Celia Gates of Illinois; his mother, Margaret Gates of Oregon; his brothers, John (Cathryn) Gates of Massachusetts, David Jr. (Donna) Gates of California, Will (Kerri) Gates of Australia, Ted (Linda) Gates of Michigan; his sister, Lois Gates of Oregon; his adoptive daughter, Yijie Xiong of Nebraska, and nephews Sam (fiancé Amanda) Gates of Idaho and Henry (Paige) Gates of New Jersey.

Rich is preceded in death by his father, David Gates.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorials to be directed toward the following organizations:

Egg Industry Center: http://www.foundation.iastate.edu/eic

William R. Bliss Cancer Center at Ames: https://www.mgmc.org/foundation/donate/make-a-gift/

Or cards and letters can be sent to: P.O. Box 188, 525 Kellogg Ave, Ames, IA 50010.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.StevensMemorialChapel.com for the Gates family.