Filip To has been part of the Mississippi State family for 32 years — first as a student, then as a technical support staffer, and now as a member of the faculty. After more than three decades here, the associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering still savors the opportunities each new day brings.
"I enjoy the challenges I face because they are diverse and never the same," he says. "I enjoy teaching, advising students, and seeing their 'light bulbs' glowing. I also enjoy doing research and thinking about better ways to do things. My job is never boring."
A native of Indonesia, To came to the United States for college, and ended up studying electrical engineering at Mississippi State in the early 1980s.
Today, his research is broad, ranging from agriculture to biomedical engineering. Whatever the area, To strives to make products and processes better, and frequently focuses on projects that enhance quality of life by boosting efficiency and safety.
"I like to make complicated things simple," he says.
To credits his parents and grandparents for giving him opportunities to learn as he grew up, and notes the positive difference Mississippi State professors and administrators have made in his career and life.
"You don't know how many good people touch your life and how much you are indebted to them until you are asked about them, and I thank you for asking," he tells an interviewer.
"Thinking back, I realize now that I felt like a part of Mississippi State from the first day I set foot on campus."