Kris Arvid Berglund

1955 - 2018

Kris Arvid Berglund

Okemos - Kris Berglund, father, husband, scholar and entrepreneur, passed away in Okemos, Michigan on December 13, 2018. His life work of scholarship and devotion to his children Erik and Lisa and his wife Dianne Holman will leave a lasting impact on the many people positively touched by his life's journey.

Kris was born on May 24, 1955, in Danville, Illinois and was the son of Bonnie, and Delmar Berglund. He grew up on the family farm in Rossville, IL that was homesteaded by his Swedish grandfather and grandmother. He maintained strong ties to Sweden with family and work throughout his life. As a husband and father, he was nurturing and loving, enabling his children to explore, experience and appreciate their life at home and in travels. His work as an academic inspired his daughter Lisa to follow in his footsteps as a professor. As an engineer, he encouraged his son Erik to pursue work in the sciences and develop a patent. He was a wonderful husband and friend to his wife Dianne whose life was truly enriched by his honesty, compassion, humor and intelligence. He was a kind-hearted, straight forward, genuine individual, which was evident in all that he did. His ability to foster a seemingly unlimited number of ideas and connections was unmatched, as anyone who shared an activity with him could tell you.

Kris was a University Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Food Science at MSU and Professor of Biochemical Process Engineering at Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden. He was a leading researcher in crystallization processes, alternative uses of agricultural and forest materials, and a pioneer in fermentation and distilled beverage technologies. Kris also left a lasting influence at both institutions as a teacher and entrepreneur.

Kris received his BS degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, MS from Colorado State University, and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University. Berglund became Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Chemical Engineering at MSU in 1984 and was promoted in his profession until he was awarded University Distinguished Professorship in 1998. During his MSU career, Professor Berglund was a Fulbright Scholar, and served as Director of one of the original Research Excellence Funds Centers, the Crop and Food Bioprocessing Center.

Professor Berglund was very proud of the 48 PhDs and Master's students he trained at MSU and Luleå University of Technology. In addition to guiding the careers of these young scholars, his remarkable legacy in education included teaching 21 different courses at these institutions. Kris received prestigious awards for his research and teaching abilities not only from MSU, but also Colorado State University, Iowa State University, and the University of Illinois.

As Dr. David Miller, owner of White Pines Winery, states, "Kris was the driving force behind the boutique distilling industry in Michigan and the eastern US. He worked to change the laws to legalize small distilleries…the distillation industry in our state would not exist in its present form without Kris' efforts. Professor Berglund also developed a unique series of classes at MSU to teach students fermented beverage technology and created a minor in fermented beverages at MSU that numerous students have completed. Many of Professor Berglund's former students are leaders in the wine, beer and spirits industries." Professor Berglund was fondly known as the Godfather of this State's distilling industry. In addition, since 2007, Berglund and his wife, Dianne, have been co-owners of Working Bugs LLC, a biobased chemical producer and parent company of Red Cedar Spirits, an East Lansing distillery.

Kris Berglund's wit, applied research, entrepreneurship and passion for teaching were extraordinary. He was a very special person, and will be deeply missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and the local industries he helped grow.

A celebration of Kris's life and the legacy of his work will be held for friends, family, colleagues and students on Sunday, Feb. 3 at MSU Student Union Ballroom at 4 pm.