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Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Agricultural Systems Management (B.S.Ag.L.S.)

Biological and Agricultural Engineering (B.S.B.A.E.)

Agricultural Systems Management Minor

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Graduate Degree Programs

Thomas F. Hess, Interim Dept. Head (421 Engineering/Physics Bldg. 83844-0904; phone 208/885-6182; fax 208/885-7908; baengr@uidaho.edu; www.agls.uidaho.edu/bae). Faculty: Richard G. Allen, Jan Boll, Erin Brooks, Lide Chen, Brian He, Marvin Heimgartner, Thomas J. Karsky, Jack M. McHargue, W. Howard Neibling, Russell J. Qualls, Jae Ryu, Dev S. Shrestha, Robert W. Smith, Barbara C. Williams, Jon Van Gerpen.

The departmental mission is teaching, research, and extension to produce sustainable solutions for engineering and technological management problems in agriculture, environment, biotechnology, and natural resources through application and integration of the biological, chemical and physical sciences. The department's teaching program includes degree programs in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, which are offered through the College of Engineering, and in Agricultural and Life Sciences – Agricultural Systems Management, offered through the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The graduate program in biological and agricultural engineering is offered through the College of Graduate Studies. The educational objectives for the B.S. degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering are:

  1. Learn and Integrate: Graduates will be proficient engineering problem solvers capable of identifying, formulating, and solving engineering problems by applying their knowledge of mathematics, engineering, and appropriate biological, chemical, natural resources and/or agricultural topics.
  2. Think and create: Graduates will be effective engineers who can apply their skills to design systems, components, and processes to solve engineering problems for an ever-changing world.
  3. Communicate: Graduates will be effective written and verbal communicators, and productive team members.
  4. Clarify purpose and perspective: Graduates will have a strong professional identity with a keen awareness of their professional and ethical responsibility, and practice lifelong learning.
  5. Practice Citizenship: Graduates will design for advancement and sustainability of their local, national and global communities protecting human health and safety, and practicing environmental stewardship.

The Biological and Agricultural Engineering curriculum is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, ph. 410-347-7700. Students in this program are eligible to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination prior to graduation and to become registered professional engineers after graduating and completing an experience requirement.

The five engineering options in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering program provide each student the opportunity to pursue a course of study suited to a particular professional engineering career goal.

Agricultural Engineering is the curriculum that bridges between two fields of applied science – engineering and agriculture. It is oriented to the design and control of equipment and systems for production, processing, and transportation of food, feed, natural raw fiber, and forest products and for the effective use of natural resources. Agricultural engineers have the education and interests that make them uniquely capable of developing engineering solutions for agricultural and biological systems.

The agricultural engineering program at the UI is designed to prepare students for a variety of interesting and rewarding careers. Many graduates are employed as design or development engineers by equipment manufacturers, irrigation companies, trade associations, engineering consulting firms, and governmental agencies. Others are self-employed in farm equipment manufacturing, consulting firms, and other engineering-related enterprises.

Bioenergy Engineering prepares students for careers within traditional food processing industries and for emerging careers in bioprocess industries including bioenergy and biofuels such as the ethanol and biodiesel industries. The program is designed to develop engineering expertise in the area of applied biotechnology in such areas as waste treatment, biomass to energy production, industrial biological processes and/or molecular biology as related to engineered applications of biotechnology. The goal is the application of the science to real-world problems through more engineering input.

Graduates are prepared for work with private industry, consulting firms, state and federal agencies on projects related to bioprocess development, energy conservation, testing, evaluation and application of new food, industrial and fuel projects.

BAE has an internationally recognized program in biofuels, especially biodiesel. Faculty play a significant role in biofuel development and demonstration and cooperates regularly with the University of Idaho National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology. The Food and Bioprocessing program works cooperatively with the Food Science and Toxicology programs at both the University of Idaho and Washington State University.

Biological Systems Engineering is an undergraduate curriculum designed to prepare students to solve technological problems in systems that involve plants, animals, microorganisms, and biological materials. They produce creative and effective solutions to problems in the environment, our food supply, and the interaction of living organisms in a biologically complex, interconnected and changing world. The program can be designed to prepare the student for advanced biomedical or environmental engineering studies.

A broader emphasis in biology and chemistry is made within this curriculum compared to other engineering disciplines. Depending on their electives, graduates in biological systems engineering have opportunities to work with consulting and industrial firms in design, environmental control and monitoring, non-point source pollution abatement, bioremediation, hydrology and water quality control. They may also work with food processing industries in storage, product development and quality control. Other options include governmental agencies in water resources, environmental quality, and environmental protection. This program is often used as a pre-biomedical program to prepare students for graduate studies in the biomedical profession.

Ecohydrological Engineering is an undergraduate engineering program designed to prepare students to solve technological problems at the farm and watershed scale of practical importance to the western United States. Topics include soil and water engineering, water use, water conservation, watershed engineering, nonpoint source pollution, water quality, soil conservation, stream restoration, riparian buffer design, irrigation and drainage, water management, and soil-plant-water relationships.

The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering is a major player in the water issues facing the state of Idaho. Faculty are involved in the Snake River Plain aquifer issues including modeling efforts directed toward the Snake River Aquifer and water use issues. They are involved with research related to water management, irrigation, and crop water response. BAE has an internationally recognized program in remote sensing related to evapotranspiration and crop water response. They have programs related to nanoparticle transport and the mobility of small particles, especially the transport of constituents sorbed onto clay particles or humic acid molecules. The department conducts studies related to watershed management, and hydrologic modeling of small watersheds for erosion prediction. BAE is the home of the Idaho State Climatologist who also does research using remotely sensed surface temperature data and other phenomena related to water and energy exchange between the land surface and the atmosphere for use in weather and climate prediction.

Environmental Engineering focuses on the design and management of systems that use or impact natural resources. Study in this program prepares engineers to work in natural resource conservation and environmental quality enhancement. Environmental Engineers are uniquely prepared to address issues related to surface water hydrology, groundwater hydrology, sediment transport, water quality, chemical rate and transport determination, waste management, reclamation of disturbed lands, site remediation and drainage. Applications include water quality studies of lakes, rivers and groundwater, system design and management, waste treatment, management of air quality inside buildings and outside, remediation of land damaged by construction, mining, or other activity.

Graduates in environmental engineering work with state and federal agencies, consulting firms and private companies on projects related to environmental engineering design, permitting, waste management, pollution abatement, bioremediation, and hydrology. They may also be employed by processing industries in quality control, waste management, and in projects related to other environmental issues.

Agricultural Systems Management emphasizes the use and management of equipment and systems based on an understanding of their design and operation. Agricultural systems management courses are designed to provide students with experience in systems technology and analysis of agricultural equipment and machinery applications, feed and food processing, agricultural electrification, soil and water management, waste management, agricultural systems, and fabrication practices for agricultural and natural resource-based enterprises.

The undergraduate degree program in agricultural systems management (B.S.Ag.L.S.) is designed to prepare students to apply biological, physical, mechanical, and business knowledge to the production, service, sales, application, and management of the equipment and processes used in agriculture. The curriculum stresses courses in agriculture, agricultural systems management, and basic and applied sciences. It also includes a strong background in agricultural economics, accounting, and business. It prepares students for a variety of important and rewarding career opportunities. Many graduates return to farming, while others pursue careers as farm managers or are employed in agricultural and natural resource-oriented businesses, banking firms, educational institutions, or governmental agencies. This curriculum is recognized by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. The educational objectives in Agricultural Systems Management are:

  1. The graduate can communicate in writing and orally to clientele and the public about solutions to agricultural technology and management problems.
  2. The graduate has mechanical skills needed to develop, construct, alter and repair agricultural equipment systems.
  3. The graduate has knowledge in business, and in physical and biological sciences for application to system and technology development to creatively solve agricultural problems.
  4. The graduate has computer skills that can be used in the analysis and development of agricultural systems.
  5. The graduate has mathematical skills to quantify physical and biological processes in agriculture.
  6. The graduate has a social science and humanities background to provide sensitivity for the concerns of society and appreciate different points of view.

The agricultural systems management courses are also available to nonmajors interested in obtaining an understanding of the technology used in modern agricultural production systems. A minor in agricultural systems management can be used to support degree programs in other departments.

Graduate study is offered in biological and agricultural engineering with specialization in irrigation, water and chemical management, hydrology, soil and water conservation, subsurface water and chemical transport modeling, and climate modeling; alternative fuels and lubricants; harvesting and handling food and bioproduct processing of agricultural crops; off-road vehicle development, instrumentation and control; equipment design and development; and bioremediation and organic waste management and treatment. The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are primarily research degrees. Prospective students should have the equivalent of a B.S. degree in engineering and must have a working knowledge of computers including mainframe and microcomputers, structured programming, and electronic spreadsheets.

Assessment of departmental objectives is accomplished by monitoring performance of students on the Fundamentals of Engineering examination and by student interviews. All graduates are interviewed at the time of graduation by the department to evaluate concerns, opportunities, and effectiveness of its educational programs. The assessment statistics can be obtained from the departmental office.

Courses

See course description section for courses in Agricultural Systems Management (ASM) and Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE).