1. Discover Engineering that makes a difference
Discover Engineering with a higher purpose
Discover Engineering for life
Discover
Biological and Agricultural Engineering

2. Finding Solutions for Life on a Small Planet
World population expected to hit 9 billion by 2050
Growing world population requires more food, water, energy, goods
The problem: growing population, finite resources
Limited resources demand we do more with less, without degrading our natural world

3. Biological and Agricultural Engineers ensure growing population has the necessities for life
Safe and abundant food and water
Timber and fiber for shelter and clothing
Plentiful and renewable energy resources
A healthy environment in which to live
BAEs are a part of the solution

4. Biological and Agricultural Engineers—what do they do?
Devise practical, efficient solutions for producing, storing, transporting, processing, and packaging agricultural products
Solve problems related to systems, processes, and machines that interact with humans, plants, animals, microorganisms, and biological materials
Develop solutions for responsible, alternative uses of agricultural products, byproducts and wastes and of our natural resources - soil, water, air, and energy

5. Why Choose Biological and Agricultural Engineering?
Can’t decide whether to study math, physical sciences, or biological sciences? Bio-Ag Engineering allows you to combine them all!
Unique curriculum offers valuable experience in other engineering disciplines and prepares graduates for multi-disciplinary teams common in today’s workforce.
Unlike other engineering programs, BAE traditionally includes coursework in a variety of engineering disciplines, complemented by classes in biological and agricultural sciences. At advanced levels, BAE students then tend to choose a specialty area according to their individual interests.
Regardless of their specialty, BAE students enjoy a distinct advantage when it comes time to enter the workforce. Their well-rounded engineering experiences enable them to function exceptionally well on the multidisciplinary teams in today's workforce. And only biological and agricultural engineers have the training and experience to understand the interrelationships between technology and living systems.
Make a lasting mark on the world around you!

6. Who Employs Biological and Agricultural Engineers?
3M • Abbott Labs • AGCO • Anheuser Busch • Archer Daniels Midland • BASF • Briggs & Stratton • Campbell's Soup • Caterpillar • CH2M Hill • Case Corp • Dole • Dow Chemical • Exxon Mobil • Florida Light & Power • Ford Motor Co • General Mills • Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co • H J Heinz • John Deere • Kraft • Lockheed Martin • M & M Mars • Monsanto • Morton Buildings • NASA • New Holland • Ralston Purina • Sunkist • US Department of Agriculture • US Department of Energy • US Environmental Protection Agency 3M • Abbott Labs • AGCO • Anheuser Busch • Archer Daniels Midland • BASF • Briggs & Stratton • Campbell's Soup • Caterpillar • CH2M Hill • Case Corp • Dole • Dow Chemical • Exxon Mobil • Florida Light & Power • Ford Motor Co • General Mills • Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co • H J Heinz • John Deere • Kraft • Lockheed Martin • M & M Mars • Monsanto • Morton Buildings • NASA • New Holland • Ralston Purina • Sunkist • US Department of Agriculture • US Department of Energy • US Environmental Protection Agency 3M • Abbott Labs • AGCO • Anheuser Busch • Archer Daniels Midland • BASF • Briggs & Stratton • Campbell's Soup • Caterpillar • CH2M Hill • Case Corp • Dole • Dow Chemical • Exxon Mobil • Florida Light & Power • Ford Motor Co • General Mills • Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co • H J Heinz • John Deere • Kraft • Lockheed Martin • M & M Mars • Monsanto • Morton Buildings • NASA • New Holland • Ralston Purina • Sunkist • 3M • Abbott Labs • AGCO • Anheuser Busch • Archer Daniels Midland • BASF • Briggs & Stratton • Campbell's Soup • Caterpillar • CH2M Hill • Case Corp • Dole • Dow Chemical • Exxon Mobil • Florida Light & Power • Ford3M • Abbott Labs • AGCO • Anheuser Busch • Archer Daniels Midland • BASF • Briggs & Stratton • Campbell's Soup • Caterpillar • CH2M Hill • Case Corp • Dole • Dow Chemical • Exxon Mobil • Florida Light & Power • Ford Motor Co • General Mills • Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co • H J Heinz • John Deere • Kraft • Lockheed Martin • M & M Mars • Monsanto • Morton Buildings •
Who Employs Biological and Agricultural Engineers?
With a unique understanding of the interrelationships between technology and living systems, you’ll have a wide variety of employment options available to you!
Where do they work? Among others. . .
--equipment manufacturers (Lockheed Martin, Deere, Case)
--food producers (Kellogg, Kraft, General Mills)
--chemical and fertilizer producers (Monsanto, Dow)
--food and feed processors (Kellogg’s, Sunkist, Ralston Purina) and
--government agencies (USDA--even NASA!)
In photos, clockwise, top right: this young woman continued on to law school, now practices environmental law; BAEs improve quality of life around the globe; a power-equipment test facility; water-quality management in Hawaii.

7. Specialty Areas Food and Bioprocess Engineering
Information & Electrical Systems
Structures & Environment
Biological Engineering
Natural Resources
Energy
Forest Engineering
Aquacultural Engineering
Safety, Health , Ergonomics
Nursery & Greenhouse Engineering
Power Systems & Machinery Design
Biological and agricultural engineering embraces a variety of specialty areas. As new technology and information emerge, specialty areas are created, and many overlap with one or more other areas.

8. Biological Engineering
Applying engineering practice to problems and opportunities presented by living things and the environment
Pest control
Hazardous waste treatment
Environmental protection
Bioinstrumentation
Bioimaging
Medical implants and devices
Plant-based pharmaceuticals and packaging materials
One of the most rapidly growing of the BAE specialties, biological engineering applies engineering practice to problems and opportunities presented by living things and the natural environment.
Biological engineers are involved in a variety of exciting interests that continue to emerge as our understanding of science and nature grows.
Areas of interest range from environmental protection and remediation, to food and feed production, to medicine and plant-based phamaceuticals and packaging materials.
Some BAEs with expertise in biological engineering design medical implants and other devices, or bioinstrumentation and imaging products.
Others develop strategies for natural pest control and treatment of hazardous wastes, for composting, and for enzyme processing of biomass, food, feed, and wastes.

9. Natural Resources
Improving conservation by understanding the complex mechanics of soil and water
Wetlands protection
Water control structures: dams, reservoirs, floodways
Drainage
Erosion control
Pesticide and nutrient runoff
Crop water requirements
Water treatment systems
Irrigation
Our environment is fragile. The 1930s Dust Bowl and climatic events like the El Nino phenomenon remind us that our soil and water are vulnerable to natural and man-made forces.
BAEs work to better understand the complex mechanics of these resources, so that they can be used efficiently and without degradation.

10. Food and Process Engineering
Using microbiological processes to develop useful products, treat municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes, and improve food safety
Packaging, storage, transportation of perishable products
Pasteurization, sterilization, irradiation techniques
Food processing techniques & technologies
Biomass fuels
Nutraceuticals, phamaceuticals
Biodegradable packaging materials
Food, fiber, and timber are only the beginning of a long list of products that benefit from efficient use of our natural resources. The list is growing and is limited only by the creative vision of food and bioprocess engineers. These engineers understand microbiological processes and use this expertise to develop useful products, to treat municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes, and to improve food safety.
They work with industry to develop economical and responsible manufacturing methods. And they look for ways to reduce waste by devising alternatives for treatment, disposal and utilization.

11. Electrical Technologies
Information &
Electrical Technologies
Perhaps the most versatile specialty area, it’s applied to virtually all others
Global positioning systems
Machine instrumentation and controls
Data acquisition and “Bioinformatics”—biorobotics, machine vision, sensors, spectroscopy
Electromagnetics
Opportunities for BAEs with an interest in electrical and electronic technologies are endless: soil and water quality testing, food quality and safety, grain handling, machinery design, electrical power generation. . .

12. Structures & Environment
Engineering a healthy environment for living things
Animal housing
Grain storage
Waste storage, recovery, reuse, transport
Climate, ventilation, disease control systems
BAEs understand the importance of creating and maintaining a healthy environment for growing agricultural commodities and for the laborers who produce them.
Expertise applied to animal housing, agricultural storage structures, and greenhouses (ventilation systems, temperature and humidity controls, and structural strength).
Expertise also used in devising practices and systems for storing, recovering, reusing, and transporting waste products.

13. Power Systems & Machinery Design
Improving efficiency and conservation in agricultural, food, and biological systems
Agricultural tractors, combines, implements, and transportation equipment
Turf and landscape equipment
Equipment for special crops
Irrigation equipment
Farmstead equipment
Food processing equipment
The profession evolved out of efforts to bring power to the farm and to reduce the backbreaking drudgery of farming. BAEs designing today’s power equipment are making it more efficient and less demanding of our natural resources.
Also: equipment for food processing, highly precise crop spraying, agricultural commodity and waste transport, and turf and landscape maintenance, as well as equipment for such specialized tasks as removing seaweed from beaches and cranberry harvesting (shown in slide).
Their work remains challenging as technology advances, production practices change and equipment manufacturers expand globally. (Note: many countries outside North America and Western Europe have yet to replace ‘beasts of burden’ with power machinery—so there is still much to be done worldwide.)

14. Energy
Developing renewable energy sources, devising energy conservation strategies to reduce costs and protect the environment
Devising new ways of meeting the energy needs of agriculture
Meeting the energy needs of the general population by using agricultural products and by-products
Biomass, methane, vegetable oils
Wind and solar energy
Our high standard of living and comfort is a result of the numerous machines, devices, and systems in our homes and workplaces. These require energy, but many energy sources are nonrenewable and create undesirable byproducts. BAEs are helping develop
--renewable energy sources
--energy conservation strategies to reduce costs and protect the environment,
--improvements in traditional and alternative systems for more efficient on-farm energy sources.

15. Aquacultural Engineering
Preserving our natural fish populations and habitats through improved aquacultural practices.
System design for fish farms
Water quality, machinery, feeding, ventilation
Pollution reduction and water conservation
Ecological reuse or disposal of waste
Product harvesting, sorting and processing
The demand for aquacultural engineering is increasing as natural fish supplies are threatened. BAEs
--Help design farm systems for raising fish and shellfish, also ornamental and bait fish.
--Specialize in water quality, biotechnology, machinery, natural resources, feeding and ventilation systems, and sanitation.
--Look for ways to reduce pollution from aquacultural discharges, to reduce excess water use, and to improve farm systems.

16. Nursery & Greenhouse Engineering
A microcosm of large-scale production agriculture, with similar needs
Irrigation, mechanization
Disease and pest control
Temperature, humidity, ventilation control
Plant biology: tissue culture, seedling propagation, hydroponics
In many ways, nursery and greenhouse operations needs are similar to those of large-scale production agriculture—irrigation, mechanization, disease and pest control, and nutrient application.
In addition, nurseries require equipment for transplantation; control systems for temperature, humidity, and ventilation; and plant biology issues, such as hydroponics, tissue culture, and seedling propagation methods.
Interesting fact: BAEs at NASA are designing greenhouse systems to support a manned expedition to Mars!

17. Forestry Machine-soil interaction and erosion control
Applying engineering principles to forestry management and conservation
Machine-soil interaction and erosion control
Operations analysis and improvement
Equipment design
Wood product design
Access systems design and construction
Engineering skills and expertise are needed to address problems related to:
--equipment design and manufacturing;
--forest access systems design and construction;
--machine-soil interaction and erosion control;
--forest operations analysis and improvement;
--decision modeling; and
--wood product design and manufacturing.

18. Safety, Health and Ergonomics
Making agriculture safer, more efficient, and more economical
Compile and analyze health and injury data
Standardize equipment for component compatibility
Encourage safe use of machinery, equipment, and materials through better design and better communication
Farming is one of the few industries in which entire families—who often share the work and live on the premises—are vested and are at risk for injuries, illness, and death. BAEs constantly look for ways to improve materials, equipment, and agricultural practices. They do this by
--analyzing health and injury data,
--helping identify safer, more efficient ways of accomplishing tasks
--studying the use and possible misuse of machines, and equipment compliance with standards and regulations
--educating the public about safe practices

19. Preparing for a College Career in Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Math
Science—especially life sciences
Writing and Speaking—to communicate clearly and to “sell” your ideas
As with any engineering discipline, take as many math and science courses as you can in high school, including life sciences. Take writing and speech courses: every engineer must be able to communicate effectively—write, speak, listen and persuade.

20. Arkansas State, Auburn, Cal Poly State, California State University, Clemson, Colorado State, Cornell, Dalhousie, Florida A&M, Fort Valley State, Iowa State,, Kansas State, Louisiana State, McGill, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Montana State, New Mexico State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina State, North Carolina State, North Dakota State, Nova Scotia Agr College, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Penn State, Purdue, RAFA, Rutgers, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, SUNY CESF, Tennessee Tech, Texas A&M, College Dublin, Laval, University of Alberta, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of British Columbia, University of California Davis, University of Connecticut, University of Delaware, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Guelph, University of Hawaii, University of Idaho, University of Illinois, University of Kentucky, University of Maine, University of Manitoba, University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska, University of Puerto Rico, University of Saskatchewan, University of Tennessee, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin–River Falls, Utah State, Virginia Polytechnic Inst & State, Virginia Tech, Washington State, Arkansas State, Auburn, Cal Poly State, California State University, Clemson, Colorado State, Cornell, Dalhousie, Florida A&M, Fort Valley State, Iowa State,, Kansas State, Louisiana State, McGill, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Montana State, New Mexico State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina State, North Carolina State, North Dakota State, Nova Scotia Agr College, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Penn State, Purdue, RAFA, Rutgers, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, SUNY CESF, Tennessee Tech, Texas A&M, College Dublin, Laval, University of Alberta, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of British Columbia, University of California Davis, University of Connecticut, University of Delaware, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Guelph, University of Hawaii, University of Idaho, University of Illinois, University of Kentucky, University of Maine, University of Manitoba, University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska, University of Puerto Rico, University of Saskatchewan, University of Tennessee, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin–River Falls, Utah State, Virginia Polytechnic Inst & State, Virginia Tech, Washington State,
“I found biological and agricultural engineering to be a challenging field of study and very different from the typical engineering fields. And, I have the chance to work in an industry that affects everyone in the world!”
“Other university departments are so big and impersonal, but my faculty took time to get to know me and help me grow, personally as well as academically. There is a real sense of community in this major.”
IMPORTANT: Known by a variety of names: agricultural and biological engineering, biological systems engineering, bioresource engineering. “Bio” reflects the increased emphasis on biological sciences in the discipline.
Cliché but true: BAE programs pride themselves on being close-knit communities—’like a family.’
Most programs in U.S. are found at ‘Land Grant’ Universities—institutions established in the mid-19th century for the specific purpose of encouraging progress in the growing country.
“My studies prepared me for the job market by exposing me to many different experiences and scenarios that come across in work.”

21. www.asabe.org Safe and abundant food and water
A health environment in which to live
Timber and fiber for shelter and clothing
Plentiful and renewable energy resources
Visit the website for additional information