Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Chair's Message
Biological Systems Engineering is the biology-based engineering discipline that integrates life sciences with engineering in the advancement and application of fundamental concepts of biological systems from molecular to ecosystem levels. Within this discipline (also called biological engineering), our faculty emphasize a range of research areas including agricultural production/natural resources, biotechnology engineering, and food engineering.
The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering is recognized as the leading one of its kind in the western United States and is consistently viewed as one of the top biological/agricultural engineering departments in the world. As you browse the descriptions of our various programs, you will notice a common theme in all our missions: integration of engineering with biology, or the application of engineering principles to biological systems.
Our department enjoys the unique status of belonging to the College of Engineering and to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. In this environment, where collaboration is the rule, we interact with colleagues in engineering and in biological sciences to create multidisciplinary approaches to our teaching and research.
Our ABET-accredited undergraduate major in Biological Systems Engineering brings together courses in biology and engineering. There is increasing demand for engineers who understand living systems and can create equipment, processes, and systems to produce and use biological materials. Our graduate program offers four degrees. The Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees prepare students for research in engineering. Programs for the Master of Engineering (M.E.) and Doctor of Engineering (D.E.) emphasize design, analysis, economics, and management for the professional engineer. The department offers two undergraduate minors in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Geographic Information Systems and Precision Agriculture. The department also offers three minors in the College of Engineering: Energy Efficiency, Energy Policy, and Energy Science and Technology.
In research, we enjoy the strategic advantage of being located in California, which leads the nation in agricultural production and in the diversity of its crops, and is a center of biotechnology and bioenergy. Current research projects are described in the research section of this web site. If you desire additional information or answers to questions, our faculty and staff will be pleased to respond.
Raul Piedrahita, Department Chair