Biological & Agricultural Engineering Options & Careers

 BAE’s goals are to train graduates to apply their technical expertise in solving engineering problems and in designing components, systems, and processes. Graduates are familiar with appropriate inorganic and organic chemistry, biochemistry, and biological science topics. Biological and agricultural engineers understand the interrelationships between technology and living systems—talents needed for a wide variety of current and future engineering employment positions.

Check out these Engineering Options:

 

Soil & Water Engineering Option

Why study soil and water engineering? 

Does it concern you that we have disappearing wetlands, drinkable water, and quality topsoil? 

Would you like to design an instrument that sampled water for contaminants in the lake where you fish, water ski, or swim? 

Does a GPS controlled irrigation system watering fields 25 miles away and being controlled from your home computer intrigue you? 

The soil and water engineering option is designed to prepare you to solve technological problems related to soil and water, water use, water conservation, water quality, soil conservation, irrigation and drainage, water management, and soil-plant-water relationships of practical importance to the western United States.

Program strengths/highlights

Soil and water engineers use traditional and high-tech tools, such as computer-aided design (CAD) systems, to create realistic geometric models of objects that simulate and analyze the effects and potential problems of designs such as machine malfunction and breakdown.

Career opportunities

Your understanding of the interrelationships between technology and living systems will give you a wide variety of employment options.

  • Waste management engineer (wood products)—Design a bioreactor (microbial digester) to reduce concentrations of various pollutants before releasing waste to river.

  • State government rock quarry permit engineer—Work with rock quarry operators so that they collect runoff and allow blasting fines to filter through a settling pond before water is released to a creek or river.

  • Streambank restoration engineer—Design components of stream re-routing and streambank re-grading so that floodwaters are controlled, and pollution is better-filtered by streamside plants.

  • Nutrient management engineer—Work with feedlot operators to design on-site treatment systems (e.g., sewage treatment ponds or land application as fertilizer) that will utilize nutrients (nitrate and phosphorus) from animal and solid liquid waste, so that raw sewage does not enter the groundwater or a river.

  • Risk assessment engineer—Calculate how much children’s blood lead levels can be reduced by removing lead smelter wastes from domestic yards in places near retired mines, such as the Silver Valley in northern Idaho.

  • Hydrologist—Harnessing energy produced from water in motion is an engineering challenge for the hydrologist.

Back

 

Biological Systems Engineering Option 

Why study biological systems engineering? 

Do you want to design a replacement limb that would allow someone to snowboard, play drums, dirt bike, or dance?

 Does harnessing microbes that clean up a hazardous waste spill appeal to you?

 Would you like to work in homeland security by designing equipment that would detect chemical residues of an explosive device in airport scanning systems?

 The biological systems engineering option prepares you to solve technological problems in systems that involve plants, animals, microorganisms, and biological materials. The program can be designed to prepare you for advanced biomedical or environmental engineering studies and could be suitable for pre-med and pre-biomedical degree pursuits.

 Program strengths/highlights

Biological systems engineers are abstract thinkers; use advanced math and statistical formulae and concepts; and enjoy planning, organizing, and conducting research.

Graduates design systems and solve problems related to biotechnology, biosensors, biological materials, and molecular biology and engineering

 Career opportunities

As biological sciences and biotechnology become ever more important sectors of our economy, engineers will be needed to work side by side with life scientists to bring laboratory developments into commercial production. Such industries as plant and animal production, biomedical technology, tissue culture, biotechnology, food processing, aquaculture, and forest production will all need engineers with strong backgrounds in biology.

  •  EPA or other government administrators—The Environmental Protection Agency and other similar government agencies are responsible for administering federal and state natural resource regulations. 

  • Biomedical designer—The biological systems engineering course is a pre-biomedical program to prepare students for graduate studies in the biomedical profession.

  •  Bioremediation engineer—Soil and land that has become polluted may be restored by engineers who use microbial agents to cleanup toxic sites. 

  • Quality control specialist—Many manufacturing businesses have inspectors to ensure a safe work environment and compliance with governmental labor and consumer regulations.

Back

 

 Agricultural Engineering Option 

Why study agricultural engineering?

 Would you like to design a garden to grow on a space station or Mars?

 Would you like to improve the living conditions in a third world country? 

Do you want to save human lives by designing a safer ATV?

 The agricultural engineering option is the curriculum that bridges the area between two fields of applied science—engineering and agriculture. It is oriented to the design of equipment and systems for production, processing, and transport of food, feed, natural raw fiber, and forest products, and for effective use of natural resources.

 Program strengths/highlights

Agricultural engineers will specialize in specific areas that include power and machinery, control systems, soil and water conservation, pest solutions, environmental hazards, food processing, and aquaculture. Some courses emphasize involvement in the development of new crop varieties and seed.

 Career opportunities

The agricultural engineering program is designed to prepare graduates for employment as design or development engineers by equipment manufacturers, irrigation companies, trade associations, engineering consulting firms, and state and federal agencies.

  • Company engineers—Agricultural engineers often work in companies or organizations that produce, manufacture, and distribute agricultural machinery, equipment, and structures. These companies involve power and light, food processing, biotechnology, and consulting.

  •  Farm safety specialist—Most agricultural engineers work toward creating safer farming techniques in order to prevent emergencies and thousands of unnecessary deaths each year, such as loss of life in underdeveloped countries due to misuse of pesticides and fertilizers.

  •  Environmental advisers—When designing agricultural systems, such as a water irrigation system, agricultural engineers must take into account all natural resources and other environmental and political factors that will effect the land and operations of a new system.

  •  Government service—Employees in the government may work in community education, applied research, national security, or as consultants on the development of agricultural projects relating to the construction of specially designed buildings, machinery, irrigation and drainage, and waste handling and energy conservation systems.

Back

 

Environmental Engineering Option

 Why study environmental engineering?

 How much do you value saving an endangered species?

 Would you like to help control impacts on recreational areas and lakes so they can be enjoyed by everyone now and in the future?

 Does the idea of making methane out of manure intrigue you? 

The environmental engineering option focuses on the design and management of systems that use or impact natural resources. 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. 

Program strengths/highlights

Environmental engineers are consciously concerned about the decline of our environment, therefore they seek ways to improve and promote a safe and clean environment.

They should be knowledgeable about the implications of environmental legislation and the effects of human consumption on our environment.

 Career opportunities

Environmental engineers have many employment opportunities. They could:

  •  Design systems, processes, and equipment for air, water, and soil quality control, solid waste disposal, and the remediation of contaminated soil, air, and water.

  •  Calculate the impact of human activity in relation to the environment and seek to design methods of environmental sustainability, conservation and protective efforts, and reparations, if necessary.

  • Have careers 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.

  • Be employed by processing industries in quality control, waste management, and in projects related to other environmental issues. 

  • Work for environmental engineering firms; government departments of energy, public works, and the environment; manufacturing, chemical, and petrochemical industries; waste management companies, academic and research institutes; and natural resource industries such as mining, oil, and gas.

Back

 

Food & Bioprocess Engineering Option

 Why study food & bioprocess engineering?

Does the possibility of gas costing over $4, $5, or $6 a gallon concern you? 

Would you like to grow the fuel for your diesel 4x4, rather than using fossil fuels? 

Who keeps your moo-juice safe? You could you be the one who designs the packaging that keeps our food supply secure while providing longer storage life.

 The food and bioprocess engineering option prepares you for a career within traditional food processing industries and for emerging careers in bioprocess industries including bioenergy and biofuels such as the manufacture of ethanol and biodiesel fuels. The program is designed to develop engineering expertise in such areas as waste treatment, biomass to energy production, industrial biological processes, and molecular biology.

 Program strengths/highlights

Food and bioprocess engineers must be accurate in carrying out tests and assessments, and they need to be patient and persistent, as it can take numerous trials to produce a new product or improve an existing one.

 Career opportunities

Your understanding of the interrelationships between technology and living systems give you a wide variety of employment options.

  •  Food processing engineer—Maintains the testing and processing equipment our food supply that assures processed food is safe and its quality meets Food and Drug Administration criteria.

  •  Food research engineer—Technical are used to help reformulate mass production methods that permit the transfer research discoveries from the laboratory mass production of food products.

  •  Food production manager—The food industry has need for technical personnel who are involved in handling marketing products and the machinery processes these ingredients.  Managers train personnel on the use of this equipment and how to safely handle food components.

  •  Bioprocess engineer—This engineer works for the food industry as it ag-based products into value-added products, which includes management processes involved in measurement, preservation, taste, appearance, other sensory aspects. 

  • Bioproduct development engineer—mass production of food is a complicated skill that involves working with high pressurized, sanitary, and water consuming machinery.

  •  Biofuel consultant engineer—such as biodiesel and ethanol are available in the market. Research ongoing to work with these by-products agriculture to discover new efficiencies manufacture that meet a growing public demand.

  •  Bioenergy engineer—Demand biodegradable products, and solar thermal energy is a challenge to bioenergy engineer to make new discoveries that allow use of agricultural by-for our nation’s fuel supply.

Back

~~~~~~

Faculty and facilities

BAE has award winning educators and advisers. Instructors from UI’s research and extension centers in all corners of the state render their expertise using satellite delivery and engineering outreach teaching tools. Labs throughout the campus are used by our engineering students, including those in Gauss Johnson, Buchanan, James Martin, and the Engineering and Physics buildings.