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Washington State University
Biological Systems Engineering Agriculture Engineering

Kirti Rajagopalan, Ph.D.

Stewart Bohnet

Kirti Rajagopalan, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Research Interests

Kirti Rajagopalan is part of the Land, Air, Water Resources, and Environmental Engineering emphasis area of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering. Her Agricultural, Natural and Human Systems modeling group develops and utilizes a variety to modeling approaches to better understand and manage water and agricultural resources. The group focuses on trans-disciplinary efforts to problem solving and works closely with colleagues from a broad range of disciplines including engineering, economics, entomology, physiology, statistics, and agronomy.

See more at my Research Site.

 

Email Dr. Rajagopalan
509-335-0174
Fax: 509-335-2722

PACCAR 354
Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-6120

Curriculum Vitae
Research Site
Google Scholar

My Research In the News

  • AgAID Digital AgAthOn 2023 – Hackathon February 13, 2023 Stewart Bohnet

    February 2, 2023 | WSU Insider

    Photo of AgAID Digital AgAthOn 2023Almost 200 students from around the U.S. had the chance to work on two challenges for the agricultural industry as part of the NSF/USDA-NIFA-funded AgAID Institute’s Digital Agathon. The event was held on the Washington State University Pullman campus as well as in Corvallis, Oregon and Merced, California.

    A huge thanks goes to  Drs. Kirti Rajagopalan and Sandhuja Sankaran for their role in this event (organizing, logistics, training, mentoring, and judging). Congratulations to all our BSE students across … » More …

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Nydia Muñoz-Rodriguez

College of Veterinary Medicine

Nydia Muñoz-Rodriguez

Advisor: Dr. Shyam S. Sablani

Education

  • Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
    Ph.D. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, May 2017
    USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowship in Food Engineering
    Advisor: Dr. Shyam S. Sablani
    Proposed dissertation topic: Developing polymeric packaging for pasteurized food products
  • University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
    M.S. in Science and Food Technology, Dec 2012
    Thesis title: Formulation of a starch-based edible film, evaluation of its properties and subsequent addition of bacteriophages (phage 52)
  • University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
    B.S. in Industrial Microbiology, May 2007
    Food Microbiology concentration, Cum Laude Honor

Projects while at WSU

Tree Fruit Commission Funded Project, Summer 2014

Description: Cherry cracking during refrigerated storage is a serious problem of this fruit. Cracked fruit loses its value for fresh market. Cracking occurs due to water absorption through the fruit skin. The objective of the project is to reduce cracking of cherries during postharvest storage. We are developing edible coatings and desiccant incorporated polymer packaging to minimize water condensation on the cherry surface. In addition, a jet impingement drying system is being tested on packaging line for removal of water from the cherry surface before packaging.

Activities and Leadership while at WSU

Food Engineering Club member, 2013–present; CANHRS representative, 2013-2014; Social and outreach committee head, 2014–present

Nydia Munoz

Nydia Muñoz-Rodriguez

Fellows

Ellen R. Bornhorst

Nydia Muñoz-Rodriguez

Prashant R. Pokhrel

Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Pullman WA 99164-6120

USDA Logo

National Needs Fellowship

Ellen R. Bornhorst

College of Veterinary Medicine

Ellen R. Bornhorst

Advisor: Dr. Juming Tang

Education

Washington State University, Pullman, Washington

  • Ph.D. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, December 2016
    USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowship in Food Engineering
    Adviser: Dr. Juming Tang
    Dissertation topic: Development of model food systems for quality evaluation of thermally pasteurized foods
  • M.S. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, May 2013
    Food Engineering specialization
    Thesis title: Sodium chloride diffusion in selected low-acid foods during thermal processing

Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan

  • B.S. in Biosystems Engineering, May 2011
    Food Engineering concentration, Honors College member

Journal Articles

  • Bornhorst E.R., Tang J., and Sablani S. 2016. Sodium chloride diffusion in low-acid foods during thermal processing and storage. Journal of Food Science. 81(5):E1130-40.
  • Bornhorst, E.R., Tang, J., Sablani, S.S., Barbosa-Canovas, G.V., 2017. Development of model food systems for thermal pasteurization applications based on Maillard reaction products. LWT – Food Science and Technology. 75: 417-424.
  • Bornhorst, E.R., Tang, J., Sablani, S.S., Barbosa-Canovas, G.V. 2017. Thermal pasteurization process evaluation using mashed potato model food with Maillard reaction products. LWT – Food Science and Technology. 82: 454-463.
  • Bornhorst, E.R., Liu F., Tang J., Sablani S.S., and G.V. Barbosa-Cánovas. 2017. Food quality evaluation using model foods: a comparison study between microwave assisted and conventional pasteurization processes. Food and Bioprocess Technology. 10(7):1248-1256.
  • Bornhorst, E.R.,Tang J., Sablani S.S., and G.V. Barbosa-Cánovas. 2017.Green pea and garlic puree model food development for thermal pasteurization process quality evaluation. Journal of Food Science. 82(7):1631-39.
  • Auksornsri, T., Bornhorst, E.R., Tang, J., Tang, Z. 2018. Developing model food systems with rice based products for microwave assisted thermal sterilization. LWT – Food Science and Technology. 96: 551-559.

Conference Presentations

  • Bornhorst E.R., Tang J., Sablani S., and G. Barbosa-Cánovas. Development of model food systems for quality evaluation of traditional and microwave-assisted thermal pasteurization. International Union of Food Science and Technology, 18th World Congress of Food Science and Technology (oral presentation), August 2016
  • Bornhorst E.R. and J. Tang. Purple pole beans: color and anthocyanin change during heating. Institute of Food Technologist Annual Meeting (poster presentation), July 2016
  • Bornhorst E.R., Tang J., and F. Liu. Model food system development for quality optimization of microwave-assisted pasteurized foods. International Microwave Power Institute’s 50th Annual Microwave Power Symposium (oral presentation), June 2016
  • Bornhorst E.R., Tang J., Sablani S., and G. Barbosa-Cánovas. Color assessment of non-enzymatic browning in model food systems for use in microwave assisted pasteurization. Institute of Food Technologist Annual Meeting (poster presentation), July 2015
  • Bornhorst E.R. and J. Tang. Assessment of model food systems with non-enzymatic browning as related to the quality of microwave-assisted pasteurized foods. 12th International Congress on Engineering and Food (poster presentation), June 2015
  • Bornhorst E.R., Tang J., Sablani S., and J. Powers. Sodium chloride diffusion in selected foods during storage after thermal processing. Institute of Food Technologist Annual Meeting (poster presentation), June 2014
  • Bornhorst E.R. and J. Tang. Multiphysics heat transfer and sodium chloride diffusion modeling for selected foods during thermal processing. Institute of Food Technologist Annual Meeting (poster presentation), July 2013
  • Bornhorst E.R., Villa-Rojas R., and J. Tang. Sodium diffusion and equilibrium concentrations in low-acid food during thermal processing. Institute of Food Technologist Annual Meeting (poster presentation), June 2012

Teaching and Internships while at WSU

  • Process Engineering Research, Quality, and Innovation Intern, 2015
    ConAgra Foods, Lamb Weston Division
  • Graduate Guest Instructor, Washington State, Dr. Juming Tang, 2014
    BSYSE 584, Thermal and Nonthermal Processing of Foods, 11 students
  • National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) Summer Apprenticeship Program, 2013
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Johnson Space Center, Space Food Systems Lab

Activities and Leadership while at WSU

  • Toastmasters International, Frank E. Balmer Toastmasters Club No. 95 member, 2014–present; VP of Education, 2016-present
  • Food Engineering Club member, 2011–present; Secretary, 2012–2013; VP,2013–2014; President, 2014–2015
  • Disney IFTSA Product Development Competition team leader, 2011–2012
  • Idaho Milk Processors Association product development team, 3rd place,August 2012

Awards while at WSU

  • Alaska Airlines Travel Award, May 2016
  • Puget Sound Institute of Food Technologists Travel Award, May 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
  • First place in the 3 minute thesis competition, March 2016, Washington State, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
  • Best Presentation Award- Second Place, December 2015, Washington State, Biological Systems Engineering Graduate Seminar
  • Featured student in the ASABE Resource magazine, Special IssueSeptember/October 2015
  • Seligman APV Travel Grant–ICEF12, June 2015, Society of Chemical Industry, London, UK
  • Arnie and Marta Kegel Endowed Fellowship, June 2014, Washington State, Biological Systems Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Awards

Ellen Bornhorst

Ellen R. Bornhorst

Fellows

Ellen R. Bornhorst

Nydia Muñoz-Rodriguez

Prashant R. Pokhrel

Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Pullman WA 99164-6120

USDA Logo

National Needs Fellowship

Prashant R. Pokhrel

College of Veterinary Medicine

Prashant R. Pokhrel

Advisor: Dr. Gustavo V. Barbosa Cánovas

Education

  • Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
    Ph.D. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, August 2017
    USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowship in Food Engineering
    Advisor: Dr. Gustavo V. Barbosa Cánovas
    Proposed dissertation topic: Processing of carrot juice blends by combined nonthermal technologies
  • Tribhuvan University, Dharan, Nepal
    B. Tech. in Food Technology, November 2011
    Advisor:  Dr. Surendra Bahadur Katwal
    Dissertation: Formulation, Preparation and Quality Evaluation of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food for Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition.

Paper Published

  • Martínez-Flores, H. E., Garnica-Romo, M. G., Bermúdez-Aguirre, D., Pokhrel, P. R., & Barbosa-Cánovas, G. V. (2015). Physico-chemical parameters, bioactive compounds and microbial quality of thermo-sonicated carrot juice during storage. Food chemistry, 172, 650-656.

Manuscript in Progress

  • Pokhrel, P.R., Bermúdez-Aguirre, D., Martínez-Flores, H., Garnica-Romo, G., and Barbosa-Cánovas, G.V. Application of Thermo-sonication to Inactivate E. coli (ATCC 11755) and Study Changes on Physical and Chemical Attributes in Fresh Carrot Juice
  • Rodrigues, I., Trindade, M.A, Caramit, F.R.,  Candogan, K., Pokhrel, P.R., and Barbosa-Cánovas, G.V. Effect of High Pressure Processing on Physical-Chemical And Microbiological Properties of Marinated Beef with Reduced Sodium Content

Conference Presentations

  • Pokhrel, P.R., Toniazzo, T., and Barbosa-Cánovas, G.V. Combined Effect of High Pressure Processing and Nisin on the Inactivation of Listeria innocua andEscherichia coli in Carrot Juice. Conference of Food Engineering, The Ohio State University, September 2016
  • Pokhrel, P.R, Garcia-Jange, C., Barbosa-Cánovas, G.V. Inactivation of E. coli(ATCC 11755) in Fresh Carrot Juice by High Pressure Processing (HPP) and Sonication: A Comparative Study. Institute of Food Technologist Annual Meeting (poster presentation), July 2015
  • *Barbosa-Cánovas, G.V., and Pokhrel, P.R. Pulsed Electric Fields for Biomaterials Processing. The Electroporation-based Technologies for Bio-refinery Workshop, Compiègne, France (Invited oral presentation) January 2015. (*Speaker)
  • Bermudez-Aguirre, D., Pokhrel, P.R., Martínez-Flores, H., Garnica-Romo, G., and Barbosa-Cánovas, G.V. A Microbiological and Chemical Study on the Shelf-Life of a Thermal and ThermoSonicated Orange-Carrot Juice Beverage. Institute of Food Technologist Annual Meeting (poster presentation), June 2014
  • Pokhrel, P.R., Bermúdez-Aguirre, D., Martínez-Flores, H., Garnica-Romo, G., and Barbosa-Cánovas, G.V. Inactivation of E. coli (ATCC 11755) and physicochemical changes of fresh carrot juice treated by ultrasound. Institute of Food Technologist Annual Meeting (poster presentation), June 2014.
  • Martínez-Flores, H., Garnica-Romo, G., Bermudez-Aguirre, D., Pokhrel, P.R., and G. V. Barbosa-Cánovas, G.V. Physico-Chemical and Microbial Quality Changes of Thermo-Sonicated Carrot Juice During Storage. Institute of Food Technologist Annual Meeting (poster presentation), June 2014

Memberships

  • Institute of Food Technologist (IFT) member, 2013- present
  • American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) member,2014- present
  • The American Oil Chemists’ society (AOCS) member, 2014- present

Activities and Leadership while at WSU

  • Nepalese Students’ Association-WSU, President (2016/17)
  • Nepalese Students’ Association-WSU, Secretary (2015/16)
  • Food Engineering Club (FEC) member, 2013- present
  • CAHNRS representative 2014- 2016

Workshop Attended

  • COMSOL 5.0 and Application Builder workshop, Pullman, March 2015

Involvement with Industrial Projects

  • Application of Pulsed Electric Fields for the processing of fresh raw juice blends of different pH and conductivity (1 month)
  • Study on the retention of chlorophyll and inactivation of natural flora in fresh green juice by Pulsed electric fields (1 week)
  • Thermo-Sonication and High Pressure Processing of raw milk for the preparation of Queso Fresco cheese (1 month)

Prashant R. Pokhrel

Prashant R. Pokhrel

Fellows

Ellen R. Bornhorst

Nydia Muñoz-Rodriguez

Prashant R. Pokhrel

Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Pullman WA 99164-6120

USDA Logo

National Needs Fellowship

Qin Zhang, Ph.D.

College of Veterinary Medicine

Qin Zhang, Ph.D

Professor, Director CPASS

Research Interest

Dr. Zhang, senior automation engineer and director of the Center for Precision & Automated Agricultural Systems (CPAAS) located at Prosser, WA, works in the BSysE Agricultural Automation Engineering Research emphasis area. He is primarily interested in Agricultural Machinery Automation (Automated and autonomous agricultural machinery technologies, intelligent agricultural machinery controls), and in Agriculture Automation (On-machinery crop health sensing technologies, machinery-area network technologies, agricultural infotronics technologies).

 

 

My Research In the News

  • WSU to lead national AI research institute for agriculture August 2, 2021 Stewart Bohnet

    July 29, 2021 | WSU Insider
    Photo of workers with droneWSU to lead national AI research institute for agriculture
    With a new $20 million federal grant, Washington State University will lead a multi-institutional research institute to develop artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to tackle some of agriculture’s biggest challenges related to labor, water, weather and climate change.

    The new institute is one of 11 launched by the National Science Foundation and among two funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture in 2021. It’s … » More …

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Qin Zhang

Email Dr. Zhang
509-786-9360
Fax: 509-786-9321

Ag Tech 101
Biological Systems Engineering
WSU Prosser
Center for Automated Agriculture
Prosser, WA 99350-9370

Cirruculum Vitae
Faculty Bio
Google Scholar

 

Bin Yang, Ph.D.

College of Veterinary Medicine

Bin Yang, Ph.D

Professor

Research and Teaching Interests

Dr. Bin Yang works in the BSysE Bioenergy and Bioproducts Engineering research emphasis area at the Bioproducts, Sciences & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, Tri-Cities.

Dr. Yang has dedicated most of his career to the development of renewable energy technologies with particular emphasis on production of biofuels and chemicals from cellulosic biomass feedstocks and other sustainable resources.  His current research interests lie in areas of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and novel pathways that accelerate commercial application of biomass processing to cellulosic and lignin fuels and chemicals.

See more at my Research Site.

Dr. Bin Yng

Email Dr. Yang
509-372-7640
Fax:  509-372-7690

BSEL 223
Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Richland, WA 99354-1670

Curriculum Vitae
Research Site
Google Scholar

My Research In the News

  • Sustainable Jet Fuel Based on Lignin August 8, 2022 Stewart Bohnet

    August 2022 | STLE

     

    Research on Lignin Jet FuelLignin-derived jet fuel displays a superior heat of combustion, higher seal swell properties and a much lower aromatic content compared to Jet-A.

    Bin Yang, professor in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at Washington State University (WSU) in Richland, WA, says, “Besides using jet fuel, other propulsion options such as batteries and fuel cells are not suitable for use in long-distance airplance travel in the near future (less than 30 years). This places the aviation industry in the position of needing to find a sustainable alternative to Jet-A. … » More …

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Joan Q. Wu, Ph.D.

College of Veterinary Medicine

Joan Q. Wu, Ph.D.

Professor

Research Interests

Dr. Wu works in the BSysE Land, Air, Water Resources & Environmental Engineering (LAWREE) research emphasis area at the Puyallup Research and Extension Center. She conducts research in the broad area of hydrology, with specific interests in stochastic modeling of vadose-zone flow and solute transport; simulation of ground-water flow and contaminant transport; field investigation and computer modeling of water erosion; and application of GIS and remote sensing to hydrologic studies.

Dr. Joan Wu conducts research in the broad area of hydrology, with specific interests in stochastic modeling of vadose-zone flow and solute transport; simulation of ground-water flow and contaminant transport; field investigation and computer modeling of water erosion; and application of GIS and remote sensing to hydrologic studies. Her research team consists of Postdoctoral Research Associates, M.S. and Ph.D. students as well as undergraduate students. Together with her team, she is working on a number of exciting research projects.

Research Associates

  • Dr. Hanwue Qiu
  • Dr. Jane Zhang

Students

  • Tianyan Guo, MS , Fall 2014
  • Michelle Hendrickson, PhD, current

Teaching

Dr. Joan Wu teaches both undergraduate and graduate hydrology courses. She also teaches a departmental core course. These courses include:

  • BSYSE 512 Research and Teaching Methods, 2002–present
  • BSYSE 556 Surface Hydrologic Processes and Modeling, 2001–present
  • BSYSE 595 Ground-water Flow and Contaminant Transport, 1999–present
  • BSYSE 351 Environmental Hydrology, 1998–2004

My Research In the News

  • Joan Wu honored by CAHNRS with Excellence in Advising Award June 22, 2022 Stewart Bohnet

    June 21, 2022  | CAHNRS News

    Photo of Joan WuExcellence in Advising: Joan Wu

    Dr. Joan Wu received her BS in Geology and MS in Hydrology from Tongji University, Shanghai, her MS in Mathematics from WSU, and her PhD in Agricultural Engineering from The Ohio State University. During 1995–1998, Dr. Wu was Assistant Professor in the Department of Soil & Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Riverside. Since 1998, Dr. Wu has been Assistant-, Associate-, and Professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at WSU.

    Dr. Wu has … » More …

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Joan Wu

Email Dr. Wu
253-445-4565
Fax: 253-445-4621

Puyallup Res & Ext Ctr
Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Puyallup, WA 98371-4998

Biographical Sketch
Google Scholar

Research Center Affiliations

Agricultural Research Center (ARC)
Center for Environmental Research, Education, and Outtreach (CEREO)
State of Washington Water Research Center (SWWRC)

Research Initiatives

Washington State University Clean Technologies

Selected Recent Grants

(PI unless otherwise specified)

  • The Boeing Company, Initial Assessment of The Boeing Company’s Probabilistic Model for Stormwater Impacts to Receiving Water, $26,678, Jun 2012–Dec 2012
  • US Department of Interior, Developing WEPP-Mine: A Management Tool for Western Alkaline Surface Coal Mines, $286,416, Aug 2009–Jul 2011
  • US Army Corps of Engineers, Developing an Online GIS-Based Tool to Predict Soil Erosion from Forested Watersheds, $150,000, Jun 2009–Jun 2011
  • USDA CSREES CEAP, Evaluating the Impacts of Conservation Practices on Watershed Health in a Salmon-Bearing Rangeland Watershed: Asotin Creek, Washington, $621,000, Sep 2008–Aug 2011 (co-PI)
  • USDA CSREES, Integrated Education and Research for Sustainable Development: Linking Engineering and Economic Sciences, $258,000, Sep 2008–Aug 2013 (co-PI)
  • Bonneville Power Administration, Enhancing Summer Instream Flow and Reducing Temperature in Agricultural Watersheds, $224,766, Apr 2007–Aug 2010 (co-PI)
  • US Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Research, Assessing the Sources and Transport of Fine Sediment in Response to Management Practices in the Tahoe Basin using the WEPP Model, $232,149, Aug 2007–Aug 2010

Current Projects

  • Soil infiltration through waste cover materials under winter conditions at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA), $25,000, Aug 2005–Aug 2006.
  • Modeling reactive transport of Sr-90 and Cr in variably-saturated subsurface, Idaho National Laboratory, Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA), $25,000, Aug 2005–Aug 2006.
  • Calibration and validation of the WEPP lateral flow version for forest watersheds, USDA Forest Service, $40,600, Aug 2005–Dec 2007.
  • Hydrogeology database development and ground-water modeling of the Palouse Basin Aquifer system, Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee $17,000, Aug 2005–Jul 2006.
  • Ground-water investigations of Bertrand and Tenmile Watersheds, Whatcom Ct. Department of Public Works, Bellingham, WA, $154,971,  2005–Dec 2006. (Jointly lead the project with M.E. Barber)
  • Evaluating material properties to optimize wood-strands for wind erosion control, Washington Technology Center, $48,000, Jul 2005–Jun 2006.
  • Flex-cropping and chemical fallow potentials for dryland farming, USDA CSREES Special Grant to The Columbia Plateau Wind Erosion/Air Quality Project, $140,000, Jul 2002–Jun 2006. (Jointly lead the project with C.O. Stöckle and M. Flury).
  • Modeling hydrology and erosion under winter climatic conditions of the Pacific Northwest: Modifying WEPP, USDA CSREES NRICGP, $298,549, Sep 2002–Aug 2006.
  • Stochastic simulation of flow and solute transport in heterogeneous unsaturated fields, Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA)/DOE, $150,000, Aug 2001–May 2005.

Selected Publications

  • Dobre, M., W.J. Elliot, J.Q. Wu, I.S. Miller, T.B. Jain, Effects of topographic features on post-fire exposed
    mineral soil in small watersheds, For. Sci., 2014. (in press)
  • Wang, L., J.Q. Wu, W.J. Elliot, F.R. Fiedler, S. Lapin, Linear diffusion-wave channel routing using a discrete
    Hayami convolution method, J. Hydrol., 509, 282–294, 2013.
  • Dun, S., J.Q. Wu, W.J. Elliot, J.R. Frankenberger, D.C. Flanagan, D.K. McCool, Applying Online WEPP to
    assess forest watershed hydrology, Trans. ASABE., 56, 581–590, 2013.
  • Watanabe, K., T. Kito, S. Dun, J.Q. Wu, R.C. Greer, M. Flury, Water infiltration into a frozen soil with
    simultaneous melting of the frozen layer, Vadose Zone J., 2012. doi:10.2136/vzj2011.0188.
  • Fan, C., H. Xie, J.Q. Wu, and S. Birnbaumb, Analysis of USGS spectral library of silicate minerals:
    Implication for remote sensing applications, J. Appl. Rem. Sens. 6, 2012. doi: 10.1117/1.JRS.6.063514.
  • Mobbs, T., T. Peters, J.R. Davenport, J.Q. Wu, and M.E. Evans, Effects of four soil surfactants on four soilwater
    properties in sand and silt loam, J. Soil Water Conserv. 67, 275–283, 2012.
  • Qiu, H., D.R. Huggins, J.Q. Wu, M.E. Barber, D.K. McCool, and S. Dun, Residue management impacts on
    field-scale snow distribution and soil water storage, Trans. ASABE 54, 1639–1647, 2011.
  • Wang, L., J.Q. Wu, L.C. Hull, and A.L. Schafer, Modeling reactive transport of strontium-90 in
    heterogeneous variably-saturated subsurface, Vadoze Zone J. 9, 670–685, 2010.
  • Pruneda, E.B., M.E. Barber, J.Q. Wu, and D.M. Allen, Use of stream response functions to determine impacts
    of replacing surface-water diversions with ground-water withdrawals, Hydrogeol. J. 18, 1077–1092, 2010.
  • Williams, J.D., S. Dun, D.S. Robertson, J.Q. Wu, E.S. Brooks, D.C. Flanagan, and D.K. McCool, WEPP
    simulations of dryland cropping systems in small drainages of Northeastern Oregon, J. Soil Water Conserv.
    65, 22–33, 2010.
  • Zhang, J.X., K-T Chang, and J.Q. Wu, Effects of DEM resolution and source on soil erosion modelling: a
    case study using the WEPP model, Int. J. Geogr. Info. Sci. 22, 925–942, 2008.

Pius Ndegwa, Ph.D.

College of Veterinary Medicine

Pius Ndegwa, Ph.D.

Professor

Research and Teaching Interests

Dr. Ndegwa works in the Land, Air, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (LAWREE) research emphasis area. He is primarily interested in the development of sustainable livestock manure management systems, air and water quality control engineering, bio-energy or bio-fuels, and livestock odor emission control technologies. He is also one of the coordinators for the Western Region Odor & Air Quality Program (WOAQ).

See more at my Research Site .

My Research In the News

  • Three Minute Thesis – Femi Peter Alege wins second place overall in the WSU wide competition March 26, 2021 Stewart Bohnet

    Photo of Femi Peter Alege

    After winning the CAHNRS 2021 3MT competition, Femi Peter Alege, a doctoral student in WSU’s Biological Systems Engineering program, went on to place second and win a $1,500 travel grant in the overall University-wide 3MT competition.

    “Congratulations, Femi, on your second place in the university Three Minute Thesis competition.  You represented CAHNRS very well and we are all very proud of you.” Dr. Richard Zach, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, CAHNRS, WSU.

    “Femi. Congratulations for this very important achievement! Best regards!” Dr. Manuel Garcia-Perez, Department Chair, Biological Systems Engineering, CAHNRS, WSU.

    Click on … » More …

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Pius Ndegwa

Email Dr. Ndegwa
509-335-8167

Paccar 348
Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-6120

Curriculum Vitae
Research Site
Google Scholar

Birgitte K. Ahring, Ph.D.

College of Veterinary Medicine

Birgitte K. Ahring, Ph.D.

Professor

Research Interests

Professor Ahring works with biomass conversion to biofuels and high-value bioproducts. Her expertise is broad and expands from full biorefinery set-ups for biomass conversion involving pretreatment, biological production and molecular tailoring of new biocatalysts to separation and catalysis of platform molecules into fuels and chemicals. Currently she is involved in production of jet fuels using a new bio-based concept and her research group works all the way from proofs of concept activities in the laboratory to pilot scale testing of new concepts. Her overall philosophy is to make full use of any raw material. Even that agricultural and forestry residues are waste from other primary production scheme, they need to be fully exploited in the biorefinery:  Don’t waste waste! Full use of the raw material will further lower the cost of the bio-products produced and make biorefineries economically viable.

Biomass conversion often starts with pretreatment. Together with her partners Prof. Ahring has worked extensively with the wet explosion pretreatment, an efficient thermo-chemicals process, which in contrast to other technologies uses no chemicals from the conversion process. During the last 5 years the Prof. Ahring’s team has demonstrated that this technology is superior not only for agricultural residues such as straw, husk,  bagasse and empty fruit bunches- but also for pre-treating woody residues (both hard- and softwood). The process has recently been shown to be superior for treatment of forest slash, so-called hog fuel, which until now has no other uses than simple combustion in hog fuel burners. Another recent discovery is the wet explosion process introduce changes to the lignin fraction making of manure fibers allowing for far higher methane yield during anaerobic digestion.

My Research In the News

  • Birgitte Ahring receives Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award May 2, 2023 Stewart Bohnet

    May 2, 2023 |WSU Insider
    Dr. Ahring with studentBirgitte Ahring receives the Voiland College of Engineering’s Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award.
    Ahring, professor in the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering and with the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory at the WSU Tri-Cities campus, is a prolific researcher and a global leader in biomass conversion research for producing biofuels and high-value bioproducts.

    With WSU since 2008, she has published more than 500 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Overall, she has been cited … » More …

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Birgitte Ahring

Email Dr. Ahring
509-372-7682

BSEL 225
Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Richland, WA 99354-1670

WSU Tri-Cities site

Curriculum Vitae
Google Scholar

Areas of Expertise

  • Biotechnology for tailoring of  biocatalyst (microbes) for production of biofuels and bio-products
  • Pretreatment of biomass for production of sugars, resins, carbon fibers, food and feed , etc.
  • Separation and upgrading into biofuels and biochemicals
  • Water reuse and anaerobic digestion of waste and wastewaters

2014/15 publications (out of 322 with review)

  1. Vandana Rana, Anahita D. Eckard, Birgitte K Ahring 2014. Comparison of SHF and SSF of wet exploded corn stover and loblolly pine using in-house enzymes produced from T.  reesei RUT C30 and A. saccharolyticus.Springerplus.  Vol. 3, p 516-522.
  2. V. Rana, A. Eckard, P. Teller and B.K. Ahring 2014. On-site enzymes produced from Trichoderma reesei RUT C30 and Aspergillus saccharolyticus for hydrolysis of wet exploded corn stover and loblolly pine. Bioresource Technology. Bioresour. Technol. Vol. 154, p 282-289.
  3. Rajib Biswas, Hinrich Uellendahl and Birgitte K Ahring 2014. Wet explosion pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse for enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis.Biomass Bioenergy. Vol. 61, p 104-113.
  4. Benjamin G. Garrett, Keerthi Srinivas, and Birgitte K. Ahring 2014. Design and Optimization of a Semi-Continuous High Pressure Carbon Dioxide Extraction System for Acetic Acid. J. Supercrit. Fluids.  Vol. 95, p 243–251.
  5. J.A. Iversen and B.K. Ahring 2014. Monitoring Lignocellulosic Bioethanol Production Processes using Raman Spectroscopy. Bioresour. Technol. Vol. 172, p 112–120.
  6. J.A. Iversen, R.W. Berg and B.K. Ahring 2014. Quantitative Monitoring of Yeast Fermentation using Raman Spectroscopy. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. Vol. 406 (20), p 4911-4919.
  7. Amy A Boaro, Young-Mo Kim, Allan E Konopka, Stephen J Callister, Birgitte K Ahring 2014. Integrated ‘omics analysis for studying the microbial community response to a pH perturbation of a cellulose-degrading bioreactor culture. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. Vol. 90, p 802–815.
  8. Annette Sørensen, Julie Juel Andersen, Birgitte K. Ahring, Philip J. Teller, Mette Lübeck 2014. Screening of carbon sources for beta-glucosidase production by Aspergillus saccharolyticus. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation. Vol. 93, p 78–83.
  9. István Weyda, Mette Lübeck, Birgitte K. Ahring, Peter S. Lübeck 2014. Point mutation of the xylose reductase (XR) gene reduces xylitol accumulation and increases citric acid production in Aspergillus carbonarius. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. Vol. 41 (4), p 733-739.
  10. Yi Wei, Hanwu Lei, Lu Wang, Lei Zhu, Xuesong Zhang, Yupeng Liu, Shulin Chen, Birgitte Ahring 2014.  Liquid–Liquid Extraction of Biomass Pyrolysis Bio-oil. Energy Fuels. Vol. 28 (2), p 1207-1212.
  11. Junfeng Xue, Nancy G Isern, R James Ewing, Andrei V Liyu, Jesse A Sears, Harlan Knapp, Jens Iversen, Daniel R Sisk, Birgitte K Ahring, Paul D Majors 2014. New generation NMR bioreactor coupled with high-resolution NMR spectroscopy leads to novel discoveries in Moorella thermoacetica metabolic profiles. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. Vol. 98 (19), p 8367-8375.
  12. Marta Kolasa, Birgitte Kiær Ahring, Peter Stephensen Lübeck, Mette Lübeck 2014. Co-cultivation of Trichoderma reesei RutC30 with three black Aspergillus strains facilitates efficient hydrolysis of pretreated wheat straw and shows promises for on-site enzyme production. Bioresour. Technol. Vol. 169, p 143-148.
  13. Vandana Rana, Diwakar Rana, Birgitte K Ahring 2014. Process Modeling of Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Wet-Exploded Corn Stover. Bioenerg. Res. Vol. 7 (1), p 450-459.
  14. Birgitte K. Ahring, Rajib Biswas, Aftab Ahamed, Philip J. Teller, Hinrich Uellendahl 2015. Making lignin accessible for anaerobic digestion by wet-explosion pretreatment. Bioresour. Technol. Vol. 175, p 182-188.
  15. Benjamin G. Garrett, Keerthi Srinivas, and Birgitte K. Ahring 2015. Performance and Stability of Amberlite™ IRA-67 Ion Exchange Resin for Product Extraction and pH Control during Homolactic Fermentation of Corn Stover Sugars. Biochem. Eng. J. Vol 95, p 1-8.
  16. Malavika Sinha, Annette Sørensen, Aftab Ahamed and Birgitte K. Ahring 2015. Production of Hydrocarbons by Aspergillus carbonarius ITEM 5010. Fungal Biol. (Accepted).
  17. Rajib Biswas, Hinrich Uellendahl, and Birgitte K. Ahring 2015. Wet explosion: A feedstock agnostic pretreatment process for lignocellulosic biorefineries.Bioenerg. Res. (Accepted).

Hanwu Lei

College of Veterinary Medicine

Hanwu Lei, Ph.D.

Professor and Scientist

Research and Teaching Interests

Dr. Lei’s work is in the BSysE Bioenergy and Bioproducts Engineering research emphasis area. He is dedicated to helping students gain the skills and information they need to develop their ability and succeed in engineering discipline and professional life.

Dr. Lei’s research focus is on discovering and applying novel approaches for biofuels and bioproducts development, renewable energy technologies, and cost-effective biomass conversion technologies. Together with his team and collaborators, he works on a number of exciting research projects funded by DOE, USDA, JCATI, SunGrant, etc., and investigates the mechanisms responsible for the generation of fuel components and high value chemicals and materials.

Dr. Lei’s research interests include biomass thermochemical conversions (torrefaction, pyrolysis, liquefaction, aqueous phase reforming, catalytic processes, and bio-oil upgrading) to produce jet fuels, aromatics, cycloalkanes, phenols, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, syngas, biofuels, bioproducts, and use of biochar for carbon sequestration, activated carbon, and CO2 capture. Dr. Lei’s research activities also include biomass pretreatment for biological or chemical conversions to renewable energy and bioproducts, especially working on hydrothermal pretreatment and organosolv clean fractionation processes.

See more at my Research Site.

 

My Research In the News

  • Graduate School Announces Rongge Zou as a Winner of Albrecht Scholarship May 3, 2023 Stewart Bohnet

    WSU Insider

    The graduate school announces that Rongge Zou is a winner of The Richard R. and Constance M. Albrecht Scholarship.

    This award is for all active doctoral graduate students in good standing who have successfully passed their preliminary examination.

    The winners had peer-reviewed publications/shows/recital. They also have successful grant proposals/awards while showing service to the institution, profession, and community.

    Each awardee was given $1500.

    Read Story

 

Hanwu Lei

Email Dr. Lei
509-372-7628
Fax:  509-372-7690

BSEL 225
Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Tri-Cities Campus
Richland, WA 99354-1670

Curriculum Vitae
Research Site
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