From the Department Chair

Welcome to the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Washington State University. Our department has seventeen award-winning and internationally recognized faculty members. They conduct applied engineering research and outreach activities in four focus areas: a) Land, Air, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, b) Food Engineering, c) Bio-energy and Bio-product Engineering, and d) Agricultural Automation Engineering. Our core research programs seek engineering solutions for better environment, renewable energy, productive and sustainable agriculture, and safe and nutritious foods.  The Department offers advanced degrees in Biological & Agricultural Engineering and prepares students for successful careers in academia, industry, and government.  About 70 Ph.D. students and 15 M.S. students receive a world-class education and conduct exploratory research along with over 50 post-doctoral researchers, research engineers, visiting students and professors.

I invite you to visit individual faculty websites and engage in discussion to identify opportunities for education or research collaboration. I welcome prospective students and alumni to visit the department and meet with our faculty, staff, and graduate students.

I look forward to working with you on strengthening our program and building a productive and rewarding future.

Learn more about Dr. Manuel-Garcia Perez, Professor and Chair

Research Emphasis

Biological and Agricultural Engineering is a multidisciplinary program that offers students the flexibility to accommodate a blend of engineering and science in their programs of study and research projects. Students apply engineering and biological principles to conduct high-quality research and to develop and disseminate knowledge and technologies in the areas of agriculture, food, energy, and natural resource systems. BSE offers the Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Biological and Agricultural Engineering with four areas of emphasis:

• Agricultural Automation Engineering: Develop engineering solutions for processes and equipment to meet the needs in specialty crop production. [Learn more about Agricultural Automation Engineering]
• Bioenergy and Bioproducts Engineering: Develop engineering processes to produce useful, high-value products from the byproducts of agricultural operations and other sources of plant biomass. [Learn more about Bioenergy and Bioproducts Engineering]
• Food Engineering: The application of engineering to the production of safe, nutritious food. [Learn more about Food Engineering]
• Land, Air, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (LAWREE): Engineering applications related to hydrologic processes at the field level or at the scale of large watersheds. Application of engineering and biological principles to the study the environmental impact of managed biological systems, including agriculture, confined animal operations, aquaculture, and natural resources. [Learn more about Land, Air, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering]