Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAEG)

Lalit Verma
Head of the Department
203 Engineering Hall
479-575-2351

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Website

Healthy Planet, Healthy People: this is the aspiration for the Biological Engineering program at the University of Arkansas. We improve people’s lives today and help assure a prosperous world for tomorrow by designing sustainable water, food, and energy systems. Where challenges exist, we create solutions by optimizing the living systems of our world (the interactions of human, plant, animal, environment, food, and microbes) using the tools of engineering and biotechnology. Biological engineers contribute significantly to human health and prosperity by ensuring a safe and readily available water supply, a safe and nutritious food supply, and a healthy ecosystem upon which both water and food depend.

The faculty of the Biological Engineering program seeks to provide a challenging technical education in a safe, secure and inclusive learning environment that promotes a desire for service and prepares graduates to:

Successfully practice engineering involving the design and management of sustainable water, food, energy and related biological systems,
Make ethical, valuable and sustained contributions that benefit employers, communities, Arkansas and the world, and
Succeed in graduate education or continuing professional development, as needed for professional growth and licensure.

A Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Engineering is a job-ready degree with opportunities in a variety of industries, government agencies, and consulting firms. It is also excellent preparation for graduate studies (M.S. or Ph.D.) in engineering and related fields, as well as entry into other professional schools (e.g., medical, veterinary, dental, pharmacy, etc.).

The B.S. in Biological Engineering degree can lead immediately to careers in:

Ecological engineering, such as water quality and watershed management, water resources and irrigation, low impact development in urban watersheds, stream and habitat restoration, and air quality remediation.
Food and bio-product process engineering, such as food processing, forest products, biotechnology, biofuels, waste treatment and by-product utilization.
Sustainable resource engineering, such as sustainable agriculture to expand the food supply for a growing population; renewable and bio-energy development; life cycle analysis to assess, design and manage complex biological systems; efficient utilization of organic residues and by-products; conservation of Earth's finite resources.

Completion of degree requirements provides graduates with the following learning outcomes:

An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Requirements for B.S. in Biological Engineering

The undergraduate program in biological engineering, leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Engineering, is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org. The B.S. in Biological Engineering degree is conferred by the College of Engineering and is granted after the successful completion of 128 hours of approved course work.

Diverse applications of biological engineering can be pursued through elective coursework. Each student is required to complete 12 semester hours of biological/engineering/technical electives that are relevant to their career goals. At least 3 hours must be selected from a list of acceptable biological electives. At least 3 hours must be engineering courses within BENG or other engineering programs. The remaining hours can be selected from engineering, math, biology, agriculture, sustainability, and other science/technical areas. A list of suggested electives is maintained by the department. Students may petition their adviser to seek approval of other electives that are not on this list. Courses must provide engineering or technical content that is value-added (i.e. not duplicating or remedial) and meets the career goals of the student. Students who choose electives meeting the Environmental Concentration requirements, can earn the concentration, see the 8-Semester Plan for the B.S. in Biological Engineering with an Environmental Concentration.

Students are required to complete 40 hours of upper division courses (3000-4000 level). It is recommended that students consult with their academic adviser when making course selections.

Biological Engineering B.S.B.E. Eight-Semester Degree Program

The Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering program is eligible for students who want to participate in an Eight Semester Degree Program. See the Eight-Semester Degree Policy for more details. The plan below lists a semester-by-semester sequence of courses to finish the degree in eight semesters. State minimum core courses for engineering are listed at the bottom of this page. Students may submit a maximum of four (4) hours of “D” in BENG Courses for their degree.

Some courses are not offered every semester, so students who deviate from the suggested sequence must pay careful attention to course scheduling and course pre-requisites.

First Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
GNEG 11101 Introduction to Engineering I	1
ENGL 10103 Composition I (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1013) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 1.1)	3
CHEM 14103 University Chemistry I (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1414 Lecture)	3
MATH 24004 Calculus I (ACTS Equivalency = MATH 2405)	4
U.S. History or Government Elective - Choose one course from the following (Satisfies General Education Outcomes 3.3 & 4.2):
HIST 20003 History of the American People to 1877 (ACTS Equivalency = HIST 2113) or HIST 20103 History of the American People, 1877 to Present (ACTS Equivalency = HIST 2123) or PLSC 20003 American National Government (ACTS Equivalency = PLSC 2003)	3
GNEG 11201 Introduction to Engineering II		1
ENGL 10303 Technical Composition II (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1023) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 1.2)		3
Freshman Engineering Science Elective		4
CHEM 14203 University Chemistry II (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lecture) & CHEM 14201 University Chemistry II Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lab) or BIOL 10103 and BIOL 10101
MATH 25004 Calculus II		4
PHYS 20304 University Physics I (ACTS Equivalency = PHYS 2034)		4
Year Total:	14	16

Second Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
BENG 26302 Biological Engineering Design Studio	2
MATH 26004 Calculus III	4
Sophomore Science Elective (whichever has not been taken)	4
CHEM 14203 University Chemistry II (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lecture) & CHEM 14201 University Chemistry II Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lab) or BIOL 10103 and BIOL 10101
MEEG 20003 Statics	3
PHYS 20404 University Physics II (ACTS Equivalency = PHYS 2044 Lecture)	4
BENG 26403 Biological Engineering Methods I		3
MATH 25804 Elementary Differential Equations		4
BIOL 20003 General Microbiology (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2004 Lecture) & BIOL 20001 General Microbiology Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2004 Lab)		4
MEEG 24003 Thermodynamics or CHEG 23103 Thermodynamics of Single-Component Systems		3
Social Science Elective - Choose one course from the list below (Satisfies General Education Outcome 4.1)¹		3
Year Total:	17	17

Third Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
BENG 36503 Global Bio-Energy Engineering	3
BENG 37303 Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems	3
BENG 36603 Biological Engineering Methods II	3
Choose one:	4
CHEM 36053 Organic Chemistry I & CHEM 36051 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory
CHEM 26103 Organic Physiological Chemistry (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1224 Lecture) & CHEM 26101 Organic Physiological Chemistry Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1224 Lab)
CVEG 32103 Hydraulics or MEEG 35003 Mechanics of Fluids or CHEG 21303 Fluid Mechanics	3
BENG 37303 Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems		3
BENG 31103 Measurement and Control for Biological Systems		3
CVEG 32203 Hydrology		3
Biological Elective		3
Technical Elective		3
Year Total:	16	15

Fourth Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
BENG 48102 Senior Biological Engineering Design I	2
BENG 48301 Biological Engineering Professionalism	1
BENG 47403 Food and Bio-Product Systems Engineering	3
BENG 49303 Sustainable Watershed Engineering	3
Humanities Elective - Choose one course from the list below (Satisfies General Education Outcomes 3.2 and 5.1)²	3
Social Science Elective-choose any course listed on the State Minimum Core.	3
BENG 48203 Senior Biological Engineering Design II (Satisfies General Education Outcome 6.1)		3
BENG 46603 Sustainable Biosystems Designs		3
Technical Elective (Engineering)		3
Fine Arts Elective - Choose one course from the list below (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.1)³		3
Social Science Elective - choose any course listed on the State Minimum Core.		3
Technical Elective		3
Year Total:	15	18

Total Units in Sequence:		128

¹: This Social Science Elective should be selected from the following courses in order to meet State Minimum Core and the General Education Outcome 4.1: ANTH 10203, COMM 10203, GEOG 21003, GEOG 210H3, HDFS 14003, HDFS 24103, HDFS 26003, HIST 11193, HIST 111H3, HIST 11293, HIST 112H3, HIST 20903, HUMN 111H4, HUMN 211H4, PLSC 20103, or RESM 28503.
²: The Humanities Elective should be selected from the following courses in order to meet State Minimum Core and the General Education Outcomes 3.2 and 5.1: CLST 10003, CLST 10103, PHIL 20003, PHIL 200H3, PHIL 21003.
³: The Fine Arts Elective should be selected from the following courses in order to meet State Minimum Core and the General Education Outcome 3.1: ARHS 10003, COMM 10003, DANC 10003, MUSC 10003, MUSC 100H3, MUSC 10103, MUSC 101H3, MUSC 13303, THTR 10003, or THTR 10103.

Requirements for B.S. in Biological Engineering with Environmental Concentration

Students are required to complete 40 hours of upper division courses (3000-4000 level). It is recommended that students consult with their academic adviser when making course selections.

Requirements for B.S. in Biological Engineering with Environmental Concentration

Diverse applications of biological engineering can be pursued through elective coursework. Each student is required to complete 12 semester hours of biological/engineering/technical electives that are relevant to their career goals. Students may choose to pursue the Environmental Concentration within the B.S. in Biological Engineering by carefully choosing their electives to fit the special requirements for the concentration. At least 3 hours must be selected from a list of acceptable biological electives for the environmental concentration. Two 3-hour elective slots are fulfilled by choosing CVEG 32403 and CVEG 42403, see below. The remaining 3 hours of technical electives can be selected from a set of engineering, biology, agriculture, sustainability, and other science/technical areas. A list of acceptable technical electives, for the environmental concentration, is maintained by the department.

Students are required to complete 40 hours of upper division courses (3000-4000 level). It is recommended that students consult with their academic adviser when making course selections.

Requirements for Environmental Concentration

Complete 12 hours from the following courses:

CVEG 32403	Environmental Engineering	3
CVEG 42403	Environmental Engineering Design	3
Biological Electives ¹		3
Technical Electives ¹		3

¹: A list of biological and technical electives for the Environmental Concentration is maintained by the department.

Biological Engineering B.S. with Environmental Concentration

Eight-Semester Degree Program

The Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering with Environmental Concentration program is eligible for students who want to participate in an Eight Semester Degree Program. See the Eight-Semester Degree Policy for more details. The plan below lists a semester-by-semester sequence of courses to finish the degree in eight semesters. State minimum core courses for engineering are listed at the bottom of this page. Students may submit a maximum of 4 hours of “D” in BENG courses for their degree.

Some courses are not offered every semester, so students who deviate from the suggested sequence must pay careful attention to course scheduling and course pre-requisites.

First Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
GNEG 11101 Introduction to Engineering I	1
ENGL 10103 Composition I (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1013) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 1.1)	3
CHEM 14103 University Chemistry I (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1414 Lecture)	3
MATH 24004 Calculus I (ACTS Equivalency = MATH 2405) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 2.1)	4
U.S. History or Government Elective - Choose one course from the following (Satisfies General Education Outcomes 3.3 and 4.2):	3
HIST 20003 History of the American People to 1877 (ACTS Equivalency = HIST 2113) or HIST 20103 History of the American People, 1877 to Present (ACTS Equivalency = HIST 2123) or PLSC 20003 American National Government (ACTS Equivalency = PLSC 2003)
GNEG 11201 Introduction to Engineering II		1
ENGL 10303 Technical Composition II (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1023) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 1.2)		3
Freshman Engineering Science Elective		4
CHEM 14203 University Chemistry II (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lecture) & CHEM 14201 University Chemistry II Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lab) or BIOL 10103 and BIOL 10101
MATH 25004 Calculus II		4
PHYS 20304 University Physics I (ACTS Equivalency = PHYS 2034)		4
Year Total:	14	16

Second Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
BENG 26302 Biological Engineering Design Studio	2
MATH 26004 Calculus III	4
Sophomore Science Elective (whichever has not been taken)	4
CHEM 14203 University Chemistry II (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lecture) & CHEM 14201 University Chemistry II Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lab) or BIOL 10103 and BIOL 10101	4
MEEG 20003 Statics	3
PHYS 20404 University Physics II (ACTS Equivalency = PHYS 2044 Lecture)	4
BENG 26403 Biological Engineering Methods I		3
MATH 25804 Elementary Differential Equations		4
BIOL 20003 General Microbiology (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2004 Lecture) & BIOL 20001 General Microbiology Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2004 Lab)		4
MEEG 24003 Thermodynamics or CHEG 23103 Thermodynamics of Single-Component Systems		3
Social Science Elective - Choose one course from the list below (Satisfies General Education Outcome 4.1)¹		3
Year Total:	21	17

Third Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
BENG 36503 Global Bio-Energy Engineering	3
BENG 36603 Biological Engineering Methods II	3
BENG 37303 Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems	3
Choose one:	4
CHEM 36053 Organic Chemistry I & CHEM 36051 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory
CHEM 26103 Organic Physiological Chemistry (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1224 Lecture) & CHEM 26101 Organic Physiological Chemistry Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1224 Lab)
CVEG 32103 Hydraulics or MEEG 35003 Mechanics of Fluids or CHEG 21303 Fluid Mechanics	3
BENG 37203 Unit Operations in Biological Engineering		3
BENG 31103 Measurement and Control for Biological Systems		3
CVEG 32203 Hydrology		3
Biological Elective (Environmental, choose from a list maintained by the department.)		3
Engineering Elective (Environmental), must choose:		3
CVEG 32403 Environmental Engineering
Year Total:	16	15

Fourth Year	Units
	Fall	Spring
BENG 48102 Senior Biological Engineering Design I	2
BENG 48301 Biological Engineering Professionalism	1
BENG 47403 Food and Bio-Product Systems Engineering	3
BENG 49303 Sustainable Watershed Engineering	3
Humanities Elective - Choose one course from the list below (Satisfies General Education Outcomes 3.2 and 5.1)²	3
Social Science Elective - Choose any course listed on the State Minimum Core.	3
BENG 48203 Senior Biological Engineering Design II (Satisfies General Education Outcome 6.1)		3
BENG 46603 Sustainable Biosystems Designs		3
Technical Elective (Environmental), must choose:		3
CVEG 42403 Environmental Engineering Design
Fine Arts Elective - Choose one course from the list below (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.1):³		3
Social Science Elective - Choose any course listed on the State Minimum Core.		3
Technical Elective (Environmental, choose from a list maintained by the department.)		3
Year Total:	15	18

Total Units in Sequence:		132

¹: This Social Science Elective should be selected from the following courses in order to meet State Minimum Core and the General Education Outcome 4.1: ANTH 10203, COMM 10203, GEOG 21003, GEOG 210H3, HDFS 14003, HDFS 24103, HDFS 26003, HIST 11193, HIST 111H3, HIST 11293, HIST 112H3, HIST 20903, HUMN 111H4, HUMN 211H4, PLSC 20103, or RESM 28503.
²: The Humanities Elective should be selected from the following courses in order to meet State Minimum Core and the General Education Outcomes 3.2 and 5.1: CLST 10003, CLST 10103, PHIL 20003, PHIL 200H3, or PHIL 21003.
³: The Fine Arts Elective should be selected from the following courses in order to meet the State Minimum Core and the General Education Outcome 3.1: ARHS 10003, COMM 10003, DANC 10003, MUSC 10003, MUSC 100H3, MUSC 10103, MUSC 101H3, MUSC 13303, THTR 10003, or THTR 10103.

Costello, Thomas A., Ph.D. (Louisiana State University), M.S.Ag.E., B.S.Ag.E. (University of Missouri-Columbia), Associate Professor, 1986, 1992.
Haggard, Brian Edward, Ph.D. (Oklahoma State University), M.S. (University of Arkansas), B.S. (Missouri University of Science and Technology), Professor, 2006, 2011.
Henry, Christopher Garrett, Ph.D. (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), M.S., B.S. (Kansas State University), Associate Professor, 2011, 2018.
Kim, Jin-Woo, Ph.D. (Texas A&M University), M.S. (University of Wisconsin-La Crosse), B.S. (University of Iowa), Professor, 2001, 2011.
Li, Yanbin, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University), M.S. (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), B.S. (Shenyang Agricultural University), Distinguished Professor, Tyson Endowed Chair in Biosensing Engineering, 1989, 2003.
Liang, Yi, Ph.D. (University of Alberta, Canada), M.S., B.S. (China Agricultural University, Beijing, China), Associate Professor, 2007, 2014.
Matlock, Marty D., Ph.D., M.S., B.S. (Oklahoma State University), Professor, 2001, 2009.
McVey, Thomas Matthew, M.S. (Penn State University), B.S. (University of Arkansas), Instructor, 2022.
Osborn, G. Scott, Ph.D. (North Carolina State University), M.S., Ag.E., B.S. (University of Kentucky), Associate Professor, 2001, 2007.
Runkle, Benjamin R.K., Ph.D., M.S. (University of California–Berkeley), B.S. (Princeton University), Assistant Professor, 2014.
VanDevender, Karl, Ph.D. (University of Arkansas), M.S., B.S. (Mississippi State University), Professor, 1995, 2004.
Verma, Lalit R., Ph.D. (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), M.S. (University of Montana), B. Tech. (J.N. Agricultural University, Jabalpub, India), Professor, 2000.
Wang, Dongyi, Ph.D. (University of Maryland), B.S. (Fundan University, Shanghai, China), Assistant Professor, 2021.
Zhu, Jun, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), M.S., B.S. (Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China), Professor, 2013.

Courses

BENG 26302. Biological Engineering Design Studio. 2 Hours.

Application of the engineering design process to projects involving living systems. Projects are team-based open-ended design with hands-on construction and testing of design prototypes. Emphasis is placed on understanding, quantifying and controlling complex interacting living systems involving humans, animals, plants and microbes with the goal of creating economically and ecologically sustainable systems. 4 hours of design studio per week. Pre- or Corequisite: PHYS 20304 and BIOL 10103 and BIOL 10101, and (GNEG 11101 or GNEG 11003). (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 26403. Biological Engineering Methods I. 3 Hours.

Introduction to software techniques for the graphical and geo-spatial representation of processes, structures, devices, landscapes and watersheds in biological engineering. Process layout and process flow diagrams. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional scale drawings and models. Elements of engineering drawings and plans. Mapping and introduction to geographic information systems. Surface topography, digital elevation modeling, spatial land use, soils and other GIS data sources. Stream networks, watershed delineation, grade planning and introductory runoff modeling. Introductory land surveying. Geo-referencing and integrating designed hydrologic structures with GIS-based site maps. Communicating complex designed systems. Two hours of lecture plus one 3-hour lab per week. Corequisite: Lab component. Prerequisite: PHYS 20304. (Typically offered: Spring)

BENG 31103. Measurement and Control for Biological Systems. 3 Hours.

Principles of sensors, instruments, measurements, controls, and data acquisition systems, with emphasis on applications for biological systems; including basic circuit analysis, sensor calibration and hardware selection. Basic process monitoring and control methods, including hardware and software. Lecture 2 hours, laboratory 3 hours per week. Corequisite: Lab component. Prerequisite: PHYS 20404. (Typically offered: Spring)

BENG 311H3. Honors Measurement and Control for Biological Systems. 3 Hours.

BENG 36503. Global Bio-Energy Engineering. 3 Hours.

Global energy sources with a focus on renewable energy, solar and biomass derived fuels. Biomass energy production from crops and organic residues or waste products. Conversion of biomass to usable fuels. Utilization of renewable energy in society. Includes detailed systems analyses to examine inputs, efficiencies, usable outputs and by-products. Systems design to select and integrate components which meet client needs while maximizing sustainable global impacts. Three hours of lecture per week. Pre- or Corequisite: MEEG 24003 or CHEG 23103. (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 365H3. Honors Global Bio-Energy Engineering. 3 Hours.

Global energy sources with a focus on renewable energy, solar and biomass derived fuels. Biomass energy production from crops and organic residues or waste products. Conversion of biomass to usable fuels. Utilization of renewable energy in society. Includes detailed systems analyses to examine inputs, efficiencies, usable outputs and by-products. Systems design to select and integrate components which meet client needs while maximizing sustainable global impacts. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: Honors standing. Pre- or corequisite: MEEG 24003 or CHEG 23103. (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 36603. Biological Engineering Methods II. 3 Hours.

Modeling biological processes to predict system behavior as part of the design process. Development and use of spreadsheets and script programming code to represent biological phenomena and processes. Introduction to experimental design as applied to biological processes, including data collection and analysis, and elementary statistics. Use of engineering economics to aid comparisons of alternatives. Analysis of engineering designs and management practices to best meet the needs of society and the client in areas of sustainable water, food and energy systems. Lecture 2 hours and lab 3 hours per week. Corequisite: Lab component. Prerequisite: PHYS 20304 and MATH 25004. (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 37203. Unit Operations in Biological Engineering. 3 Hours.

Design of basic unit operations typical of biological engineering practice; unit operations include pump-pipe, fan-duct, moist air (psychrometric) processes (cool/heater/humidifier/dryer), air mixing, aeration, and refrigeration; unit operations design will account for unique constraints imposed by biological systems. Lecture 2 hours and lab 3 hours per week. Corequisite: Lab component. Prerequisite: (MEEG 24003 or CHEG 23103) and (CVEG 32103 or CHEG 21303 or MEEG 35003). (Typically offered: Spring)

BENG 37303. Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems. 3 Hours.

Basic principles governing transport of energy and mass. Estimating transfer of energy (heat) through solid bodies and liquid/gas boundary layers through conduction, convection, and radiation. Modeling the rates at which biological reactions occur (kinetics). Estimating the transfer of diffusing mass (gas or liquid) through solid bodies and liquid/gas boundary layers, including processes such as drying and oxygen diffusion. Three hours lecture per week. Pre- or Corequisite: (CVEG 32103 or MEEG 35003 or CHEG 21303) and MATH 25804. Prerequisite: (MEEG 24003 or CHEG 23103). (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 41203. Biosensors & Bioinstrumentation. 3 Hours.

Principles of biologically based sensing elements and interfacing techniques. Design and analysis methods of biosensing and transducing components in bioinstrumentation. Applications of biosensors and bioinstrumentation in bioprocessing, bioenvironmental, biomechanical and biomedical engineering. Lecture 2 hours, laboratory 3 hours per week. Corequisite: Lab component. Prerequisite: BIOL 20003 or BIOL 25473 and BENG 31103. (Typically offered: Spring Odd Years)

BENG 4500V. Special Problems. 1-4 Hour.

Problems in biological engineering are pursued in detail. Prerequisite: Instructor consent. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for up to 4 hours of degree credit.

BENG 450HV. Honors Special Problems. 1-4 Hour.

Problems in biological engineering are pursued in detail. Prerequisite: Instructor consent and honors standing. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for up to 4 hours of degree credit.
This course is equivalent to BENG 4500V.

BENG 451HV. Honors Thesis. 1-6 Hour.

Honors thesis. Prerequisite: Honors candidacy. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer)

BENG 4520V. Special Topics in Biological Engineering. 1-6 Hour.

Special topics in biological engineering not covered in other courses. Prerequisite: Engineering student. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 8 hours of degree credit.

BENG 46603. Sustainable Biosystems Designs. 3 Hours.

Process and methodologies associated with measuring, assessing, and designing sustainable systems in water, energy and food. Quantitatively rigorous methodology for life cycle analysis (LCA) for inventory, assessment and impact analyses. Use of other systems analyses and process control theory to evaluate and design sustainable systems. Application of the methods to a project to gain experience in defining, quantifying and utilizing sustainable metrics. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: BENG 36503. (Typically offered: Spring)

BENG 47403. Food and Bio-Product Systems Engineering. 3 Hours.

Sustainable bio-product engineering through biosystem design, analysis, modeling, control, and optimization. Life cycle phases for bio-products (food, fiber, feed, and fuel). System analysis of inputs and outputs of energy, water and mass for the purpose of producing and processing biomass for human uses. Advanced bio-process design topics to utilize enzymes, cells, tissues and organisms to create bio-products and methods for deactivating biological agents to preserve the quality and safety of food and other bio-products. Three hours lecture per week. Pre- or corequisite: BENG 37303. Prerequisite: BENG 37203. (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 474H3. Honors Food and Bio-Product Systems Engineering. 3 Hours.

Sustainable bio-product engineering through biosystem design, analysis, modeling, control, and optimization. Life cycle phases for bio-products (food, fiber, feed, and fuel). System analysis of inputs and outputs of energy, water and mass for the purpose of producing and processing biomass for human uses. Advanced bio-process design topics to utilize enzymes, cells, tissues and organisms to create bio-products and methods for deactivating biological agents to preserve the quality and safety of food and other bio-products. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: BENG 37203 and honors standing. Pre- or corequisite: BENG 37303. (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 48102. Senior Biological Engineering Design I. 2 Hours.

Initiation of comprehensive two-semester team-design projects to design processes, devices and systems to meet needs of clients in sustainable water, food and energy. Practice in following the design process, including the definition of design objectives and constraints, establishing functions and performance criteria, generating alternatives and evaluating alternatives through analysis, modeling and prototype testing; exploring relevant design considerations including performance, efficiency, costs, environmental impacts, sustainability and stewardship, safety and ethics. Developing analytic capability; and practicing design optimization to find best alternative for the client. Lecture 1 hour, laboratory 3 hours per week. Corequisite: Lab component. Pre- or corequisite: (BENG 47403 and BENG 49303) or Instructor consent. (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 48203. Senior Biological Engineering Design II. 3 Hours.

Completion of comprehensive two-semester team-design projects to design processes, devices and systems to meet needs of clients in sustainable water, food and energy. Focus on building of prototypes or models, system optimization, evaluation and improvement. Final design details packaged to meet the needs of the client. Interaction with appropriate persons from other disciplines. Written and oral reporting. Communications with peers, supervisor, clients and the public. Lecture 1 hour per week, two 2-hour lab periods per week. Prerequisite: BENG 48102. Corequisite: Lab component. (Typically offered: Spring)

BENG 48301. Biological Engineering Professionalism. 1 Hour.

Preparation to be job-ready, employable and successful in transition to a professional career and further study in Biological Engineering. Introduction to job and graduate study searches. Professional and ethical responsibilities; professional registration. Conflict, change and project management. Effective communications and interactions with supervisors, peers, clients, and stakeholders. Two hour discussion section per week. Prerequisite: Senior standing. (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 49303. Sustainable Watershed Engineering. 3 Hours.

Provides students with expertise in using advanced tools in watershed monitoring, assessment, and design. Builds on core competencies in hydrology and hydraulics to allow student to evaluate water used by sector in water management regions; evaluate and quantify water demands by sector with emphasis on irrigation; develop risk-based simulations of hydrologic processes, including precipitation, evapo-transportation, infiltration, runoff, and stream flow; quantify and simulate constituent loading to watersheds using GIS-based models, and understand the applications of these methods in water resource management policy. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: CVEG 32203. (Typically offered: Fall)

BENG 493H3. Honors Sustainable Watershed Engineering. 3 Hours.

BENG 49603. Modeling Environmental Biophysics. 3 Hours.

Interactions between the biosphere and the atmosphere. Connecting the physical environment of solar energy, wind, soil, and hydrology to the biosphere through plant ecophysiology. Boundary layer meteorology, photosynthesis and boundary layer modeling strategies, and the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Instrumentation, measurement and modeling strategies for understanding leaf-, landscape- and regional behaviors; and, the transfer, kinetics, and balance of momentum, energy, water vapor, CO2, and other atmospheric trace gases between the landscape (vegetation and soil) and the atmosphere. Applications in sustainable agriculture, irrigation, land and water resources, and modeling plant water use and carbon uptake strategies. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: MATH 25004 and (BENG 49303 or CVEG 32203). (Typically offered: Spring Even Years)

BENG 49703. Practice in Water Quality Monitoring and Analysis. 3 Hours.

Application of water quality principles to a real world problem. Team project experience developing quality assurance project plans, designing monitoring systems, selecting chemical analysis methods, estimating loads, performing trend analysis, basic model calibration and validation, and technical report writing and oral presentations. Working with various clientele to analyze water quality data in the context of evaluating real-world problems and issues. Technical course intended for students in engineering, environmental sciences, agriculture and biology. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: CVEG 32103 or instructor's consent to allow interdisciplinary student teams. (Typically offered: Spring Odd Years)