A message from the Department Head
Hua Zhao
The multilayer colors of fall were absolutely astonishing this year prior to the first snow of the season. This reminded me to dig out my winter clothes. I am very pleased to present you with this edition of the BBE newsletter. I want to thank Rachel Kraft Mattson for a great job putting this issue together!
I was very pleased to meet and connect with many of our alums/advisory council members, donors, students, faculty (current and retired), and staff at the BBE Showcase on October 26.
For the Advisory Council Board of Directors, Pat Gruber from Gevo was reelected for the second term, and Joseph Schaller from Liberty Paper and Nathan Korlesky from Tetra Pak were elected as new members. We’d like to extend our congratulations to them all! I would like to thank two exiting members: Carroll Korb from Forest Products Distributors and Thomas Murphy from Liberty Paper, for their active engagements and wonderful contributions to the Board.
A beautiful speech was delivered at the Scholarship Luncheon by our alumna Leigh Henning, who graduated in 2012 from our Environmental and Ecological Engineering and is currently a water and wastewater project manager at Stantec.
My sincere gratitude goes to all scholarship donors and industry sponsors. Your generosity and commitment is key for the department to attract and retain the best students in our undergraduate and graduate programs. Continue reading Dr. Zhao's message.
Hua Zhao,
Professor and Department Head
Student Voices
"Moving the Cities" 2023 - Annabella Lau from SSM reflects on an international immersive experience
At the end of October, I had the privilege of visiting FH Muenster University of Applied Sciences for the 2023 “Moving the Cities” program. The program joined 63 students to solve a regional sustainability problem in teams with representation from over six nationalities, 11 universities, and many academic disciplines.
Split into strategically grouped teams with multi-national representation from Austria, Brazil, Chile, Germany, the UK, and the US, we were prompted to identify a problem, any problem, and present our solution in a 3-minute business proposal pitch. Furthermore, we were challenged to incorporate the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 17, “Global Partnership for Sustainable Development” in our solution.
What makes Moving the Cities distinct and uniquely valuable from other study abroad programs is how it brings students from countries around the world to work together. The open-ended nature of the prompt requires students to work closely and collaboratively for any progress. The diversity in academic backgrounds on our teams brought many perspectives and skills to the table, but also conflicting goals and interests between team members. This seems to mirror the challenges that greater international entities face when working together.
My group combined our interests in renewable energy and community engagement by working on a solution to improve electricity access in least-developed countries and chose to pilot our project in Tanzania. We proposed to connect local businesses and residences to community solar arrays where large grids weren’t accessible. To improve the system’s sustainability, and in alignment with SDG 17, we paired the solar microgrid construction with an education exchange to train community members on renewables and how to maintain the system. Continue reading Annabella's full essay.
BBSEM graduate student develops game-changing visual test for rapid disease detection
Vinni Thekkudan Novi, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering working with Associate Professor Abdennour Abbas, developed a revolutionary method for rapid disease detection in the field. The test leverages Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), a technique previously used in pathogen detection studies, akin to PCR tests but with the distinct advantage of not requiring expensive equipment.
Traditional colorimetric tests, which utilized dyes and nanoparticles in conjunction with LAMP, faced challenges related to color perception and misinterpretations, rendering them unreliable for quick field testing. These limitations confined most disease tests to laboratories that have costly equipment and longer confirmation times.
Thekkudan Novi focused on developing a clear visual test. Unlike other tests available, this innovative approach relies on the formation of intricate nanostructures in the DNA/RNA copies induced by specific chemical environments. If disease is present, a distinct and visible red pellet forms in a globular nanostructure. Samples free of disease do not exhibit these structures.
The method not only promises reliability, but also expedites the testing process, eliminating the need for expensive laboratory testing and intricate sample collection methods. It opens the door for direct field testing of diseases affecting plants, animals, and even humans. Continue reading about this rapid visual test.
BBSEM graduate student wins first place at University-wide 3-Minute Thesis competition
Watch Koushik Sampath's winning presentation on YouTube!
The Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering is proud to announce the success of Ph.D. student Koushik Sampath, who received First Place for the University-wide 3-Minute Thesis competition, held on November 10, 2023.
The 3-Minute Thesis (3MT®) challenges students to communicate the significance of their projects without the use of props or industry jargon, in just three minutes
Sampath's winning presentation, titled: "Einstein"ing the Process: From Wet to Dry Paper, demonstrated his ability to turn complex scientific research into an easy to understand and digestible three minute presentation. The presentation provided a breakdown of Sampath’s main dissertation topic on Process Intensification for Drying and Water Removal in Paper and Porous Biomaterials, which he has been working on under a Department of Energy funded project led by BBE Professor Shri Ramaswamy. Continue reading about Koushik's 3MT.
Student Spotlight
Patrick Olson is a Sustainable Systems Management major in the Sustainable Products Business Management specialization.
Learn about why Patrick chose SSM!
Mia Nelson is a Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering major in the Bioproducts Engineering specialization.
Learn about why Mia chose BBE!
BBE Discovery
Revolutionizing paper production and jet fuel for a greener future
At the end of the first "Back to the Future" film, Doc Brown throws a handful of banana peels into the "Home Fusion biofuel burner" on the back of his Delorean time machine to power his take-off into 2015. That scenario hasn't come true yet: we're not using biowaste as fuel for everyday life. But a group of University of Minnesota scientists is working on it.
Decarbonization is the current theme of Professor Shri Ramaswamy's Biobased Process and Products Engineering lab. The lab has already made progress with decarbonizing the production of paper. Funded by a three-year, $3 million grant from the United States Department of Energy, the project partners include Savannah River National Lab (SRNL), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Rapid Process Intensification and Deployment (RAPID) Institute and the US paper industry.
Paper production is a heat-intensive process that relies partly on natural gas or coal-based steam. The team is figuring out how to add acoustic and electromagnetic energy to the drying process. These innovations aim to reduce the carbon footprint of paper by 20-25%. If adopted broadly, the impact will be huge, since paper shrouds everything from breakfast cereal to Amazon deliveries.
Since 2021, the lab has also been working on a grand challenge issued by the US Department of Energy: how to produce sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) on a commercial scale. The US Department of Energy has set a goal of decarbonizing jet fuel by 2050. Ramaswamy and his team won the $3.5 million grant together with industry partners ADM, GEVO and Argonne National Laboratory.
Aviation accounts for about 2% of CO2 emissions globally. But that percentage will rise as the number of electric vehicles on the roads overtakes those with petroleum engines. Electric engines are not viable for jets, so researchers are exploring possible fuel solutions. Continue reading about BBE decarbonization projects.
Mapping cashew trees in Benin
Assistant Professor Zhenong Jin led an effort to use artificial intelligence and remote sensing to map the location of cashew trees in the West African country Benin. This is one of the first efforts to apply these technologies in smallholder tree-crop landscapes on a national scale. The publication appears in this month’s issue of the journal Remote Sensing of Environment. “Satellite remote sensing technology, particularly when combined with the prowess of AI and machine learning, presents a transformative opportunity for the developing world to guide the sustainable expansion of smallholder tree crops,” said Jin.
Cashews are a valuable agricultural product for the country’s approximately 200,000 smallholder cashew farmers, and make up about 15% of Benin’s export earnings. According to TechnoServe, a non-profit organization collaborating on this project, the detailed information of where Benin’s cashews are grown has been turned into “a dashboard for policymakers, development organizations, and the private sector to efficiently target training, cashew tree nurseries, and other resources that benefit the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.” Check out a demonstration video of the dashboard.
Alumni Spotlight
James Barsness
Bachelor of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
James Barsness is a Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering alumnus who works as Director of Engineering at Donaldson Company, Inc.
James was the first undergraduate to receive a degree from the BBE program!
Get to know our alumnus!
Awards & Honors
Administrative Director Susan Seltz receives 2023 BBE Civil Service Outstanding Service Award
This award recognizes Susan's commendable performance and exceptional contributions to the teaching, research, and service mission of the department.
Some excerpts from Susan's nomination materials capture her talents, contributions, dedication, and leadership to the BBE department.
Finance Professional Dana Lehigh receives 2022-2023 CFANS FAB Award
Dana Lehigh is the recipient of the 2022-2023 College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences Bargaining Unit Finance and Budget (FAB) Award! This award recognizes finance staff who have a commendable performance and outstanding contributions to our college.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
We are currently soliciting projects for our Spring 2025 BBE Capstone Courses. We are seeking projects for both our Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering (BBE) Students and our Sustainable Systems Management (SSM) Students.
Similar to past years, we seek open-ended problems that a team of senior students can solve in 14 weeks. This experience is essential to our student's education and provides project sponsors with the following benefits:
A team of enthusiastic young students providing creative ideas and solutions for one of your company's problems.
An opportunity to get to know and assess the skills of 3 or 4 students the entire semester.
An opportunity to mentor the next generation of engineering and sustainable systems students.
Visibility for your company at the final capstone presentations and promotional materials.
We do not ask for a funding commitment from our project sponsors; however, we do ask each sponsor to commit a minimum of one hour per week to mentor your student project team and attend final project team presentations. We believe that your involvement will improve the design process and outcomes for these projects and will be invaluable to our students and, hopefully, to your organization as well.
Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering Projects
To read more about the BBE program, the capstone course, and project sponsorship, or to submit an idea that requires engineering skills, please visit our BBE Capstone Website. It has some frequently asked questions on sponsorship, or you can go straight to the online project proposal form.
Sustainable Systems Management Projects
To read more about the SSM program, the capstone course, and project sponsorship, or to submit an idea focused on sustainable business practices, please visit our SSM Capstone Website . It has some frequently asked questions on sponsorship, or go straight to the online project proposal form.
For more information please contact:
BBE Capstone Instructor: David Schmidt. 612-709-3568, [email protected]
SSM Capstone Instructor: Natalie Hunt. 414-243-6264, [email protected]
Department Head: Hua Zhao, 612-625-5200, [email protected]
The Department is seeking nominations for both our Distinguished Alumni and Early Career Alumni Awards for 2024!
Distinguished Alumni Award
The annual BBE Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes an alumnus/alumna who has achieved professional distinction in various industries, academic and research institutions, government agencies, or non-profit organizations as evidenced by outstanding professional achievement. The candidate should have received their baccalaureate or graduate degree through the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering or its predecessor departments before merging in 2006.
Early Career Alumni Award
This award recognizes an early-career alumnus or alumna of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering (BBE), or Sustainable Systems Management (SSM) who has achieved outstanding accomplishments and demonstrated a great potential to make significant advancements in their field. The recipient must have received their baccalaureate or graduate degree through the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering within the past 10 years. Nominees will have demonstrated excellence and potential for future excellence in one or several of the following areas: (1) research and development, (2) education and outreach, (3) management and policy.
All are welcome to nominate an individual for this award and individuals can self-nominate. Please complete this nomination form to the best of your ability. The deadline for nominations is February 28, 2024. The recipient is expected to receive their award during the BBE Scholarship Gala on April 26, 2024, and give a brief speech. Nominees not receiving the current year’s award will be automatically considered in the following years.
Planned giving with the University
Planned gifts enable donors to accomplish their charitable and other goals by using estate or tax planning techniques to provide for charity and heirs in a way that maximizes the gift and minimizes taxes. Donors can make a planned gift by including the University in their will or trust, or by designating the U as a beneficiary of their retirement plan, life insurance policy, or other account. Some planned gifts can provide income to the donors or to others. Planned gifts can also be outright — when a donor makes a gift of real estate, tangible personal property, or other non-cash assets.