A message from the Department Head
Hua Zhao
I hope you had an enjoyable summer, whether you were traveling, gathering with family and friends, or catching up on your to-do-list (work or personal). Kudos to Brett Barney for the promotion to full Professor. My special gratitude goes to Professor Ulrike Tschirner for serving as the director of undergraduate program (DUGS) for BBE engineering programs for nearly 20 years! Her dedication, passion and service are truly appreciated by the department. After she steps down in preparation for retirement, Professor Bo Hu will be the successor of this important role. Continue reading Dr. Zhao's message.
Hua Zhao,
Professor and Department Head
Student Voices
The gap year that helps an engineer's career
Taking a full year off from college can seem daunting to a lot of students, but BBE junior Eilee Keske thinks students should consider it. Especially if it is to pursue cooperative education, also known as a co-op.
This is exactly what she, and many fellow BBE students do during their sophomore or junior years. Keske started work at Sappi paper mill in Cloquet, Minnesota in June. The co-op is a 15-month appointment, where she works full time in the environmental department as a chemical engineer.
Keske has followed in the footsteps of many BBE students and is currently being trained by a classmate who is at the tail end of their co-op. Paper Science and Engineering (now known as Bioproducts Engineering) alumni Tom Radovich is currently the managing director of the mill in Cloquet, and has been a BBE advisory board member since 2021, further solidifying the Sappi and BBE connection. Continue reading about the Sappi co-op.
Student Essay: 15 months in the Sappi co-op
Written by Alex Hilde, Bioproducts Engineering Major
I started my co-op at Sappi last June, so I am wrapping up my fifteenth and final month working there. Almost two years ago, a few Sappi employees visited BBE and held an info session on the company and the openings they had for students. I was intrigued by the opportunity for many reasons. Mainly, I liked that it was for 15 months. Working for that long at one company allowed me to contribute to them significantly more than a typical internship or co-op. I was only starting to get familiar with their process by the end of last summer and I would have left unsatisfied had I been going back to school at that point.
I feel like I truly know what it is like to work as an engineer now, and that experience is golden to me as I begin to search for a job after graduating. I was very eager to know what it was like to work full time and not be in school, and I feel much more prepared for that transition now. Continue reading about Alex's co-op experience.
Student Spotlight
Julie Van is a Sustainable Systems Management major in the Corporate Sustainability Systems specialization.
Learn about why Julie chose SSM!
Cameron Borner is a Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering major in the Bioproducts Engineering specialization.
Learn about why Cameron chose BBE!
BBE Discovery
The invisible work that prevents natural disasters - stormwater management
Like public health, stormwater management is a practice that's invisible – until it fails. We all rely on a network of stormwater management experts that is below the surface. They keep us healthy and safe from disasters such as flooding, water contamination and fish die-off.
Many of those practitioners received their training at the University of Minnesota's Erosion and Stormwater Management Certification program, a part of BBE.
The UMN program is nationally recognized as the gold standard. Over the past 20 years, nearly 50,000 people in myriad occupations across the USA and abroad have come to the U to study the practice. Continue reading about stormwater management in BBE.
Alumni Spotlight
Madison King
Bachelor of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
Madison King is a Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering alumna who works as a Data Science Analyst at Pivot Bio in Colorado Springs, CO.
Awards & Honors
Professor John Nieber receives Dave Ford Award
John Nieber has a record of outstanding achievements in the management of water resources. This record includes significant contributions in teaching, research, and public service. As a professor in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota,John has served as teacher and mentor for hundreds of students. His pedagogical approach blends theoretical rigor with the realities of complex watersheds.
John has provided invaluable leadership in the Water Resources Science graduate program serving as the Director of Graduate Studies. The breadth of his research is amazing, with projects ranging from the determination of water storage volume across Minnesota landscapes to the rigorous analysis of "fingering" caused by instabilities in unsaturated flows.
John has been a leader in establishing professional registration for hydrologists. He has served on the Executive Committee and as President of the American Institute of Hydrology. John's collaborative leadership has resulted in strong working relationships with professionals working in academe, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and consulting firms. He has inspired us to reach higher and work smarter.
Professor Ulrike Tschirner receives 2023 Award for Excellence in Academic Unit Service
Professor Ulrike Tschirner is the recipient of the 2023 Award for Excellence in Academic Unit Service for her outstanding contributions to the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering.
This award recognizes exceptional service that has strengthened the function and climate of the BBE department. This is the inaugural year of the award, which is a collaborative initiative of the Provost's Office and the Faculty Consultative Committee. This award reflects the University’s desire to recognize outstanding service at the unit level.
Erosion and Stormwater Management Certification Program wraps up 21st training season
The Erosion Stormwater Management Certification Program provides certification and training to a wide audience on numerous erosion prevention and sediment control topics. This year we offered 31 sections of in-person classes and 11 different online course titles in the construction, industrial, and municipal stormwater fields. Overall, we trained 3,202 attendees this year, and we have trained 50,157 attendees since the program’s inception. Continue reading about the erosion program.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Dr. Rui Cheng joins BBE as assistant professor
Dr. Rui Cheng joins the department in a tenure-track assistant professor position in Robotics, Sensors, and Manufacturing in Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Management. Get to know the new professor!
Dr. Brett Barney promoted to full professor
Dr. Brett Barney has been promoted from associate professor to professor. Dr. Barney teaches BBE courses and manages Barney Lab, which consists of graduate and undergraduate students. His research focuses on biofuels and high value chemicals from bacteria and algae, and biofertilizers for aquaculture and nitrogen based agriculture.
BBE at the State Fair
Minnesota State Fair Agriculture Horticulture Building
1271 Underwood St, Falcon Heights, MN 55108
CFANS Sampler and Homecoming parade
Friday, September 29, 2023 | 5–7:30 p.m. | Front Lawn of Folwell Hall
CFANS & CSE Mentor Programs
Mentors do not need to be U of M graduates to participate, and mentors of all experience levels - from fresh out of college to retired - are welcome. Pairs can meet virtually or in person. The time commitment is generally 1-2 hours per month.
CFANS mentorship sign up deadline is October 2, 2023.
You will be matched with a student in early November. The program runs from November-May.
CSE mentorship sign up deadline is September 25, 2023.
You will be matched with a student in October. The program runs from October-April.
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.