A message from the Department Head
I cannot believe the fall semester is around the corner! Hope you had time to enjoy your summer and spend more time with your family!
This fall, our BBE family is welcoming two new faculty: Dr. Bo Wang as an Assistant Professor of Biochemical Engineering, and Dr. Veluchamy Chitraichamy as a Research Assistant Professor of Bio-utilization and Ecological Energetics (located at WCROC in Morris).
Congratulations to Dr. Zhenong Jin for being promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, to Joe Magner for accepting the prestigious Dave Ford Award, and to Omar Espinoza for receiving the 2024 Award for Excellence in Academic Unit Service!
This summer, Dr. Shri Ramaswamy and I visited Schwan’s Company, ADM, and Andersen Windows & Doors. Thanks to the hospitality of these corporations, we toured their R&D centers and/or manufacturing sites, and had a chance to provide some BBE updates. We hope to strengthen our connections with them and many other industries since they recruit many of our students for internships and jobs, and support our undergraduate and graduate scholarships or fellowships.
Our department review is coming up this fall, and external reviewers will visit us on September 30 and October 1. Many of you will be invited to meet with them to provide feedback and suggestions.
In this issue of the BioBriEf, we feature Professor Bruce Wilson's life-long career and contributions to BBE and the community of water resources and ecological engineering. We also share with you the journey of Erik Lucas and Nicole Witt, two recent SSM graduates, and their passion in pursuing graduate degrees at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in Norway. You will also hear some updates from the Erosion and Stormwater Certification Program.
Finally, please save your date for our BBE Showcase on October 24th, and visit the BBE table at the State Fair today, August 27th and the 31st from 3-6PM! I am looking forward to seeing you this fall!
Hua Zhao, Professor and Head
Student Voices
From Minnesota to Norway: How two SSM graduates are shaping a sustainable future
As the world grapples with climate change, a new generation of leaders is emerging, equipped with the knowledge and passion to make an impact. Among them are Nicole Witt and Erik Lucas, both alumni of the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems’s Sustainable Systems Management (SSM) program. Now pursuing graduate studies in Norway, they reflect on how their education has pushed them to seek change in the environmental sector.
For Nicole Witt, the decision to major in SSM was driven by a desire to explore different aspects of the sustainability field. “I liked that the program was a bit generalist and covered many topics in regards to sustainability,” she recalls. This broad foundation allowed her to dive into various aspects of the sector before honing in on the Energy Systems specialization in the major.
Erik Lucas, who double-majored in Applied Economics and SSM with a focus on corporate sustainability, was motivated by a different goal. He saw the potential to make a significant impact by working within corporations to improve their environmental footprint. Continue reading the full story.
BBE Discovery
Retiring Professor Bruce Wilson reflects on a career fostering the next-generation of problem-solvers
As Prof. Bruce Wilson retires from teaching, he is very optimistic about the future, despite the huge challenges of feeding a growing, warming planet.
"The students I've worked with recently are the best bunch of students I've worked with throughout my career. And that is good, because we have big challenges," Wilson said recently.
"The effects of all that plumbing are good for farming but not so good for filtering sediment from going into our waterways." Half of Minnesota's wetlands have disappeared since 1900.
Erosion, the removal of soil from the source to another point, is the largest contaminant in our water systems. All that water washes away materials like phosphorus, found in fertilizer, which harm rivers and streams. The sheer volume of water can change the course of rivers, taking away natural habitats.
By the time Wilson came to the University of Minnesota 50 years ago as an undergraduate, he had seen the lake at the edge of his family farm silt up completely. He wanted to do something positive for the environment, so he applied his knowledge of agriculture and interest in science to agricultural engineering, eventually earning a PhD. For more than 30 years, he has researched and taught water resources and ecological engineering.
BBE and U of M researchers co-lead new national center to accelerate urban stormwater research
The University of Minnesota is one of four new Stormwater Centers of Excellence. John Chapman and Rebecca Forman of the BBE Erosion and Stormwater Management Program are part of the project team, which includes several faculty and researchers from the U of M and University of New Hampshire.
The U of M/UNH team is the Cold Climate Center of Excellence for Stormwater Infrastructure Technology, or CCCESIT. The CCCESIT is expected to be funded at $1.5 Millon per year for 5 five years and is one of the first national stormwater centers established by the federal government. Nearly $700,000 of funding will be allocated to the U of M in the first year for research and training on various stormwater topics. The other Stormwater Centers of Excellence will be located in Oklahoma, Nevada, and Maryland. Read more about the stormwater research.
BBE researchers unveil innovative microbial approach for plastic biodegradation
A recent study by researchers from the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, led by Dr. Brett Barney, has made significant strides in the fight against plastic pollution.
The team developed a new method to isolate and enrich microbial communities capable of biodegrading polyethylene, one of the most common and persistent plastics. By using a polyethylene surrogate, they identified specific bacterial strains that can break down this durable material within weeks, offering a potential pathway for accelerating plastic degradation in the environment. This groundbreaking work could pave the way for innovative solutions to reduce plastic waste and its impact on ecosystems worldwide. Read the full research article.
Awards & Honors
Professor Omar Espinoza receives 2024 Award for Excellence in Academic Unit Service
Sustainable Systems Management Professor, Omar Espinoza, is the recipient of the 2024 Award for Excellence in Academic Unit Service for outstanding contributions to his academic unit. This award recognizes exceptional service that has strengthened the functioning and climate of the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. This is the second year of the award, which is a collaborative initiative of the Provost's Office and the Faculty Consultative Committee.
The Award for Excellence in Academic Unit Service recognizes ongoing institutional service at the local level. One award is available for a member of the faculty (tenure system, term/contract/clinical, instructional or research academic professional) in each department or unit, systemwide; these nominations are made by the chairs or heads of departments and other units.
Research professor Joe Magner 2024 recipient of Dave Ford Award
Joe Magner is a research professor in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota. From 1981 to 2013, Magner served the people of Minnesota at the Pollution Control Agency.
As a hydrologist and research scientist, Magner led dozens of projects that developed and provided tools, guidance, modeling approaches and research findings, which have been instrumental in establishing multiple programs.
His work at the MPCA shaped Clean Water Partnership diagnostic studies, stream restoration plans, surface water/groundwater interaction assessments, best management practices (BMPs) for nonpoint source pollution, watershed assessments for TMDLs, and stream morphology improvement methods for channel stability.
Magner was the chief architect for program development of Biological Stressor BMP implementation strategies, which continue to be foundational for local watershed science and planning. Magner has boldly pioneered several innovative areas of research and development, from the deformed frog scientific assessments to multistage ditch systems.
But perhaps Magner’s biggest contribution while working with the MPCA and beyond relates to his mentoring of developing scientists. Magner has helped countless people to grow in their fields of expertise. from state and federal agency scientists, to local watershed staff, to students. In his roles at the MPCA Watershed Division, Magner oversaw and reviewed the work of several interdisciplinary teams, teaching and explaining things to help others in the watershed profession.
Magner’s collaborative approaches have not stopped at the Minnesota borders, but have extended to other states and nations. Magner leads with patience and humility, and makes people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and abilities, feel equally valued and important. Read more about the Dave Ford Award.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
BBE welcomes two new faculty members!
Bo Wang joins the department as an Assistant Professor in Metabolic Engineering, Synthetic Biology, Biomanufacturing, and Renewable Energy
Wang's research addresses engineering problems in upgrading raw materials and CO2 into a variety of value-added bio-products such as pharmaceuticals, food additives, biodegradable plastics and biofuels, which are critical to human health and the sustainability of human society.
Veluchamy Chitraichamy joins the department as Research Assistant Professor in Renewable Energy, Biomass Utilization and Conversion, Waste Valorization, and Circular Bioeconomy
Chitraichamy's research supports renewable energy production, reduces environmental pollution, lowers waste management costs for municipalities and businesses, and promotes recycling and resource recovery. This reduces dependence on fossil fuels, leading to cleaner energy sources that power homes, businesses, and vehicles, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.
Get to know Professor Chitraichamy!
Dr. Zhenong Jin promoted to Associate Professor with tenure
Zhenong Jin’s research integrates remote sensing, computational modeling, and machine learning to address agricultural and environmental sustainability under a changing climate. Before joining UMN, he received Postdoc training at Stanford University and was the Lead Crop Scientist at AtlasAI, where he directed product development of high-resolution maps of crop types and yield in multiple African countries.
Congratulations, Professor Jin!
BBE at the State Fair August 27 & 31, 3-6PM
2024 Fall Showcase Save The Date!
We cordially invite you to attend our annual Fall BBE Showcase on Thursday, October 24th from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM,
St. Paul Student Center
Please RSVP below by filling out our form. For our new members, our BBE Showcase includes: Advisory Council (AC) meetings, a scholarship recognition luncheon event, and a research poster session, and something new this year, a networking and career fair!
We are excited to be able to showcase our department's faculty, students, and their research. We look forward to your participation in some or all of these events!
The events are scheduled as follows:
- 8:30-9:00 AM - Meet and Greet– Coffee and Bagels
- 9:00-10:00 AM - Advisory Council Subcommittee Meetings
- 10:00-11:30 AM - AC General Council Meeting
- 11:30 AM-1:30 PM - Scholarship Recognition Luncheon
- 2:00-2:30 PM - AC Board Meeting *AC board members only*
- 2:30-4:30 PM - BBE Research Poster Session
- 2:30-4:30 PM - Networking and Career Fair *New this fall*
The scholarship recognition luncheon event will feature a keynote speaker, as in previous years. This year, we are also including a career fair so our students can connect directly with our industry partners. If you are interested in a table at the career fair, please fill out this form and we will be in contact regarding specific details.
For food ordering purposes, please RSVP here for the BBE Showcase by Thursday, October 10th!
We are looking forward to seeing you in-person on October 24th!
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.