Biological Engineering

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Department Head: Ronald C. Sims
Location: Engineering 402G
Phone: (435) 797-2785
FAX: (435) 797-1248
E-mail: bie@usu.edu
WWW: http://www.be.usu.edu

Undergraduate Advising:

Engineering Advising Center, Engineering 314A, (435) 797-2705, katherine.grover@usu.edu

Degrees offered: Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Science (MS), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biological Engineering

Graduate areas of interest: Bioprocessing; Biofuels; Biomedical; Synthetic Biomanufacturing; Synthetic Biology; Computational Biology; Biophotonics; Sustainable Energy; Biosensing; Metabolic Engineering; Tissue Engineering

Mission

The mission of the Department of Biological Engineering is to teach students preparing to become biological engineers how to apply engineering principles and the knowledge of biological sciences to the design, test, control, and analysis of biological-engineered systems. The department prepares students for entry into biological engineering, and related professions and/or to pursue advanced degrees in engineering and related fields.

Program Educational Objectives

Program Educational Objectives describe what graduates of the Biological Engineering program are expected to attain within a few years of graduation.

The Biological Engineering Program Educational Objectives are:

1. Advance in careers, opportunities, and professions in Biological Engineering and related fields based on a solid educational background in appropriate engineering, mathematics, physical and life sciences, and liberal studies (including communication and ethics).

2. Pursue advanced degrees in engineering and related professional fields.

Student Outcomes

Biological Engineering Program outcomes are aligned with the program outcomes of all academic engineering programs in the U.S. that are provided by the EAC Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

Student Outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These relate to skills, knowledge, and behaviors that students acquire as they progress through the Biological Engineering program.

The USU Biological Engineering Program Student Outcomes are:

1.   An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering

2.   An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data

3.   An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability

4.   An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams

5.   An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

6.   An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

7.   An ability to communicate effectively

8.   The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context

9.   A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning

10. A knowledge of contemporary issues

11. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

Assessment and Evaluation

The Biological Engineering Department is committed to an assessment process aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the biological engineering programs in preparing graduates as productive professionals. The foundation of departmental assessment is the undergraduate  accreditation by the EAC Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

The continuous improvement processes that are documented and implemented annually as part of the accreditation activities in support of the ABET requirements provide for formal review of the Biological Engineering Bachelor of Science program. Assessment and evaluation is formally conducted annually through department committees including: (1) the Curriculum Committee, (2) the ABET Committee, and (3) the Biological Engineering Industry Review Board. This assessment and evaluation ensures that the Biological Engineering program meets overall objectives and structure consistent with similar programs in the United States. 

Undergraduate Programs

General biological engineering concepts include the properties of biological materials, electronics and bio-instrumentation, computer use and programming, engineering mechanics, thermodynamics, computer-aided drafting, bio-environmental transport phenomena, and fluid mechanics.

Students gain a strong foundation in engineering, biological, chemical, and physical sciences. Students are then able to choose areas of study tailored to their needs with 18 semester credits of engineering and technical electives and one-on-one academic advisement with a member of the faculty. Design is a major theme of the student’s general coursework and area of interest, with most courses including open-ended design problems. The entire design experience is brought together in a capstone design course.

The Biological Engineering program is accredited by the EAC Accreditation Commission of ABET (www.abet.org).

Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering examination, the first step in becoming a licensed professional engineer, is desired for graduation. After students have made two credible attempts to pass the national exam, a departmental exam will be administered. When passed, this departmental exam will satisfy the graduation requirement.

Requirements

Admission and Graduation Requirements

The student who is majoring in or planning to major in Biological Engineering needs to be aware of the College of Engineering requirements concerning admission to the college, pre-engineering, admission to the professional engineering program, general education, and other  academic requirements. Additional information concerning these items is given in the College of Engineering  requirements in this catalog. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of these rules and regulations.

Suggested Semester Schedule for Premedical Program

It is possible for students to combine premedical requirements with requirements for the Biological Engineering major. Some of the premedical requirements add to the total amount of credits required. This combination may be completed within five years, if the student is very diligent. Medical schools do not accept AP, CLEP, or ACT scores toward fulfillment of English Composition, Chemistry, or Biology requirements. The BS schedule is designed to satisfy the requirements without time conflicts. Students who must deviate from this schedule should  be sure to meet often with a College of Engineering advisor.

Departmental Honors

Students who would like to experience greater academic depth within their major are encouraged to enroll in departmental honors. Through original, independent work, Honors students enjoy the benefits of close supervision and mentoring, as they work one-on-one with faculty in select upper-division departmental courses. Honors students also complete a senior project, which provides another opportunity to collaborate with faculty on a problem that is significant, both personally and in the student’s discipline. Participating in departmental honors enhances students’ chances for obtaining fellowships and admission to graduate school. Minimum GPA requirements for participation in departmental honors vary by department, but usually fall within the range of 3.30-3.50. Students may enter the Honors Program at almost any stage in their academic career, including at the junior (and sometimes senior) level. The campus-wide Honors Program, which is open to all qualified students regardless of major, offers a rich array of cultural and social activities, special classes, and the benefit of Honors early registration. Interested students should contact the Honors Program, Main 15, (435) 797-2715, honors@usu.edu. Additional information can be found online at: http://www.usu.edu/honors/

Additional Information

For more information about the Bachelor of Science requirements and the sequence in which courses should be taken, see Biological Engineering - BS , available from the Biological Engineering Department, the College Advising Center (ENGR 314A) or in the online catalog.

Financial Support

Scholarships, assistantships, grants-in-aid, and work-study programs are available through the University. In addition, the department employs students to assist in engineering research and development. Cooperative education and industrial employment opportunities for students are coordinated by the University Placement Office and by the Biological Engineering Department.

Concurrent BS/Master’s Program

The concurrent BS/Master’s program allows engineering students to begin taking graduate-level classes during their senior year. This permits them to complete requirements for both the BS degree and the master’s degree concurrently during two years. Students in this program have a greater selection of graduate courses, since many graduate courses are taught during alternate years. In addition, the student’s senior design project could be applicable to a graduate design project or thesis. After completing the BS degree coursework, students in the program can earn a master’s degree in only one additional year. Both the BS and the master’s degree can generally be earned with 152 total credits, although students should note that a Plan C MS requires 3 extra credits. Finally, students with a master’s degree can expect a much higher starting salary following graduation. (For more information, see College of Engineering .)

Graduate Programs

Admission Requirements

See general admission requirements  identified in this catalog. Admission committees also consider experience, undergraduate record and curriculum, and formal recommendations. A student without an undergraduate engineering background will be required to complete selected undergraduate courses prior to or concurrently with enrollment in graduate courses.

Prerequisites for Matriculation

Students who are admitted provisionally or who have been changed from matriculated to probationary matriculated status will have their records reviewed by a faculty committee when they have completed 12 credits of coursework (among which must be formal engineering courses) or at the end of their second semester at USU. Those students who have earned a 3.0 GPA at that time and desire to be matriculated may apply to the department to have their status changed. If they meet all other academic requirements of the School of Graduate Studies and the department, they will be matriculated and admitted to the degree program. When a student is admitted as a degree candidate, the committee may allow up to 12 credits taken while on nonmatriculated status to be transferred. Nonmatriculated students may continue to study at USU but without degree candidate status. At the end of their studies, nondegree students are granted a Certificate of Completion.

Prerequisite Requirements

All students must have had formal courses in engineering and computer programming, as well as at least one year of calculus. Students without this background can satisfy these requirements by taking the appropriate undergraduate courses at USU.

Research Option

Students wishing to gain experience in research may select the research option, particularly if they have a long-term goal of PhD study. The minimum requirements for this option are 30 credits, of which 8 may be awarded for the thesis.

Technical Practice Option

Some students may not be interested in pursuing a PhD degree or in doing the research necessary for a thesis. For such students, the technical practice (Plan B) option is offered. The requirements for the degree are similar to those for the research option, with the exception of the thesis. The 8 thesis credits are replaced by 4 credits for a significant engineering report or design project and 4 additional credits of coursework. The minimum course requirement for the technical practice option is 30 approved graduate credits.

Research

Specific research projects in biological engineering include tissue and biomedical engineering related to heart stents, biosensor design and development for biomedical and bioenvironmental applications (genetic probes), microbial fermentations, biorefining (production of biofuels and bioplastics from biological feedstocks), nanobiotechnology (quantum dots), biophotonics (interactions of light with biological materials), land-based bioenvironmental sustainable systems (land application of industrial and municipal residuals for recycling, vegetative growth, soil improvement, and groundwater protection), metabolic engineering, and synthetic biological engineering.

Financial Assistance

The large and diverse departmental research programs make it possible to offer graduate financial support in the form of research assistantships, traineeships, and teaching assistantships for qualified students. Research assistantships are provided by the Biological Engineering Department and by individual research projects. Teaching assistantships are provided by the School of Graduate Studies and by the College of Engineering. It is the goal of the Biological Engineering Department to  provide research and/or teaching support for all qualified students.

Additional Information

Two guides are available from the department to assist students: (1) Report, Thesis, and Dissertation Format Guidelines and Policies, and (2) Policies and Procedures for Graduate Study.

Biological Engineering Faculty

Professors
Foster A. Agblevor, bioprocess engineering
Ronald C. Sims, biological process engineering

Research Professor
Darwin L. Sorensen, soil microbiology

Adjunct Professors
Anne J. Anderson, plant root-microbe interactions
Daryll B. DeWald, cell biology
Lawrence E. Hipps, biometeorology
Kamal Rashid, biotechnology
A. Ronald Torres, genetics of autism

Associate Professors
David W. Britt, biomedical engineering
Anhong Zhou, nanobiotechnology

Research Associate Professors
Joan E. McLean, soil chemistry
Judith L. Sims, soil biology

Adjunct Associate Professors
Scott B. Jones, soil physics
Michael J. McFarland, biosolids

Assistant Professors
Yue Cui, bionanotechnology
Soonjo Kwon, tissue engineering
Charles D. Miller, synthetic biological engineering
Jixun Zhan, metabolic engineering

Adjunct Assistant Professors
Issa Hamud, biofuels
Bryan P. Howard, biomedical engineering

Principal Lecturer
Timothy A. Taylor, bioprocess engineering

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