With an approach to science by using a holistic approach, Dr. Maria King has merged biological engineering and biotechnology with different fields and departments of Texas A&M including electrical engineering, chemical engineering, computer science, physics, mechanical and nuclear engineering as well as techniques that range from microbial analysis and pathogen detection to air sampling and computational fluid dynamics. Her work has been collaborated with outside organizations such as the United States Department of Defense, the United States Air Force, federal agencies like USDA, EPA, and industrial partners including meat processing facilities, Northrop Grumman, Schlumberger, and others. She instills in her students the desire to go beyond the standard and venture into unfamiliar territories, learning skills traditionally limited to other fields and finding new avenues to solve problems whether they are students in one of her classes or research assistants from all levels conducting studies in her lab. If she is not found in her office, then she is most likely engaging with students in the class or working with them in her research lab.
Dr. King sampling for swine influenza virus in the pig pans at the Ohio State Fair.
Dr. Robert G. Hardin IV is a former departmental student who has returned to Aggieland, joining our department from his work in industry. After graduating from Texas A&M, Dr. Hardin worked in Mississippi at a USDA Research laboratory for cotton ginning. When an opening came to become a professor within the BAEN department, Dr. Hardin said it was the right time for him to come back. He is grateful for the opportunity to teach at Texas A&M and expand his research and work with graduate students. Currently, his research focuses on process engineering, including the drying and material handling of cotton, and would like to expand this to other agricultural commodities as well. Dr. Hardin also plans to do research on precision agriculture, specifically focusing on data processing and analysis.
Dr. Hardin collecting cotton samples from a gin.
Dr. Janie McClurkin Moore is a new professor for the BAEN department and we are happy to welcome her to the Biological and Agricultural Engineering team. After graduating from North Carolina A&T and receiving her Doctorate from Purdue University, she decided to head somewhere warmer. Dr. Moore’s research focuses on post-harvest treatment technology (ozonation and high voltage atmospheric cold plasma) to reduce the microbes in grain or produce commodities. She also is focusing on the most effective ways to teach today’s engineering students to be the engineers of tomorrow. This includes allowing students to see the real-world practicality of what they are learning. Dr. Moore is happy to be immersed in the family atmosphere that the department brings and create a welcoming environment for students.
Dr. Moore speaking to underserved youth at the Biogas Energy AcadeMy (BEAM).
Article by Jessica Schaeffer
For details about this news story and others please contact Stormy Kretzschmar, stormyk@tamu.edu.