Alumni Spotlight: Catelyn Bridges

What is your academic background? My name is Catelyn Bridges and my hometown is Omaha, NE. I received my B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018. I pursued my M.S. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering while working under Dr. Janie Moore at Texas A&M University. My thesis research focused on using a non-thermal treatment, atmospheric cold plasma, during the post-harvest processing of cottonseed meal.  Why did you choose BAEN at TAMU for your MS Degree? I chose TAMU for my MS degree because… Read More →

Dr. Searcy Retires After 40 Years of Service to Texas A&M

Dr. Stephen W. Searcy, head of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, retired on Monday, August 31, 2020, after 40 years of service. Dr. Searcy began his road to academic success by earning a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Missouri in 1974. He went on to earn  a B.S. and an M.S. in Agricultural Mechanization also from the University of Missouri in 1976. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in Agricultural  Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1980. Dr. Searcy began his… Read More →

BAEN-NCTM Collaboration on COVID-19

Dr. Nikolov, Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAEN) Professor and National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM) Director, and his graduate students, Emma Foster and Laura Soto, have been collaborating with NCTM scientists to develop an optimal production and purification process for making two recombinant versions of the COVID-19 spike protein. Laura and Emma have been working since April 2020 on the development of a reliable purification process for spike proteins. The preliminary data suggest that making 50 mg of purified protein per liter of cell culture is possible with… Read More →

Celebrating Achievements: Graduating Class May 2020

Let’s celebrate! The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering is launching a new student spotlight series titled Celebrating Achievement. Each term, the department will be highlighting the graduating class for that semester.  This edition is called Celebrating Achievement: Graduating Class May 2020.  Over the course of the next several weeks, students will be sharing a little bit about themselves, a treasured Aggie memory and their plans post-graduation.  Be sure to watch our website and social media channels.   Message from Dr. Patricia Smith, Director of BAEN Undergraduate Program… Read More →

Alumni Spotlight: Barry A. Johnson

Barry Johnson ’87 had a great experience at the university while working on his Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering. Johnson is currently the owner of Blooming Colors Nursery and Landscaping and has worked for Quaker Oats company and Kraft Foods as a Project Engineer. What degrees have you received from Texas A&M University? Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering, 1987. What drew you to Texas A&M University? The University has a reputation for having a strong engineering program with different types of engineering available to study. I wanted… Read More →

Focusing on Research in Departmental Honors Program

The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering participates in the College of Engineering Honors Program, geared towards high achieving students looking for challenging course work and an opportunity to do research. Honor’s students get an opportunity to work closely with professors on research projects all while taking a variety of engineering courses that are more challenging than their non-engineering counterparts. Drs. Patti Smith and Elena Castell-Perez co-coordinate the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Honors Track and meet with honors students once a semester to guide them through coursework and… Read More →

NEW! Parnell Faculty Fellowship Created

An endowed fund to create the Dr. Calvin B. Parnell Faculty Fellowship in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department has been established by the Wesson Family Foundation.  David Wesson, AGEN ’82, wanted to honor Dr. Calvin Parnell, who was an important mentor to David as an undergraduate. The Wesson Family Foundation entered into an agreement with the Texas A&M Foundation to make gifts that establish the Parnell Faculty Fellowship as well as a Wesson Family Foundation Matching Fund.  The Matching Fund was created to encourage others who value… Read More →

Study Food Engineering and Technology in Spain

Summer 2020 program cancelled. Please contact Dr. Elena Castell-Perez (ecastell@tamu.edu) or Dr. Rosana Moreira (rmoreira@tamu.edu) for questions or concerns.   Click here to apply. The proposed global engagement initiative is designed to provide 21st century education to students in Engineering, Food Science, and Agricultural Business Management fields. The Mission is to provide valuable experiences to TAMU students focusing in part on the future domains of Food Science and Engineering education. Through culture awareness and creativity, our students will  improve technical and soft skills essential to compete in a… Read More →

Undergraduate Summer Research Application NOW OPEN

Roll up your sleeves. Become a researcher! Program dates: May 26, 2020 — July 31, 2020 Are you an undergraduate engineering student who wants to discover innovative solutions to problems? The Undergraduate Summer Research Grant Program (USRG) at Texas A&M University will take your academic career to the next level. USRG provides an exciting and unique opportunity for undergraduate students to immerse themselves in research under the guidance of College of Engineering faculty, postdoctoral fellows and advanced graduate students. Click here to apply!

Study suggests growth-stage-based irrigation strategies for high-yielding cotton

Cotton is sensitive to water stress at different growth stages, needing water at specific times to produce a high-yielding crop. A Texas A&M AgriLife Research study investigated the best strategies to improve irrigation water-use efficiency while maintaining high yields. “Evaluation of crop-growth-stage-based deficit irrigation strategies for cotton production in the Southern High Plains,” was authored by AgriLife Research scientists Srinivasulu Ale, Ph.D., geospatial hydrologist, and Sushil Himanshu, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate, both in Vernon, and James Bordovsky, senior agricultural engineer, Halfway, along with and Murali Darapuneni, New Mexico… Read More →