Bioengineering Department Where we

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Bioengineering Department Where weve
beenWhere were atWhere were going

• John Bolte Bioengineering interim head

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Where weve been

• Ag Engineering (until early 1990s)
• Bioresource Engineering (until 2002)
• Bioengineering (until ?)

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A (very) brief history

• Historically, ag engineering mission was to
  provide engineering expertise to the ag
  community
• Power and Machinery
• Structures and their Environments
• Soil and Water Management
• Waste Management

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TransitionAg to Bio

• By the early 1990s we refocused the department
  to focus on two primary emerging areas
• Water Resources Engineering
• Bioprocess Engineering
• New name Bioresource Engineering

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Bioprocess Engineering
Topic Area
Scale

• BioMECS - Cellular and molecular bioengineering
• Fermentation
• Food and seafood engineering
• Controlled atmosphere storage
• Constructed wetlands

Cell Process
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Water Resources Engineering
Topic Area
Scale

• Soil-water relationships
• Nutrient/chemical movement and
• Hazardous waste management
• Irrigation management
• Constructed wetlands
• Non-point source pollution
• Watershed and Regional hydrology
• Ecological Systems Analysis

Point Field Landscape
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Recent Developments

• BioE Undergrad/Biomedical grad 3 faculty FTE
  moved to ChE
• Extensive visioning process examining
  opportunities for merging with EnvE into new
  cross-college department
• Refocusing research directions
• Exploring new undergrad opportunities

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Current focus areas
Bioresource Engineering
Water Resource Engineering
Vadose Zone Processes

• BioMECS
• Molecular and
• Cellular
• Bioengineering

Watershed Analysis
Irrigation Management
Watershed Restoration
Waste Management
Postharvest Processing and Storage
Global/Regional Water Cycles
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Bioengineering Research (2000-2002)
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Major Research Areas

• BioMECS (DARPA, NSF, gt3M)
• Cellular and Metabolic Engineering
• Cytosensor Project
• Pathogen Detection
• Sensor Fusion and Bioinformatics
• Nano Initiative
• Water and Watersheds (NSF, EPA, USDA)
• Coupled Human/Natural Riverine Systems (NSF
  Biocomplexity, 1.8M)
• Restoration Planning and Prioritization (EPA,
  880K)
• Hanford Integrated Field/Lab/Modeling (DOE,
  400K)
• Water Quality Extension and Research (150K)
• Other
• Ecological Modeling Technology (EPA, 250K)
• IGERT Subsurface Biology participant and housing
• Waste Management Initiative

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Focus on Interdisciplinary Activities

• Projects
• BioMECS (COE, CAS, COS)
• BioNano (with UO Nanotechnology group)
• NSF Biocomplexity (OSU BioE, FW, Anth, UO
  Landscape Architecture)
• Watershed Restoration (BioE, Geo, FW, IPPC,
  Anth, AREC)
• Ecosystems Modeling Technology (BioE, CS)
• Pacific Northwest Ecosystems Research Consortium
  (FW, EPA, BioE, others)
• Programs
• Water Resources Engineering Grad Program (BioE,
  CCEE, FE, Geo?)
• Bioengineering Grad Program (BioE, ChE, FE?, FST?
  EnvE?, ME? )
• Others
• IGERT Subsurface Biology Participant
• CCEE Environmental Engineering Group

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Where we want to go

• Strategic plan drivers
• Be consistent with CAS/COE goals
• Recognize reduced state resources
• Be nimble, entrepreneurial, use small size to
  advantage
• Focus on huge opportunities
• Focus on student/market demand
• Build options for external support
• Do a few things exceptionally well

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Opportunities

• Pretty clear at this point
• BioMECS/BioNano - huge
• 4 Ws - Water/Watersheds/Water Quality/Waste
  Management
• Natural Resources build on OSU, department
  strengths multidisciplinary activities
• Undergraduate Ecological Engineering
• Partnerships with COE, COF, COS?

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Ecological/Biosystems Engineering What is it?

• Ecosystem restoration
• Watershed management and enhancement
• Integrated riparian ecosystems
• Integrated waste treatment systems
• Phytoremediation and bioremediation
• Industrial ecology
• Constructed wetland and tidal marshlands
• Mitigation of non-point source contamination

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Ecological/Biosystems Engineering Undergraduate
Opportunities

• Options
• Certificate option offered in conjunction EnvE,
  FE?
• Track within current EnvE program
• Full BioE Undergrad program
• Modular/Distance Ed opportunity

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Ecological/Biosystems Engineering Undergraduate
Opportunities

• What we need to get there
• Riparian/Wetlands Engineer (currently frozen)
• Bioengineer (currently evaluating candidates)
• Feedback from Deans group
• Coordination with COE (ABET certification)

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Other Constraints/Concerns

• Retirements (4 recent or within sight)
• Moore Waste Management
• Miner Water Quality, Waste Management
• English Irrigation (only one in state)
• Hellickson Post Harvest Processing
• Resolution of Remaining BioE/ChE issues (space,
  equipment)
• Stability

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Questions/Issues

• Undergrad program(s) how best to proceed?
• Grad Bioengineering program need to conclude
  conversations on administrative structure.
• Alignment with CAS Strategic Intent?
• Status of 2nd Bioengineering (Provosts)
  position?
• CAS/COE 2.0 FTE swap?
• EnvE Relationship?
• Refilling Extension positions?
• Does Size Matter? (or, what if anything is an
  appropriate administrative structure/approach for
  a small department?)

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Bigger Questions/Issues

• How best to move towards more integrated,
  multidisciplinary programs?
• Workload Model or more generally, how do we
  increase accountability/rewards/incentives?
• How to streamline administration/support?
• How to identify donors/market programs?
• How to fund grad students through more
  nontraditional mechanisms?
• Whats the right administrative approach for
  multidisciplinary programs?

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