About

The primary mission of the Department is to serve the College, University and State through dynamic research, education and extension programs. The focus will be on engineering for biological systems and water resources as well as related environmental issues and systems management for agricultural systems and enterprises. A particular mission is to provide Arizona residents the opportunity to obtain a degree in Biosystems Engineering. Currently, the Department Extension program is focused on agricultural water resources engineering, including water quality, with additional emphasis on agricultural machinery and energy. 

Vision

BE will be a world leader known for developing technologies and systems for the safe production of food, bioenergy, bioproducts, and biological information for sustainable use of arid and semi-arid environments.  Students, constituents, and professionals will come from across the world to participate with our programs. See the BE Strategic Plan.

Values

• Innovation: We are innovative in our solutions and how we approach engineering, life science, and data science practices to solve grand challenges.
• Inclusivity: We bring different people, ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives together to produce lasting solutions for all. It is our duty to encourage and help all to be successful.
• Interdisciplinary: We embrace on-campus collaboration to develop better solutions that address the needs of all.
• Cooperation: We forge off-campus partnerships to solve society's complex problems and improve the quality of life.
• Sustainability:   We manage use of natural resources to maintain healthy ecosystems throughout the production cycle of food, bioenergy, and bioproducts
• Connectedness: We work with industry and communities to understand tomorrow’s needs and open up opportunities for our students and alumni to help.
• Ethics: High ethical standards and sound decision-making are at the heart of our research, discovery, business, and financial practices.

Key Messages

• We develop innovative systems to sustainably feed an increasing global population.
• Our students are trained to tackle quality of life challenges including food and water availability.
• Our alumni improve the world by solving problems that require engineering, life science, and data science expertise.
• We build sustainable solutions that create resilience among society [people], the environment [planet], and the economy [profit].
• Our setting allows us to focus on the challenges arid lands present with regard to food, water, and energy demands during a time of a changing climate.

History of BE