From July 1 2008 to July 1 2009, the department
is celebrating 100 years of engineering education, research,
and extension at the University of Minnesota. The Division
of Agricultural Engineering was established on July 1 1909,
bringing together various curriculum in farm structures,
farm mechanics, and agricultural physics that had existed on
the St. Paul Campus since the late 1800s.In 1953, we were renamed from "Division" to "Department"
in keeping with other administrative changes on the St. Paul
Campus. In 1995 the Department of Agricultural Engineering
became the Department
of Biosystems
and Agricultural
Engineering.
In 2006, the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
was formed from the merger of the Departments of Biosystems
and Agricultural Engineering and Bio-based Products. Today
our vision is to be global leaders in the discovery, development,
and
application of renewable resources and sustainable technologies
to meet society's needs while enhancing the environment in
Minnesota and beyond. Over the years the department has focused on
undergraduate and graduate education, research with the Minnesota
Agricultural Experiment Station and numerous agencies and other
funders, and outreach with the University of Minnesota Extension
Service.
Early research and curricula focused on farm
machinery, irrigation and drainage, rural electrification,
and farm structures. Over the past 100 years, the department
has
kept
up with the
changing
needs
of
agriculture and the environment. Today we conduct world-class
research in a wide range of areas that contribute to sustainable
and environmentally friendly manufacturing, use, and application
of bio-based products; environmental quality; enhancement of
agricultural production; energy efficient "green" buildings,
and production of safer and healthier foods.
A series of events is planned throughout the
next months to commemorate our centennial. Stay tuned for more
information!
You can read more about the history of of the department here.
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