Bio-Based Products, and Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering

Are you interested in how materials, chemicals and energy are derived from renewable resources, including forestry and agriculture, to produce such products as corn-based plastic bags that biodegrade in 30 days, soy-based inks, and composite lumbers that are stronger and more durable and save trees?  Are you interested in how these products might be harnessed to provide clean, efficient and environment-friendly fuels to heat our homes, run our cars, and light our buildings?  Are you concerned about air and water quality?

A Bio-Based Products major, with specializations in either Marketing and Management or Residential Building Science and Technology, prepares you for a career in marketing bio-based products and resources; applying science and engineering to manufacturing of materials, chemicals and energy from renewable resources; working in the recycling industry; creating and marketing green products to customers and corporations; or utilizing building materials and construction methods to design housing that is energy efficient, healthy, and affordable.

Bio-Based Products graduates typically work as production engineers, forest product sales reps, residential construction supervisors or contractors, recycling industry managers, waste management specialists, forest products production engineers, or paper chemists. (The Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering has a very close relationship with its industry advisory council which, in part, accounts for the nearly 100% placement rates of graduates).

A Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering major prepares you for a career in developing a plan to restore a wetland or contaminated site; developing an instrumentation system to improve quality control in a food processing line; designing a process and equipment to convert biomass into energy and polymers; or working as a sales engineer to develop technical solutions to meet a client's needs.

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering graduates typically work as design engineers, test engineers, project engineers, sales or research engineers, and plant managers.

Types of Employers
*Government Agencies (USDA, Dept. of Energy, EPA)
*Architectural Firms
*Wood Products Manufacturers
*Chemical Engineering Firms (Dow Chemical, DuPont)
*Recycling and Waste Management Companies
*Environmental Products Companies (NatureWorks, Cargill)
*Paper and Related Products Companies (3M, Mead)
*Large Machinery Manufacturers
*Food Manufacturers
*Biotechnology Laboratories
*Universities and Colleges

Professional Associations and Student Organizations
Student Chapter of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI)
Student Chapter of the Paper Industry Management Association (PIMA)
Student Chapter of Forest Products Society
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers