Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (AST, ABE)

Van Kelley, Department Head
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Agricultural Engineering 107
605-688-5141
e-mail: van.kelley@sdstate.edu
http://www.sdstate.edu/abe/

Faculty

Associate Professor Kelley, Head; Professors Anderson, Humburg, Julson, Muthukumarappan, Pohl, Trooien; Professors Emeriti Chu, DeBoer; Hellickson, Werner; Associate Professor Todey; Assistant Professors Cortus, Gu, Hay; Assistant Professors Emeriti Pahl, Schipull

Programs

The mission of the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department is to provide a professional education at the undergraduate and graduate levels for engineers and technologists that serve agricultural, biological and environmental industries and to conduct research and provide technological leadership in engineering design and management for the agricultural community and its affiliated industries. The Department offers degrees in Ag & Biosystems Engineering (ABE), which prepares students to work with the development and design of systems that impact food sources, and in Ag Systems Technology (AST), which teaches students the practical application of new innovations in the agricultural market.

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering is the science of engineering applied to the products and processes of agriculture and related industries. Foundation courses are mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology with engineering emphasis in a wide variety of technical areas: natural resource management, irrigation and drainage, water resources development, machine dynamics and design, precision agriculture, agricultural power, properties and processing of biological materials, environmental control for livestock, indoor air quality, structures, control and disposal of agricultural wastes, computers, and instrumentation. Courses are also offered in the fields of meteorology, climatology, and micro-climatology to interested engineers and students in other colleges.

Engineering design is taught throughout the academic program beginning with the freshman ABE 122 course and culminating in a two semester, senior capstone design experience via the ABE 411 and ABE 422 courses. Senior students are members of design teams which design, build, test and demonstrate engineered products and processes. Design projects solicited from industry provide students with relevant “real world” design experience.

To earn the Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, a student must pass all courses and have an average grade of “C” or better in courses taken and required in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering curriculum and take the Fundamentals of Engineering examination prior to graduation.

The Program Educational Objectives are:

To produce engineers that are competent in methods of analysis involving use of mathematics, fundamental physical and biological sciences, engineering sciences, and in the computational skills needed for the practice of agricultural and biosystems engineering.
To produce engineers that develop design skills, including abilities necessary to think creatively, to formulate problem statements, to communicate effectively, to synthesize information, formulate solutions, and to evaluate and implement problem solutions.
To produce engineers that are capable of addressing issues of ethics, safety, professionalism, cultural diversity, globalization, environmental impact, and social and economic impact in engineering practice.
To produce engineers that will contribute to agricultural profitability through the development, adoption and proper use of improved and safer engineering technologies, production systems and management practices.

Agricultural Systems Technology graduates serve an increasingly complex agricultural industry in a wide variety of ways. These individuals have a sound fundamental knowledge of agricultural and biological sciences related to the technical, mechanical and energy aspects. This background combined with a solid understanding of the interactions between agriculture and society provides AST graduates many career opportunities. Graduates use their technological knowledge, coupled with managerial and leadership skills, to increase America’s food and energy supply. Recent past graduates are pursuing careers in renewable energy such as ethanol and bio-diesel, farm machinery and equipment, natural resources, livestock facilities and systems, and production agriculture.

Experiential Education Programs are available in the Department. Students are encouraged to supplement their formal instruction with internships (can receive graduation credit) and extra curricula activities. For Master of Science and Ph.D. programs, see the Graduate Catalog. Graduate level courses will be taught as listed and on demand.