RETROSPECT by silva young with contributions from Deane Morrison

Engineering alters face of rural America

FOR YEARS, Minnesota's agricultural and natural resources-based industries have been an icon of economic strength. Those who have played a vital role in keeping the state at the forefront of agriculture, natural resrouces, and the environment include the faculty, staff, and students of the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering (BBE)--an affiliate department in the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology. This year marks 100 years of innovative engineering education, research, and extension for the department.

Bringing bright ideas to farm life

It was just before Christmas 1923 that a group of nine farms near Red Wing, Minn., received their first taste of electrical power as part of a University research project. The researchers were interested in testing the feasibility and value of bringing electricity to rural America. They found that electricity could jolt agriculture into the modern era. Subsequently, farm life in Minnesota would never be the same. Within three years, the farmers were using electricity for everything from harvesting grain to pumping water for their barns and homes to separating cream from milk.

“One can look back 50 years from now and compare it to the Internet of today,” said Shri Ramaswamy, BBE professor and head of the department. “Rural electrification is one of the key facets by which we essentially leapfrogged the possibilities for growth. The success in Red Wing helped lead to rural electrical development nationwide.”

Founding fathers

"The First Century Forward" For a century, the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering has played a key role in many projects that hve improved life for rural Minnesotans. To learn more about what contributions the department has made in the past, we well as how the department is positioned to meet the challenges of the 21st century, visit www.bbe.umn.edu.

The University of Minnesota’s Division of Agricultural Engineering was officially created on July 1, 1909, bringing together curricula in farm structures, farm mechanics, and agricultural physics that had existed since the late 1800s. The four-year engineering curriculum was approved in 1925 and has been accredited since 1948.

By 1995, the Department of Agricultural Engineering became the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, and in 2007, the University Regents approved a merger of the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering and Bio-based Products Engineering programs forming the new Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering major, offered through the Institute of Technology.

THEN: (top photo) Undergraduates in 1919 are receiving instruction in a short course on threshing, a four-week class taught by department faculty. The “blanket test” shows how to determine whether the threshing machine is operating properly. (bottom photo) This photo from the early 1950s shows former professor Ralph Hossfeld working on wood chemistry-related research to modify wood properties and performance.

Playing an important role in putting the engineering into agriculture was William Boss who came to the School of Agriculture in 1890 as an assistant to teach students about the engineering needed to run a creamery. He eventually became an instructor in steam engineering, carpentry, power machinery, and the chief engineer for the power plant. In 1905, he became a professor of farm structures and farm mechanics, and the head of the department in 1919.

From 1919 to 1938, Boss led the division and promoted the benefits of mechanized agriculture and farming expansion. That mission continued up until the late 1960s when it became evident American farms were producing surpluses and increasingly the focus turned to addressing environmental impacts of farm-related activities—such as drainage—that were damaging the environment. One means to reduce the harm was to use natural organisms as the basis for farm-related technologies. Reflecting this focus, Agricultural Engineering became Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering.

Similarily, the lineage of forest products—the other major BBE research component—dates from the forest products program in the School of Forestry in the late 1920s. One of the founding fathers of the department and the college was Frank Kaufert who worked on the biological deterioration and preservation of wood. The forest products effort grew considerably during the 1960s. The school became the College of Forestry in 1971 with the formation of the Department of Forest Products, which changed to Wood and Paper Science and Bio-based Products, acknowledging its broader range of research and education in the science and engineering of biomass-derived materials and products.

If they could see us now

If the founding fathers could see the department now, they would be amazed by the direction it has taken. “The result is today’s BBE Department, with its focus on the key global concerns regarding the environment, energy, and sustainability,” said Ramaswamy.

NOW: Today, the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering is a leader in addressing environmental sustainability in the burgeoning bioeconomy. The department works to advance the forefront of science, engineering and management knowledge in bioproducts and biosystems.

Today, department faculty and students conduct world-class, translational and solution-driven research that ranges from molecular to ecosystem levels 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.

The BBE student has also been transformed over the years. In the past, the majority of students were young men from rural Minnesota. Now about onethird of BBE undergraduates are women and the department boasts an international faculty and draws an increasing number of students from urban areas.

“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,” Ramaswamy said.