Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Associate Specialist Pedro Andrade Sanchez leads the statewide program to increase the efficiency of mechanized agricultural operations. Here he tests equipment to evaluate plant growth status in the field. Extension activities of Pedro and other ABE faculty aim to impact growers and farmers throughout the state.

Biosystems engineering students gain hands on experience especially working in the ABE Department machine shop.

Dr. Donald Slack was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering in Agricultural Engineering by Khon Kaen University, Thailand. ABE faculty has an impact all across the globe.

Every day, a typical municipal water company must deliver many thousands of gallons of fresh, potable water to its customers. To make sure the water is safe to drink, water-quality engineers must add the proper amounts of beneficial chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride. The Water Distribution Laboratory examines these chemicals experimentally and computationally to determine how they will mix and spread throughout the water as the water travels on through the pipe network.

As a part of our ongoing algae biofuel research efforts, researchers have been developing a computer model that will help them to design optimal raceways and establish operational criteria. The model will also enable scientists to identify the warm-climate algal species that can best thrive in the American Southwest.

Students learn advanced concepts in evaluating soils for installing onsite wastewater treatment (septic) systems. Sixteen advanced students from around the state participated in a 2-day course in Payson, AZ, to learn about issues relating to soil and site evaluation of onsite wastewater treatment systems. This new offering by the University of Arizona’s Onsite Wastewater Education Program, directed by Dr. Kitt Farrell-Poe of the Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering Department, provided classroom and field experience. Here you see students in soil pits evaluating the soil for texture, structure, and consistence. For more...

Flow-resistant HUVEC adhesion with nanostructured ensemble surface.

Wire-guided microdrop PCR allows <4 min thermocycling.

Track & tranport H1N1 in classroom with LOC device.

The Air Accordion reactor is a photobioreactor for the production of green algae biomass that may be used as animal feed, nutraceuticals (e.g. Omega 3 fatty acids), or Biofuels.

Upcoming Events

Thursday, July 4, 2013 (All day) - Independence Day--No classes

Monday, July 8, 2013 (All day) - Summer Session 2 Begins

Monday, August 26, 2013 (All day) - Fall Semester Begins

See more events

Recent ABE and University News

ABE Students Shine in Thailand

Please join me in congratulating Peter Livingston "Management of the Schumtzdecke Layer in Slow Sand Filter" , Marianna Yanes and Kristen Currier "Pilot-Scale Continuous Conveyor Diffsuion Extraction System for Sweet Sorghum" They each received a "Best Paper Award" in their respective categories at the recent International Meeting of the Thai Society of...

Biosystems Engineering Teams "Clean Up" at Engineering Design Day

ABE had three design teams competing in the annual Engineering Design Day on April 30th. These teams are involved in our required “Capstone Design” course sequence which spans two semesters. read more

Happy 90th Birthday, Steward Observatory

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the UA's Steward Observatory and the department of astronomy. "We have the best location of any educational institution in America. The University ought to make itself famous with a telescope." With those words, part of his long and persistent effort to bring a world-class observatory to the UA campus, pioneering astronomer Andrew Ellicott Douglass set...

UA Selects James A. Hyatt as Interim Senior VP for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer

James A. Hyatt has been selected as interim senior vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer at the UA. In this position, Hyatt will serve as the UA's senior business and financial officer with responsibility for University budgeting, business processes and relationships with University-related corporations. He will begin his duties July 1.

Confluencenter Grants Fund Innovative, Interdisciplinary Research

The UA's Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry 2013 faculty grants will fund five innovative research projects, including television documentaries, a digital archive and a virtual seminar series. The grants provide start-up support for professors to establish their research projects, positioning them to leverage future competitive federal or private funding.

UA Camp Benefits Explorers of All Ages

The UA's James 4-H Camp and Outdoor Learning Center in the Prescott National Forest serves as a setting for staff retreats, UA research projects and children's summer camps. The camp is getting a green retrofit in preparation for the 2013 camp season, as Arizona 4-H celebrates 100 years.