Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

News & Updates

From the Chair

The new year is off to an interesting start, as we charge full speed ahead in carrying out our shared mission to improve quality of life by integrating and applying principles of engineering and biology to systems involving food, environment, energy, and health. As I promised in a previous update, we are currently searching for three new tenure-system faculty members (1 assistant professor, 1 assistant/associate professor, and 1 assistant/associate/full professor), and links to those postings are included at the bottom of this update. Please encourage anyone in your professional network, who fits one of the descriptions, to apply and/or contact me or the search committee chairs with any questions. These new hires will bring us to 11 new tenure-system faculty members in 5 years (net +7), so they will join a dynamic group of new colleagues (and dynamic “senior” colleagues as well!).

We also have been officially approved to begin the study phase for the redevelopment of Farrall Hall, which is an exciting next step in the process. The college/university administration is committed to charting a course toward facilities that match our rapidly growing programs in the department. I am extremely excited about both the process and the ultimate endpoint of improved facilities that will empower even greater growth in research, outreach, and education programs.

Please click through the stories below, highlighting just a few examples of the exciting and impactful work that our faculty members are leading in food, energy, environment, and health. As always, please feel free to drop me a note anytime if you want to discuss ideas or opportunities for collaborations or partnerships.

Go Green!

Bradley Marks, Ph.D., P.E.

Professor and Department Chair

MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

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Food

MSU ag engineer designing innovative technologies to support specialty crop production

Yuzhen Lu, Ph.D., an assistant professor, received a $197,000 grant in 2024 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (USDA NIFA) Hatch Multistate Research Fund, administered through MSU AgBioResearch, to develop a vision-guided, selective harvesting mechanism for green asparagus.

To safeguard Michigan’s diverse agricultural landscape, Lu is advancing technologies that enhance mechanization and automation during harvest and production, providing growers with solutions to withstand ongoing labor trends.

Photo of two men kneeling in a field of asparagus conducting research

Environment

New director named for MSU Institute of Water Research

Michigan State University Research Foundation Professor Pouyan Nejadhashemi has been named director of the MSU Institute of Water Research (IWR). As an expert in ecohydrology, which delves into how water interacts with ecological systems, his research uses leading-edge tools to model water use and address issues such as monitoring per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in Michigan drinking water using machine learning.

As IWR director, Nejadhashemi will deliver strategic vision and oversight of institute initiatives, increase the scholarly activity of IWR and strengthen its reputation at the local, state and national levels.

Energy

MSU researcher receives grant to develop efficient irrigation technology using solar power

Younsuk Dong, Ph.D., an assistant professor, has received a $394,600 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop a solar power-based irrigation technology that improves energy- and water-use efficiency.

Dong said that while irrigation is an essential tool, it must be deployed efficiently. Over-irrigation, in particular, can cause a multitude of unintended consequences, such as unneeded expenses on energy and water, as well as increasing disease activity.

Health

MSU researchers receive $4M NIH grant to study dementia risks

Ilce Medina Meza, Ph.D., associate professor, is part of a team of MSU researchers that have been awarded a $4 million grant from the National Insitute of Health. They will study the potential relationship between vitamin D deficiency, gut microbial imapace and inflamtion as contributors to Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, or ADRD.

With this study, the researchers hope to identify ways to stabilize the gut and address underlying causes of vitamin D deficiency, the severity of inflammation, and an individual’s HIV status.

Current Faculty Openings

Sustainability Systems for Animal Agriculture - Design, optimization, and evaluation of emerging water/air quality management practices and technologies that holistically consider animal agriculture systems and environmental impacts are essential to develop resilient solutions to cross-cutting challenges threatening the sustainability of animal agriculture operations.

Smart Ag Production Systems - The successful candidate is expected to build a nationally recognized, extramurally funded research program, and to collaborate effectively with the biosystems and agricultural engineering faculty, and extensively with colleagues within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Engineering, and other departments on campus, as well as with outside stakeholder groups.

Inclusive Engineering - The College of Engineering at Michigan State University (MSU) invites applications for a tenure-system faculty position from candidates with research and teaching interests in the emerging field of inclusive engineering. We encourage all individuals whose expertise contributes to addressing societal challenges, improving system accessibility, and fostering solutions that broadly benefit communities to apply.

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