Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

News & Updates

From the Chair

In any given year, BAE faculty members travel to and collaborate with partners in nearly every corner of the world – Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, Australia. They advance appropriate-scale technologies and practices for agricultural production or health diagnostics in resource-limited contexts. They work on location-sensitive solutions for climate adaptation. They collaborate with partners in both lab-scale research and deployment of pilot- and full-scale solutions for environmental protection and sustainable energy solutions. They teach and learn in multi-national contexts. They carry out our mission to improve quality of life well beyond MSU, Michigan, or even the United States.

Simultaneously, back in Farrall Hall on the MSU campus, we host an ongoing stream of amazing students, post-docs, and visiting scholars who bring their expertise, dreams, creativity, ideas, and passion to our community of scholars, and we gain significantly from these international members of our BAE family. MSU is a global institution, and BAE continues to be a significant contributor to a rich portfolio of programs that bring bi-directional benefits to BAE, MSU, and our diverse global partners.

The stories below highlight just a few examples of scholars from around the globe, who have recently contributed to our BAE programs and mission. You will see in the stories their inspirational commitment to improve quality of life in areas related to diet/health, water quality, sustainable energy, and food security. We are thankful for their contributions to BAE and confident of the broader and long-term global impact they certainly will have in their future careers.

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

USDA post-doctoral fellow Maldonado-Pereira investigates cholesterol oxidation's impact on the American Diet

Lisaura Maldonado-Pereira has always been passionate about research, which began in 2011 when she worked at the pharmaceutical company Merck. She completed one year at the chemical plant in Barceloneta, PR, and a summer at the West Point, Pennsylvania headquarters. She worked as an engineering assistant in both locations' product development, manufacturing, and engineering departments.

Maldonado-Pereira’s research focuses on cholesterol oxidation products (known as DOxS) in foods.

Cholesterol can be found in anything animal-based and can be oxidized by processing factors such as cooking conditions, packaging techniques, and transportation methods. Maldonado-Pereira’s research looks at how DOxS are absorbed into the body and how they are related to different chronic diseases like obesity, cancer, and atherosclerosis, among others.

Environment

Improving citizens' quality of life in the Ivory Coast is the goal of Fullbright Visiting Scholar Anoh Armand

Anoh Armand, Ph.D., came to the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) at Michigan State University (MSU) to be a Fullbright Visiting Scholar from the Ivory Coast, formally known as Côte d'Ivoire, where he grew up. Armand’s journey to MSU started with a simple goal: improving the residents' quality of life in his home country.

Energy

Francesca Valenti brings Geographic Information System expertise to Michigan State during her fellowship

Valenti completed her master's degree in architectural and building engineering and a postgraduate master's in Sustainable use of the environmental and cultural heritage. She began her Ph.D. in agricultural, food, and environmental science in 2014. During her Ph.D. program, she attended a Biogas Done Right conference, where she met Michigan State University (MSU) Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Distinguished Professor Bruce Dale, Ph.D. Dale suggested she contact Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) Professor Wei Liao, PhD., to discuss her research interest in biogas in Italy.

Health

Changing the World with Rapid Diagnostics: Borlaug Fellow Works to Improve Animal Health and Food Security

When Errol Jay Y. Balagan arrived at Michigan State University, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Balagan, a doctor of veterinary medicine and an associate professor at Central Luzon State University in the Philippines, was embarking on his journey as a USDA Borlaug Fellow with the goal of developing a rapid diagnostic test to combat African Swine Fever (ASFV), a highly contagious disease causing severe economic damage to the pork industry in his home country.

Announcements

Congratulations, 2023 Spring Graduating Class!

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