Biological & Ecological Engineering
Our mission is to achieve national and international recognition as a center for excellence for integrated research and education in the programs broadly defined as Ecological Engineering, Biological Engineering, and Water Resources Engineering, while maintaining strong outreach links to the agricultural and natural resources communities. Our stakeholders will include links to the agricultural and natural resources communities. Our stakeholders will include environmental and ecological consulting firms, ecotechnology providers, entrepreneurial enterprises building new 21st-century biology and ecology based industries, public resource management agencies, and stakeholders in the state with interests in these focus areas.
Our educational mission is to balance innovative undergraduates and graduate programs taking advantage of our unique strengths and a relevant outreach program that takes advantage of emerging technology to deliver information to a broad clientele on adoption and use of sustainable engineering technology. Our department will produce ecological engineering graduates that are work-ready and entrepreneurial systems thinkers capable of contributing to the future prosperity and sustainable future of the State of Oregon and the global community.
The Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering at OSU is involved in teaching, research and extended education relevant to the application of engineering analysis to biological, ecological, and hydrological systems. The department has strength in undergraduate and graduate training and research. We offer both an MS and MEng degree, as well as a PhD degree in Biological & Ecological Engineering. The graduate degree program is focused on the professional development of engineers and the analysis of environmental systems, hydrology and water resources. Activities within the department include water resource analysis, fate and transport of biologically relevant chemicals, bioreactor design and analysis, watershed analysis and resource management, simulation modeling of ecological and biological systems, regional and global hydrology, geographical information systems for environmental modeling, and the development of bio-based products and fuels.
The Bachelor of Science and Honors Bachelor of Science degrees in Ecological Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org/.
Adam Ward, Department Head
116 Gilmore Hall
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-3906
Phone: 541-737-7250
Email: bee-info@oregonstate.edu
Website: https://bee.oregonstate.edu/
Faculty & Staff
BEE 199, SPECIAL TOPICS, 1-16 Credits
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 221, FUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING, 3 Credits
Introduction to the concepts and practice of ecological engineering. Covers chemical behavior and cycling in the environment, chemical kinetics, and unit processes of conventional treatment systems. Topics are applied to develop ecological treatment alternatives that meet the needs of human societies.
BEE 222, ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING COMPUTATION, 2 Credits
Develops programming skills in Python, including basic programming tasks, data analysis, data visualization, and optimization, with applications in Ecological Engineering. Builds computational thinking skills.
BEE 270, ECOLOGY FOR ENGINEERS, 3 Credits
The study of ecology in the context of engineering. Develops an understanding of the patterns associated with species distribution in the natural world. Examines the theories of competition, predation, disease and mutualism that help explain the functioning of biological communities. Discusses interactions between abiotic and organismal factors, the environment, and ecological properties and processes.
BEE 299, SPECIAL TOPICS, 1-16 Credits
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 311, ECOLOGICAL FLUID MECHANICS, 4 Credits
Fluid properties, fluid statics, fluid motion, conservation of mass, momentum and energy for incompressible fluids, dimensional analysis, ecological engineering applications.
Prerequisite: (PH 212 with C or better or PH 212H with C or better) and (MTH 254 [C] or MTH 254H [C]) and (ENGR 211 [C] or ENGR 211H [C])
BEE 312, ECOHYDRAULICS, 4 Credits
Theory and design of hydraulic systems for ecological engineering applications.
Prerequisite: BEE 311 with C or better or ARE 311 with C or better or CE 311 with C or better or CHE 331 with C or better or CHE 331H with C or better
BEE 313, ECOHYDROLOGY, 4 Credits
Provides a quantitative description of fundamental ecohydrologic processes, the interactions of between water and the atmosphere, soils, and plants, as well as techniques for estimating the movement of water in the though ecosystems.
BEE 320, BIOSYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND MODELING, 4 Credits
An introduction to simulation modeling and analysis of a variety of biological and ecological systems. Systems approaches to describing ecological systems.
Prerequisite: BEE 222 with C or better and (MTH 256 [C] or MTH 256H [C])
Recommended: MTH 256
BEE 322, ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING THERMODYNAMICS AND TRANSFER PROCESS, 4 Credits
A study of the transport processes of fluid flow, heat transfer and mass transfer applied to biological organisms and ecological systems.
Prerequisite: BEE 320 with C or better
BEE 361, ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY, 3 Credits
Introduction to modern measurement methods for ecological and environmental applications includes sensors and systems for measuring soil, water and atmospheric properties. No final exam; field trip required. Lec/lab.
Prerequisite: BEE 312 with C or better
BEE 362, ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING MICROBIAL PROCESSES, 3 Credits
Applies ecological engineering principles to the modeling, analysis and design of microbial processes in the environment.
Prerequisite: BEE 320 with C or better or ENVE 322 with C or better
BEE 399, SPECIAL TOPICS, 0-16 Credits
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 401, RESEARCH, 1-16 Credits
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 405, READING AND CONFERENCE, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 405
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 407, SEMINAR, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BEE 407H, BRE 407
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 407H, SEMINAR, 1-16 Credits
Attributes: HNRS – Honors Course Designator
Equivalent to: BEE 407
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 410, ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING INTERNSHIP, 1-12 Credits
Internship in ecological engineering to provide students with an opportunity to apply course work and theory to the real world. Requires internship opportunity identification by student.
This course is repeatable for 12 credits.
BEE 411, GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: USING DATA TO INFORM DECISIONS, 3 Credits
Empowers students interested in global change research to focus on the interactions between changes in human land use and climate. Using an innovative online data and mapping tool called Data Basin, students will explore topics accessing the highest quality datasets available in an all-in-one platform. CROSSLISTED as BEE 411 and BEE 511/ENSC 511.
Prerequisite: FE 257 with C or better
Available via Ecampus
BEE 415, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, 1 Credit
Preparation for student professional careers. Students will interact with and hear seminars from professionals working in the ecological engineering field to learn from their experiences.
Corequisites: BEE 469
BEE 433, IRRIGATION SYSTEM DESIGN, 4 Credits
Principles of soil physics and plant water use applied to irrigation system design. Design of gravity, pressurized, and trickle irrigation systems, improving on-farm water management, performance characteristics of pumps and other irrigation equipment.
Prerequisite: BEE 312 with C or better or CE 313 with C or better
BEE 438, ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS, 4 Credits
An introduction to sustainability with a focus on case studies that are relevant to biological and ecological engineers. An introduction to tools that perform technical feasibility analysis, economic viability analysis, environmental risk assessment, resource sustainability assessment and life cycle assessment (LCA). Course will consist of theory and case studies highlighting the use of LCA methods to assess sustainability.
Prerequisite: ENGR 391 with C or better or ENGR 391H with C or better
BEE 439, IRRIGATION PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES, 4 Credits
Survey of irrigation systems, system configurations, factors that influence irrigation efficiency, crop water requirements, energy requirements, pumps, irrigation scheduling. For non-engineers.
Prerequisite: MTH 111 with C or better or MTH 111Z with C or better
BEE 446, RIVER ENGINEERING, 4 Credits
Multipurpose river use; natural physical processes in alluvial rivers; channel modification practices; river structures; design practices; impact of river modification; problem analysis; and impact minimization. Offered alternate years.
Prerequisite: BEE 312 with C or better or CE 313 with C or better
BEE 458, NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL, 3 Credits
Problem solving in nonpoint source pollution. Methods for evaluating the extent, rate, timing, and fate of Non-Point Source (NPS) pollutants in agricultural and urban environments.
Prerequisite: BEE 313 with C or better or CE 412 with C or better
Available via Ecampus
BEE 468, BIOREMEDIATION ENGINEERING, 4 Credits
Examines strategies for using a variety of biological processes for treating municipal, agricultural and industrial contaminants.
Prerequisite: BEE 221 with C or better or ENVE 322 with C or better
BEE 469, ^ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN I, 4 Credits
Engineering design processes for ecological engineering applications, including specifications, performance criteria, timelines, and project logistics, principles and practices of working in engineering teams. (Writing Intensive Course)
Attributes: CWIC – Bacc Core, Skills, Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite: BEE 322 with C or better
BEE 470, ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN II, 4 Credits
Engineering design processes for ecological engineering applications, including specifications, performance criteria, timelines, and project logistics, principles and practices of working in engineering teams.
Prerequisite: BEE 469 with C or better
BEE 472, INTRODUCTION TO FOOD ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES, 5 Credits
Fundamental engineering principles for scientists and non-process engineers. Topics include fluid flow, mass and energy transfer, and material and energy balances. Directed at food scientists and other majors who need or would like a working knowledge of food engineering principles.
Prerequisite: (MTH 112 with C- or better or MTH 112Z with C- or better) and (MTH 227 [C-] or MTH 251 [C-] or MTH 251H [C-]) and PH 201 [C-]
BEE 473, INTRODUCTION TO FOOD ENGINEERING PROCESS DESIGN, 3 Credits
Fundamental engineering process design principles for food scientists and non-process engineers. Directed at those who need or would like a working knowledge of applied food engineering process design.
Recommended: BEE 472
BEE 481, ^ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN I, 4 Credits
Explores engineering design processes for ecological engineering applications, including specifications, performance criteria, timelines, and project logistics, principles and practices of working in engineering teams. (Writing Intensive Course)
Attributes: CWIC – Bacc Core, Skills, Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite: BEE 322 with C or better
Equivalent to: BEE 469
BEE 482, ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN II, 3 Credits
Designs engineering processes for ecological engineering applications, including specifications, performance criteria, timelines, and project logistics, principles and practices of working in engineering teams.
Prerequisite: BEE 481 with C or better
BEE 483, ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN III, 2 Credits
Designs engineering processes for ecological engineering applications, including specifications, performance criteria, timelines, and project logistics, principles and practices of working in engineering teams
Prerequisite: BEE 482 with C or better
BEE 499, SPECIAL TOPICS, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BEE 499H
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 499H, SPECIAL TOPICS, 1-16 Credits
Attributes: HNRS – Honors Course Designator
Equivalent to: BEE 499
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 501, RESEARCH, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 501
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 503, THESIS, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 503
This course is repeatable for 999 credits.
BEE 505, READING AND CONFERENCE, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 505
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 506, PROJECTS, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 506
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 507, SEMINAR, 1 Credit
Section 1: Graduate Student Orientation Seminar to acquaint new graduate students with graduate school and departmental requirements, policies and expectations, and departmental research programs. Section 2: Graduate Research Publication Seminar to expose students to requirements for successful proposals and publication of research results. Section 3: Oral Presentation Improvement--A highly participatory educational effort designed to improve performance in presenting research reports, technical papers and in responding to oral examination questions.
Equivalent to: BRE 507
This course is repeatable for 99 credits.
BEE 511, GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: USING DATA TO INFORM DECISIONS, 3 Credits
Empowers students interested in global change research to focus on the interactions between changes in human land use and climate. Using an innovative online data and mapping tool called Data Basin, students will explore topics accessing the highest quality datasets available in an all-in-one platform. CROSSLISTED as BEE 411 and BEE 511/ENSC 511.
Equivalent to: ENSC 511
Available via Ecampus
BEE 512, PHYSICAL HYDROLOGY, 3 Credits
Principles of hydrologic processes and the integration of these processes into the hydrologic cycle. Topics include atmospheric processes, precipitation and runoff, storm response in streamflow on a watershed scale, and major concepts in groundwater systems.
Recommended: One year of calculus.
Available via Ecampus
BEE 514, GROUNDWATER HYDRAULICS, 4 Credits
Principles of groundwater flow and chemical transport in confined and unconfined aquifers, aquifer testing and well construction. Design and dewatering and contaminant recovery systems. CROSSLISTED as BEE 514/CE 514/GEO 514.
Prerequisite: CE 547 with B or better
BEE 522, DATA ANALYSIS AND VISUALIZATION USING PYTHON, 3 Credits
Foundation course in computational thinking and computational skills relevant to data analysis and visualization of environmental data.
BEE 529, BIOSYSTEMS MODELING TECHNIQUES, 3 Credits
Development of mathematical models of biological and ecological systems; linear and nonlinear systems analysis; stochastic modeling and random processes; model solution and analysis techniques.
BEE 533, IRRIGATION SYSTEM DESIGN, 4 Credits
Principles of soil and plant water use applied to irrigation system design. Design of gravity, pressurized, and trickle irrigation systems, improving on-farm water management, performance characteristics of pumps and other irrigation equipment.
BEE 538, ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS, 4 Credits
An introduction to sustainability with a focus on case studies that are relevant to biological and ecological engineers. An introduction to tools that perform technical feasibility analysis, economic viability analysis, environmental risk assessment, resource sustainability assessment and life cycle assessment (LCA). Course will consist of theory and case studies highlighting the use of LCA methods to assess sustainability.
Recommended: ENGR 391 or ENGR391H
BEE 540, ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT PROCESSES, 3 Credits
Mixing and transport processes in the environment.
BEE 542, VADOSE ZONE TRANSPORT, 4 Credits
Introduction to the physical and hydraulic properties involved in flow from the soil surface to groundwater. Classical infiltration equations will be derived and presented with exact and approximate solutions. Attention is focused on application to pollutant transport and recent advances in non-ideal flow.
Equivalent to: BRE 542
Recommended: MTH 254
BEE 544, OPEN CHANNEL FLOW, 3 Credits
Steady, uniform, and nonuniform flow in natural and artificial open channels; unsteady flow; interaction of flow with river structures; and computational methods.
Equivalent to: CE 544
BEE 545, FLUVIAL GEOMORPHOLOGY, 4 Credits
Explores principles of sediment erosion, transportation and deposition in rivers, reservoirs, and estuaries; measurement, analysis, and computational techniques. CROSSLISTED as BEE 545/FE 545.
Equivalent to: FE 545
BEE 546, RIVER ENGINEERING, 4 Credits
Multipurpose river use; natural physical processes in alluvial rivers; channel modification practices; river structures; design practices; impact of river modification; problem analysis; and impact minimization. Offered alternate years.
Recommended: CE 313
BEE 547, WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING I: PRINCIPLES OF FLUID MECHANICS, 4 Credits
Fluid mechanics for water resources engineers, classifications of fluid flows; fluid statics and dynamics, incompressible viscous flows; dimensional analysis; applications to fluid machinery, flow through porous media, fluid motion in rivers, lakes, oceans. CROSSLISTED as BEE 547/CE 547.
Equivalent to: CE 547
BEE 549, REGIONAL HYDROLOGIC MODELING, 3 Credits
Challenges in regional-scale water resource analysis and management with emphasis on application to production agriculture. Application of geostatistical techniques to spatially variable systems and remote sensing to large-scale water resource systems. Development of soil-water-atmosphere-plant models. Analysis of evapotranspiration estimating methods. Offered alternate years.
Equivalent to: BRE 549
BEE 558, NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL, 3 Credits
Problem solving in nonpoint source pollution. Methods for evaluating the extent, rate, timing, and fate of Non-Point Source (NPS) pollutants in agricultural and urban environments.
Available via Ecampus
BEE 568, BIOREMEDIATION ENGINEERING, 4 Credits
Examines strategies for using a variety of biological processes for treating municipal, agricultural and industrial contaminants.
BEE 572, INTRODUCTION TO FOOD ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES, 5 Credits
Fundamental engineering principles for scientists and non-process engineers. Topics include fluid flow, mass and energy transfer, and material and energy balances. Directed at food scientists and other majors who need or would like a working knowledge of process engineering principles.
BEE 573, INTRODUCTION TO FOOD ENGINEERING PROCESS DESIGN, 3 Credits
Fundamental engineering process design principles for food scientists and non-process engineers. Directed at those who need or would like a working knowledge of applied food engineering process design.
BEE 599, SPECIAL TOPICS, 1-16 Credits
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 601, RESEARCH, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 601
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 603, THESIS, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 603
This course is repeatable for 999 credits.
BEE 605, READING AND CONFERENCE, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 605
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 606, PROJECTS, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 606
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 607, SEMINAR, 1-16 Credits
Equivalent to: BRE 607
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
BEE 699, SPECIAL TOPICS, 1-16 Credits
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.