| Agricultural
Engineering Concentration:This area offers career opportunities
in power and machinery systems, farm structures and climate control. Positions
are in manufacturing and processing companies where a knowledge of machinery
and power systems, structural design, mechanical analysis or ventilation
and climate control is needed. The employer’s needs in this area are rapidly
changing with developments in emerging technologies such as computers,
electronic controls, and on-board sensors with feedback control for modern
machinery and equipment. Sensing of soil fertility to vary fertilizer application
rates is an example of a potential development of "smart" machine systems
for use in precision agriculture. Robotics and machine vision for agricultural
tasks such as harvesting and processing fruits and vegetables are also
applications of "smart" machine systems.
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BIOLOGICAL ENGR - AG ENGINEERING
CONC (BS)
Requires SSC
200, BAE 361, 3 additional hours from BAE elective list, and 9 additional
hours from the list of biological science and engineering science electives.
What
are AgriculturalEngineers?
Agricultural
engineers are engineers who are trained to creatively apply scientific
principles in the design and development of new products, systems, and
processes for the conversion of raw materials and power sources into food,
feed, and fiber while protecting the environment and worker health and
safety. The diversity of knowledge and skills which agricultural engineers
must possess is required by the great diversity in the agricultural and
agribusiness industries. The agricultural engineer must have training and
skills in design and engineering problem solving which are based on skills
in the engineering sciences including mathematics and physics, computer
tools, communication, teamwork, instrumentation, and biology.
The feature
that distinguishes agricultural engineers from other engineering disciplines
is their interest and commitment to solving problems and pursuing opportunities
related to human and animal needs for food, feed, fiber and a sustainable,
safe living and working environment. The biological and economic constraints
will continue to make this a challenging career opportunity.
Who
Hires Agricultural Engineers?
Employers
of our graduates include:
NC Department
of Transportation, NC Department of Agriculture,Archer Daniels Midland,
Agri-Waste Technologies, John Deere Company, Gruer Engineering, Long Manufacturing,
and NC State University.
Graduates are
often hired as Agricultural:
-
Researchers
-
Extension Agents
-
Waste Specialist
-
Climate Controllers
-
Developers
-
Structure Designers
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Machinery Experts
-
Controls Specialists
What
Do Agricultural Engineers Do Everyday?
During
the 20th century, agricultural engineers have replaced human and animal
drudgery with mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and chemical technologies
for producing, harvesting, storing, processing and distributing our basic
food, feed, and fiber supplies. As we enter the 21st century, agricultural
engineers will add precision and "intelligence" to these technologies by
combining sensors (including biosensors) with microcomputers, controllers,
artificial intelligence and other software, GPS, vision systems, active
control of micro- environments, etc, for optimized efficiency, sustainability,
and reliability of our food, feed, and fiber economy while assuring the
safety and health of workers, the public, and the environment. Examples
of work done by agricultural engineers include the following.
Designing,
development, and testing of equipment and systems such as:
-
Agricultural power
units, harvesters, transporters, implements.
-
Agricultural production
facilities including structures.
-
Environmental controllers
for poultry, swine, beef, aquaculture, plants, etc.
-
Precision agriculture
utilizing GPS, yeilds monitors, remote sensing and variable-rate technology
and computerized field equipment.
-
Worker safety,
comfort, and efficiency including the control of vibration, noise, air
quality, heating, cooling, etc.
-
Sales, service,
training, management, planning, market and product research related to
implementing and applying all agricultural technologies.
Agricultural
Opportunities
Agriculture
is the world's largest and most important industry. Engineering is the
input that permits this industry to produce our most basic needs without
requiring the efforts of the whole population. In North Carolina, agriculture
accounts for a significant portion of the state's economy. Agricultural
engineers serve an immense industry. For example in NC, revenues at the
farm level alone are some $7 billion, ranking the state 8th in agricultural
production in the US. Agricultural engineers are involved in the design,
development, manufacture, and application of products, systems, and knowledge
for this huge industry. Their work affects not only the inputs at the farm
level but the supporting and related industries that supply, transport,
process, and distribute products.
In North Carolina
alone there are many companies involved in agriculture and agribusiness.
Each of these provide potential career opportunities for the well-trained
engineer with the knowledge, skills, interest, and commitment to being
a part of this diverse and increasingly important industry.
DepartmentalFacilities
The
Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department is housed in D. S. Weaver
Laboratories at the corner of Dan Allen Drive and Western Boulevard on
the southwest edge of the campus. Facilities include undergraduate computer,
bioinstrumentation and bio-materials laboratories, and an extensive machining
shop for the fabrication of precision items. Our Laboratories are not only
in the buildings on the NC State Campus but upper classmen work quite extensively
at state research test sites. |
