Brown The Department of Agricultural Engineering, Oklahoma State University, is recognized as one of the nation's leaders in Biosystems Engineering research, the application of engineering principles to biological systems. While agriculture remains an integral aspect of the research program, Biosystems includes environmental, natural resources and biological applications. To reflect this broader scope, the Department will be renamed Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. In addition to the programmatic changes, the facilities housing ongoing research activities will be renovated and replaced to complement the new priorities of the Department as it completes its transformation to Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. Existing facilities were built in an era when agricultural mechanization research primarily involved the construction of heavy mechanisms and soil and water research. These facilities are inadequate to perform Biosystems research that requires high quality labs with special provisions. This award will provide funding for the modernization of laboratory space that will allow for the proper support of programs in machine vision, sensors and controls, intelligent machines and bioenvironmental engineering. The relocation of the shop facility to the main campus will be adjoined to the research laboratory, providing more effective and efficient shop services for faculty. Specific renovations will include upgrading the HVAC, electrical, and mechanical systems. The modernization of the research facilities at Oklahoma State University will have maximum impact on the human resources needed for the nation's continued leadership in science and engineering into the twenty-first century.
