News

Professor Fadi Fathallah Named BAE Department Chair

The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering’s new chair will be Professor Fadi Fathallah, whose appointment began July 1. Fathallah, an expert in occupational biomechanics and ergonomics for farmworkers, brings extensive research and leadership experience to the role.

Md Shamim Ahamed: Engineering for Farming Indoors

As the worldwide food demand increases, farmers are looking at new ways to produce more high-quality food in less space. Biological and agricultural engineering assistant professor Md Shamim Ahamed thinks a possible solution lies indoors—in greenhouses, vertical farming and more controlled environments for livestock.

Kathryn Tarver: Machining for a Better World

Growing up, Kathryn Tarver would have never believed she would one day be an engineer. Now, she is graduating with a B.S. in biological systems engineering, having become a dedicated machinist and problem-solver.

In Memoriam: Professor Emeritus Tom Rumsey

The UC Davis Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) mourns the loss of professor emeritus Tom Rumsey. Rumsey is remembered as a world-class researcher, a dedicated teacher and a family man who made his mark on the community through his kind, patient and generous ways.

Student Spotlight: Wayne Low Kum

When Wayne Low Kum graduates this spring with a B.S. in biological systems engineering and a minor in psychology, it will mark the end of a journey over 20 years in the making. Wayne started at UC Davis as a first-year student in the late 1990s, but returned to school in 2020 to finish his degree after dropping out his senior year.

“It’s never too late to learn or to go back to school, and when an opportunity like this presents itself, you can’t be scared,” he said. “There’s no shame in learning.”

Alumni Spotlight: Kia Canning ‘20

Kia Canning graduated with a degree in biological systems engineering in spring 2020 and has already become an important part of the one of the next big things in agriculture.

Keeping Youth Safe on Agricultural ATVs

Researchers in the department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) are working to make agriculture safer for children. With a new five-year project funded through the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety (NCCRAHS), assistant cooperative extension specialist Farzaneh Khorsandi and professor Fadi Fathallah will study all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety to prevent childhood injury.