Ian Nielsen

Ian received his BS in Electrical Engineering from California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo, where he focused on controls and automation of industrial processes. After working with a bioplastic processing startup to reach pilot scale operation, as well as the Bioproducts Research Unit at the USDA - where he worked on adding value to agricultural waste and recycled plastic feedstocks - Ian joined the BEE lab at UC Davis. He is interested in the processes of nutrient cycling and automated agriculture and aquaculture, and how waste and wastewater feedstocks can be recycled into sustainable fertilizers and process inputs. He has worked on projects related to dairy cow manure management and pelletization, as well as membrane filtration of and VFA isolation from anaerobic digestate. Ian is also interested in the application of waste and wastewater feedstocks in the growth of algae and zooplankton for the aquaculture and food industry. He hopes that his research efforts will help the agriculture and food industry to become more sustainable and local in the production of nutritious, affordable foodstuffs for low-income communities. 
 

Research Interest: Agricultural waste management, wastewater, solids and anaerobic digestate effluents processing for fertilizer production, aquaculture, horticulture.
 

Fun Fact: I bowl with the UC Davis Bowling Club!