Graduate

Alice Dien Hits it Out of the Park, Advances to UC Grad Slam Finals with Revolutionary Drying Research

Biological Systems Engineering Ph.D. student Alice Dien won first place at UC Davis Grad Slam on April 6. Her winning research presentation “Cooling Down with the New Hot Air: The Future of Drying in Agriculture” earned her a $2,500 prize, and she will be competing for the top prize at the University of California Grad Slam Finals against winners from the other nine UC campuses on Friday, May 6.

M.S. student Ivan Wongso wins first place in IFT research competition

Biological systems engineering M.S. student Ivan Wongso has earned first place for his research presentation at the 2021 Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology (FIRST) event, held by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) during its annual meeting. He won over three other finalists under the Quality Management Division.

Ph.D. students Chang Chen and Ke Wang recognized in graduate paper competition

UC Davis biological systems engineers Chang Chen and Ke Wang placed first and third, respectively, in the 2021 graduate student paper competition hosted by the Association of Overseas Chinese Agricultural, Biological and Food Engineers (AOCABFE, also known as AOC). The competition is held every year at the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Annual Meeting.

Precision Agriculture: Genetic Research Aids in Food Production

Vivian Vuong’s ’17, Ph.D. ’21, drive to study agricultural engineering stemmed from her undergraduate research with Biological and Agricultural Engineering Professor and Smart Farm Big Idea Champion David Slaughter. Today she’s working on gathering genetic data on plants to increase yield in the field – a method that can improve food access and the environment.

UC Davis startup uses larva to feed animals, reduce waste

A new startup out of the UC Davis biological and agricultural engineering (BAE) department has developed an award-winning system that uses insect larvae to produce animal feed with less land and a smaller carbon footprint. Fresh off success in UC Berkeley’s 2020 Big Ideas competition and UC Davis’ 2019 Big Bang! Business Competition, BioMilitus is poised to use their lab-based research to make the planet more sustainable.

Grad student Ryan Kawakita receives predoctoral fellowship from USDA

Congratulations to graduate student Ryan Kawakita of the Jeoh lab, who has won a fellowship from the USDA. Ryan recently learned of his award of the predoctoral fellowship from USDA NIFA, specifically for education and workforce development (EWD) with the intent to develop the next generation of professionals in the food and agricultural sciences.