Reaching new students

BSEN's Dr. John Fulton shows Dean Road Elementary Student Prayal Gupta how GPS guidance works

Biosystems Engineering is expecting some new student recruits - but they won't be here until the fall semester of 2012. A group of 5 ^th graders from Dean Road Elementary School learned what Biosystems Engineering is all about when they visited the AU campus on May 12 ^th for a Job Shadowing Day. Drs. Tim McDonald, John Fulton, and Steve Taylor and undergraduate student Corey Kichler gave the students a whirlwind experience in all aspects of biosystems engineering. The students spent special time on new advances in bio-based composite materials by testing structural composite lumber; use of solar energy in housing by touring the AU Solar House; and latest precision agriculture technology by getting to drive a GPS-guided tractor. In a thank you letter to Dr. McDonald, one of the students wrote: "I know now this is the career for me."

Students attending the state FFA Convention in early June also had a chance to learn about modern alternate energy technology and the use of geospatial tools for mapping and precision agriculture. After touring the AU Solar House with BSEN students Sarah Sanders and Mack Moncus, the FFA members were shown the latest in survey grade and mapping grade GPS and precision agriculture equipment by BSEN graduate student Ty Harbuck.

BSEN's Dr. Tim McDonald led the group of fifth graders from Dean Road Elementary through AU's Solar House and showed them the numerous contributions that Biosystems Engineers make to our lives.

Alabama 4-H'ers learned about the latest in GPS and GIS technology at the state 4-H Congress held in Auburn on July 12 ^th. Students and faculty in Biosystems Engineering demonstrated the latest advances in GPS navigation, robotic surveying instruments, and real-time kinematic GPS to the 4-H members. Also, 4-H'ers involved in the traditional tractor driving competitions were able to see GPS-based tractor guidance systems and they were able to check out the 1/4-scale tractor designed and fabricated by the 2005 War Eagle Puller's team comprised of BSEN students.