Virginia Tech Biological Systems Engineering

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Virginia Tech Biological Systems Engineering

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Virginia Tech’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering
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09/03/2026

From Dublin classrooms to adventures across Europe, BSE student Sophia Bochis made the most of her study abroad experience at University College Dublin. 🇮🇪 Through her courses in water treatment and carbon footprinting, Sophia explored international approaches to environmental health and sustainability. Beyond the classroom, traveling throughout Europe introduced her to new cultures and traditions while helping her develop greater independence and confidence. Follow along for a glimpse of Sophia’s semester abroad! ✈️

09/02/2026

How does university research reach the people protecting Virginia’s water?

Virginia Tech Continuing and Professional Education brings together water and wastewater operators, university faculty, state agency specialists, and industry professionals for training that helps safeguard public health and the environment across the commonwealth.

BSE professor Leigh-Anne Krometis shares her research on emerging contaminants and trust in drinking water with operators who can put that knowledge into practice. Their firsthand experiences also help her identify practical needs and shape more useful research.

“They let me know how I can shape my research to be more practically useful,” Krometis said. “It’s hugely valuable—I also learn a lot as a teacher.”

Learn more about the statewide partnership at the link in our bio.

📷 cred. Diane Deffenbaugh for Virginia Tech

08/27/2026

This summer, BSE student helped map nearly 180 miles of electric transmission corridors across Virginia and North Carolina as an associate survey coordinator intern with . ⚡

Using AutoCAD Civil 3D, Annie created forestry corridor shapefiles for Dominion Energy’s GIS team, helping employees visualize transmission line information and plan future projects.

As the only BSE student on a team of electrical and mechanical engineers, Annie applied skills from her landscape measurement and modeling course while exploring the energy industry through visits to offshore wind turbines, a high-voltage lab and the 500 kV Elmont substation.

The experience strengthened her collaboration, organization and time-management skills—and confirmed her interest in a career that combines office and fieldwork.
Congratulations on a great summer, Annie! 🧡

08/26/2026

Congratulations to Ragul Seetharaman on successfully defending his master’s thesis! 🎉

Ragul’s research uses drone imagery and deep learning to count and locate plants across multiple crops, providing field-scale information that can help support agricultural decision-making. His thesis, “UAV-Based Deep Learning for Multi-Crop Plant Counting, Geolocation, and Field-Scale Decision Support,” was completed in manuscript format and includes two papers.

Ragul is earning an M.S. in biological systems engineering alongside a master’s degree in computer engineering. Next, he plans to pursue a career as a generative AI applied scientist, working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and applied fields such as health care.

Congratulations, Ragul, on this outstanding accomplishment! 🧡

08/21/2026

Congratulations to BSE Ph.D. candidate Frank Efe Erukainure, who has been awarded a 2026 Pratt Fellowship! 🎉

Frank is developing smart sensors that can help farmers detect disease, water stress, and other threats to crop health earlier. His work brings together biosensing, 3D printing, precision agriculture, and artificial intelligence.

The fellowship is the latest of two major honors for Frank. This summer, he also earned first place in the Ph.D. category of the 2026 Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award from . His award-winning research uses 3D-printed sensors to detect a damaging disease in peanut plants.

Congratulations, Frank, on these well-deserved recognitions!

08/18/2026

From collecting samples on Claytor Lake to processing them in the lab, rising BSE junior Ella Huang spent her summer gaining hands-on experience with water quality research.

As an undergraduate research assistant, Ella divided her time between the BSE water quality lab and research with Dr. Natasha Bell on floating treatment wetlands. The research examines how these plant-based systems may change wastewater quality over time.

Ella also worked with The Friends of Claytor Lake on its water quality monitoring program, traveling to different locations on the lake to collect samples and helping analyze them for nutrients, chlorophyll and bacteria.
By working in both the field and the lab, Ella was able to see the full journey of a water sample—from collection through processing and analysis—and contribute to research and monitoring that support healthier water systems.

08/17/2026

BSE researchers are exploring a new way to respond to opioid overdose — with a wearable microneedle patch that can detect fentanyl in the body and automatically release naloxone.

Developed by Wujin Sun and a collaborative research team, the patch is designed to provide protection even when no one else is present to intervene. The work was recently published in Advanced Science and is now featured in Virginia Tech News.

Congratulations to Wujin, Penghui Zhao, and the full research team on this important work.

Read the full story: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/08/cals-naloxone-patch.html

08/16/2026

From lab testing to data analysis, Nicholas DeWitt is gaining hands-on engineering experience this summer as a quality lab intern with Fostek in Bedford, Virginia.

Nicholas, a biological systems engineering major in Virginia Tech’s Class of 2029, tests foam products and analyzes production data to help Fostek maintain quality and improve its day-to-day operations. Through the internship, he has strengthened his skills in teamwork, data analysis, laboratory testing, and using AI in the workplace.

“My favorite part of the internship is definitely the people that I have gotten to know and work with over the summer,” Nicholas said. “Overall, this has been an awesome experience to grow and learn how to become a better engineer.”

08/12/2026

BSE students are on the job this summer!

Lauren Cone, an ecological engineering major with minors in green engineering and environmental science, is putting her classroom knowledge to work through an internship with Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) in Warrenton, Virginia.

Lauren’s experience has taken her from stream restoration sites—where she has collected soil samples and helped remove invasive species—to the office, where she has contributed to CAD drawings and plan sheets, designed stream cross sections, and analyzed how restored streams perform over time.

“It’s been an incredible opportunity to see how things I’ve learned in classes like Small Watershed Hydrology and NPS Pollution apply in real-world engineering projects,” said Lauren, who will graduate in 2027.

We love seeing BSE students use their skills to help restore and protect natural systems!

08/06/2026

Congratulations to BSE’s undergraduate academic advisor, Priscilla Baker, on being named Virginia Tech’s Advisor of the Month for August! 🎉

This university-wide recognition honors advisors who provide students with high-quality guidance, communicate with care, foster an environment of both support and challenge, and make themselves accessible to the students they serve.

BSE students know Priscilla as a knowledgeable and encouraging advocate who helps them navigate their academic journeys and work toward their goals. We’re delighted to see her commitment to our students recognized across Virginia Tech.

Please join us in congratulating Priscilla on this well-deserved honor! 🧡

Address

200 Seitz Hall (0303)
Blacksburg, VA
24061

Website

http://www.bse.vt.edu/

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