Welcome to the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University. Cornell is one of the "Ivy League" schools and also the Land Grant University of the State of New York. The Biological and Environmental Engineering Department (BEE) is one of the largest of its kind in the country with a very diverse faculty, staff and student population. The department serves three integrated functions: teaching of undergraduate and graduate students; research on problems in agriculture, biology, and the environment; and public outreach to help society implement new knowledge.

The primary undergraduate program in BEE is engineering with majors in environmental and biological engineering. Graduates from the engineering programs receive a joint degree from the Colleges of Engineering and Agriculture and Life Sciences. Graduate degrees offered include the Ph.D., M.S., Master of Engineering, and Master of Professional Studies. There are about 360 undergraduate and 75 graduate students in the BEE program. Because Cornell consistently ranks among the top universities in terms of external research support, it is often characterized as a "research university." Currently research grants and contracts to the BEE department exceed six million dollars. Our success in research puts an added pressure on faculty to make sure that the research component of our programs benefit undergraduates as well as graduates. Many students choose to do an independent research study working closely with our faculty members. Still others are hired to work part time on a research activity during the academic year and often full time during the summer. This undergraduate research is often funded by industry and college fellowships.  We take very seriously the goal of linking teaching, research, and outreach in all our program activities. Cornell BEE alumni can be found throughout the country and around the world. We value our alumni and consider them part of BEE even after graduation. BEE alumni are not only an extension of our department but also an important resource to our students and new graduates. We look to our alumni as evidence of the strength of the department, as a source of inspiration for new graduates, and as a critical source of information from the "real" professional world.

BEE has demonstrated the ability and courage to make the changes necessary to effectively address the challenges of the 21st century with fewer personnel and material resources. We will continue to meet the ever increasing student demand for technologically advanced and relevant programs. Our goals are to educate people, develop new knowledge and technologies, and to provide outreach programs that result in engineered systems to increase productivity and profitability in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. These goals will be achieved by fostering a departmental climate that promotes collaboration, professionalism and the pursuit of academic excellence while valuing diversity and individual achievement.

If you are interested in learning more about the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, please let us know. Click here to visit our Contact page.