BIOLOGICAL & ECOLOGICAL ANNUAL NEWSLETTER December 2016

Biological &

Woodburn Wastewater Plant Manager, Curtis Stultz, explains to Senior Design students the different aspects of the plant and some of the innovative ecological engineering based methods to treat nitrates in the waste water using phytoremediation.

DONOR AND ALUMNI EVENTS

EcoE Collaborates with Local Vineyards Engineering Expo Every year the Senior Class of Ecological The students are designing a pre‐ When: Friday, May 19, 2017; 11‐4 pm Engineering designs a project that aeration treatment system that balance Where: Kelley Engineering Building, OSU, Corvallis simulates the experience of being a hired cost, environmental sustainability, What: All of Senior Design displays. See what as a contractor by a specific client or robustness, and feasibility. They will EcoE students are doing and ask them questions about their design projects. group of clients. This capstone project, build their solution and it will be tested

titled Senior Design, combines the skills under real‐world conditions as would be the students have learned during their found in the Willamette Valley, Oregon in time at Oregon State University into one June‐October. Students also have an project that they work on for two terms added element this year with (Fall and Winter). crowdfunding to build their designs through the OSU Foundation’s CREATE Wine grapes are the largest cash crop in platform. Oregon; wineries produce high strength wastewater during wine production The primary objective of the design season and decentralized wastewater sequence is to provide students with treatment systems are being adopted to hands‐on experience in solving the kind treat in situ and reuse the water for of complex open‐ended design problems of the vineyards. they are likely to encounter in ecological engineering practice, including physical, Spring Banquet For this year’s project students will legal, economic, social and When: Thursday, May 25, 2017; Appetizers at 5:30 pm, address the technical issue of providing environmental constraints. The class also Dinner at 6 pm, followed by an awards ceremony. oxygen to a pretreatment system that is provides the students with experience in Where: Memorial Union Horizon Room designed to reduce the Biological real‐world applications of mathematics, What: Please join us for our end of the year award Oxygen Demand of the incoming process science, engineering economics, ethics banquet for a chance to recognize the exceptional wastewater by >50% so that it can be students in Biological & Ecological Engineering. Dinner and other disciplines related to is included. effectively handled by conventional engineering analysis and design, and a wastewater systems. The system they clearer perspective on the value of Graduation BBQ are designing should be suitable for a in addressing contemporary When: Friday, June 16, 2017; 12:30 – 2:00 pm. location where line‐power electricity is problems in engineering design. Where: Outside Gilmore Hall available but may not have What: A potluck BBQ for graduating senior’s families to internet/cellular connectivity. Continued on Page 4 tour Gilmore Hall and meet the department. All students, Alumni and donors are welcome. BIOLOGICAL & ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING | December 2016 2

Thank you by Dr. John Bolte, Department Head As Fall term comes to an end we wanted to take the time to thank you for your continued support and contributions to the Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering. Your contributions and support help our students develop the skills and tools necessary for being successful in their careers and in life.

The undergraduate program in Ecological Engineering continues to show grow. We are into our ninth year and we have over 100 undergraduate students enrolled in the program. Our graduate program also continues to do great things, with our faculty currently serving as major advisors to 25 graduate students. to meaningful Biological and Ecological We are very excited about the changes that research. have taken place within our department and I DONATE TO BEE would welcome the opportunity to visit with From everyone in Biological & Ecological you about the goals we hold for the future. Engineering, we wish you and your families a www.campaignforosu.org/bee Please stop by and say hello if you are ever on Happy Holidays and Wonderful New Year! campus or visit our website. create.osufoundation.org/project/3476 Sincerely, Over the past year our students and faculty WEBSITE have students have worked in Ecuador, www.bee.oregonstate.com Ghana, Kenya, Chile, Canada, and all over the United States, continuing BEE’s commitment

Professor in the Spotlight Dr. Hong Liu is an Associate Professor feedstocks, such as lignocellulose who joined Biological & Ecological biomass and wastewater. Engineering in 2005 after receiving her  Developing microbial fuel cell PhD in Environmental Engineering from technology for electricity generation and Hong Kong University and working as a wastewater treatment. PostDoc for two years at Penn State University.  Elucidating conduction mechanisms of anaerobic microbial community. Dr. Liu’s main research efforts are in bioenergy production and development Hong says, “It has been a learning, exciting, of energy sustainable water and and rewarding journey to work and teach at wastewater treatment systems. Her OSU. Being a professor at a leading research publications in these areas have over university is an ideal job for me because of my 12,000 citations, which led her to be passion for both research and teaching. I named as a Highly Cited Researcher and chose OSU not only because of its great listed in The World’s Most Influential research and teaching environment, but also Scientific Minds in both 2014 and 2015 by because Corvallis is such an open‐minded and Thomson Reuters. Hong’s current safe place for my family to live.” research projects include: In her off‐time, Dr. Liu enjoys time with her  Developing microbial husband, her 6‐year‐old daughter, and 11 electrochemical systems for year‐old‐son. She love cooking and watching biohydrogen production from low‐cost movies in her spare time. BIOLOGICAL & ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING | December 2016 3

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION Woodchips Help Save $

Travis Grohman, a Masters student in install—requiring only a backhoe, Water Resources Engineering, joined inlet/outlet control structures, and BEE in Fall 2015 with Dr. Frank Chaplen as woodchips. his advisor. He is currently working on a “The major problem with designing and research project developing design tools building woodchip bioreactors is for increased efficiency of denitrifying estimating how they will perform. permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) Because the bioreactors are populated treating dairy runoff in Oregon funded naturally, with the efficiency dependent directly by the Oregon Dairy ’s on local meteorological conditions (e.g. Association. temperature and precipitation) as well as Why is this project important? “The influent nitrate concentrations, it Travis Grohman works in the lab with the sequential becomes difficult to estimate the nitrate batch reactors. purpose of this project is to make it easier for dairy farmers across Oregon to design reduction of a bioreactor that can be and install effective woodchip expected of a woodchip bioreactor. Our bioreactors on their land. Woodchip goal with this project is to make bioreactors are simply trenches filled estimating the remediation potential of a with woodchips that receive runoff from woodchip bioreactor easier for dairy agricultural waste. The major function of farmers across Oregon. The end goal of these woodchip bioreactors is to our is to provide Oregon dairy farmers remediate excess nitrate from with a simple computer tool which allows agricultural runoff, although evidence them to estimate the effectiveness of a also suggests that they may aid in woodchip bioreactor depending on their reduction of harmful bacteria and viruses location, application rates, and area from agricultural runoff. Nitrate in available for bioreactor installation.” agricultural runoff is a problem because Who else is working on it with you? of its stability in water and its tendency to “Along with myself Dr. Chaplen, Troy fertilize harmful algae blooms in‐stream. Downing (OSU Department of Animal It is also harmful to humans if consumed and Rangeland Sciences) as well as Dr. in excess. The basic idea behind Jeff Morrell (OSU Department of Wood

Column reactor set‐up at the field site woodchip bioreactors is not a new one Sciences) are providing wonderful input and has been used in groundwater and on the project. I would also be remiss not wastewater remediation of nitrate in one to mention Seth Spencer, the form or another for a long while. Superintendent of the OSU experimental “There are many technologies to dairy , who has provided us with a consider with nitrate remediation of great deal of assistance in our full‐scale agricultural runoff (e.g. wetland experimental bioreactors which are construction, phytoremediation, buffer being built on the OSU Dairy farm.” strips, etc.). We do not suggest that How are you going to do this? “Our woodchip bioreactors are better or worse project studies woodchip bioreactors at than these alternative technologies, but three scales: laboratory, pilot, and full they fill an important niche in the scale. repertoire of tools for nitrate reduction – “At the laboratory scale, sequential batch

they are cost effective, field‐scale tool reactors are used to obtain reaction rate Travis is investigating the flow problems in the outlet with no need for a change in current field laws under controlled conditions. Our line after the first flows of the season. management practices. They are also laboratory scale reactors are being used supported by enough evidence to prove to study the influence of such factors as DONATE TO BEE their effectiveness. Woodchip temperature, inoculation source, nitrate bioreactors have been shown to last influent concentration, residence time, www.campaignforosu.org/bee about 15 years with minimal and desiccation/inundation cycles. maintenance. They may also be installed “The pilot scale studies take the form of 4 www.campaignforosu/ directly at the problem discharge area, inch plastic columns packed with beescholarship making them perfect for treating woodchips.” agricultural subsurface drainage (or ‘tile’ drainage). They are also relatively easy to Continued on Page 6

BIOLOGICAL & ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING | December 2016 4

Senior Design students also feel the fieldtrip helps them If you would like to make a tax‐ continued get to know their cohorts a little more deductible donation to this year’s leading to stronger collaboration designs, visit the CREATE page: The term amongst team members as they pull create.osufoundation.org/project/3476 began with an from each other’s individual strengths for introduction to their designs. the project and a weekend The Senior Design students finalized field trip the Orenco Wastewater their designs at the end of Fall term and treatment facility, Reusstle‐prayer Rock will begin building their pre‐aeration Vineyards and Misty Oaks Vineyards in treatment systems starting Winter term Sutherlin, followed by a visit to the in January and present them at the Woodburn Infiltration Galleries and Annual Engineering Expo at OSU’s Kelley OSU’s Experimental Station in Engineering building on May 19. Like Hermiston. During their trip they learn many professional engineers, the about different ecological engineering engineering students are raising funds so processes and have the opportunity to they can test their designs in the field and hopefully build a final system that has the learn from farmers and winemakers why Ecological Engineering student, Stephanie this technology is not only important to possibility of being implemented Trujillo, works with her team on their pre‐ crops but also the environment. The throughout Oregon. aeration treatment system design

BEE 101: First Year Students This year the Ecological Engineering Their final project was to research, undergraduate program admitted 12 design, plan, construct, demonstrate freshman and 10 transfer students. Every and report on a hand‐powered water student in the program is required to take lifting device with limited available BEE 101 with Dr. Roger Ely, which is an resources, a typical issue many introduction to engineering course with an developing countries face. Ecological Engineering focus. The students The learning objectives of the project study engineering analysis and problem were to improve engineering teamwork solving, professional ethics, the design and problems solving skills; to engage process and teamwork. They test their in practical creativity; and to practice knowledge of these topics at the end of the writing a report, preparing plans, and term with a final group irrigation project. documenting construction and testing. Irrigation projects around the world often The teams compete at the end of the require that water be raised to a higher term to see which team can raise the elevation and in developing regions water most water the highest with the least lifting devices are often hand powered. amount of materials. Dr. Ely added in a smaller challenge this year earlier in the term called the Marshmallow help for five seconds. Roger said the Spaghetti Tower challenge (made challenge really helped the students work popular by Tom Wujec’s TED Talk: together and come up with more efficient Build a tower, build a team). designs than previous years. Students were given 20 sticks of For the first time, all of the teams were able uncooked spaghetti, 1 yard of to successfully lift and move their water tape, 1 yard of string and 1 without their designs failing with the marshmallow. Using just these strongest design lifting close to 5 gallons of supplies, the teams attempted to water 61 inches. build the tallest tower. The catch ‐ the marshmallow has to be at the FIND MORE BEE 101 PHOTOS very top of the tower and the whole tower must stand with no www.facebook.com/BEEOSU BIOLOGICAL & ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING | December 2016 5

Open-Source Engineering 3D DESIGNS COME TO LIFE

BEE Professor, Dr. John Selker, fired up • Foster student and faculty the first 3D printer in January 2016 in the excitement, creativity and innovation by Openly Published Environmental translating ideas into functional systems; Sensing (OPEnS) Lab with the idea of expanding the possibilities of scientific • Promote collaborative learning observation of our Earth, transforming between farmers, extension agents, the technology, methods, and culture by faculty and students around the world. combining open‐source development “The world has quietly changed,” says Dr. and cutting edge technology. Selker. “We can now transition things Dr. Selker says, “I was inspired by my from our imagination to reality with a few nephew Adam Selker [to start the OPEnS clicks and a 3‐D printer. Also, we can Lab] who built his own 3‐D printer, and measure our environment at precisions went on to build a machine that never before possible at costs of pennies by leveraging the technology in our Water Resources Engineering Graduate Student Andrew measures stream bed permeability. At Miller works on a design for his research project that will age 15, he was the youngest first‐author phones, cars, and home‐sensing be printed on one of the 3D printers in the OPEnS Lab. of an American Geophysical Union systems. Combine this all with ultra‐low‐ scientific presentation that I know. If you power cell phone chips and data‐logging want to know what the future will look micro controllers has transformed our like, ask a student. As we build this lab ability to see our world. How can we out, it is led by students from BEE, as well translate this potential into action? Can as computer and mechanical we use these tools to improve engineering.” ? To monitor climate change? To understand our precious earth?” The OPEnS lab has a few objectives: Selker is hoping to do all of this and more • Develop new approaches to with the USDA funded lab that is focused precision farming under a changing on developing environmental sensing climate. Specifically, how to have sensor‐ projects and research. systems of low enough cost and high Running the lab for Dr. Selker is Dr. Chet An OPEnS lab printer prints a piece for a prototype on enough accuracy to be used across most one of the 3D printers that was designed by one of the agricultural settings and for research in Udell, who was recruited from University Graduate Students advised in BEE. environmental science; of Oregon where he taught Music Engineering after earning his PhD in • Advance the field of Music Composition with cognate in environmental sensing for agricultural from University of and environmental sciences through Florida, as well as two student development of novel adaptation of 3‐D technicians, Manuel Lopez (Sophomore, printing and solid‐state sensors of water, Electrical Engineering) and Mitch Nelke atmosphere, and soil status; (Sophomore, ).

• Create global engagement Dr. Udell has been working hard getting through the world’s first curated system the lab set up by ordering supplies and of peer‐reviewed, DOI indexed, open‐ machines, organized and producing

source publication of designs and items since he began in September. He validation studies of evolving scientific says, “Our ethos at the OPEnS Lab isn’t OPEnS Lab Technician, Manuel Lopez, makes instrumentation for environmental DIY (do‐it‐yourself), but DIT (do‐it‐ adjustments to the laser cutter which will translate into a cut design. The possibilities are endless as the laser observation; together). Everything we help design is can cut through almost any material someone would open‐access and freely available on like to work with. • Provide user, student and websites like GitHub and Thingiverse.” researcher access to the power of hands‐ on experimentation and experimental design through access to a wide range of Continued on Page 6 machines;

BIOLOGICAL & ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING | December 2016 6

Woodchips continued the slightly chaotic, diurnal temperatures full scale bioreactors are currently still experienced in the field. under construction due to ongoing

“The full scale experiments consist of two repairs needed on the subsurface “Subsurface drainage discharge from the woodchip bioreactors. The bioreactors drainage line, but we plan to have them OSU dairy farm is collected and amended are both located along the main running by mid‐January. with nitrate for use as an influent media discharge line of the existing tile drainage “This project is funded directly by the into the columns. The influent media is system at the OSU Dairy farm. The two Oregon Dairy Farmers Association. Our pumped into the bottom of the column bioreactors have differing geometries so initial grant was for $20,000 with a and effluent flows out the top at a steady that we may better calibrate our second year grant proposal awaiting rate. Temperature is logged using a data hydraulic model of flow through the approval. It brings a great deal of logger and influent/effluent is collected bioreactor. This is important when satisfaction to be funded by a group periodically for testing. The major considering that the configuration of representing the stakeholders of our purpose of these column reactors is to land each dairy farmer is willing to use for project; it lets us know that this project is provide data midway between the his/her bioreactor can differ dramatically. something that they are interested in and controlled laboratory experiments and Inlet and outlet control structures control in the end we hope to offer as much the full scale experiments over which we the flow through the reactor, with excess assistance to our stakeholders as have very little control. The column flow diverted to a bypass line, avoiding possible. Our goal is that the efforts we studies also allow us to calculate physical overflow and/or undesirable hydraulic exert on this project makes it easier and properties of the woodchips we are using residence times within the bioreactor. more cost‐effect for dairy farmers across for the experiment (e.g. drainable Pressure transducers are to be used for Oregon to consider woodchip porosity and hydraulic conductivity). monitoring the water level at points bioreactors as a possible nitrate Currently, the most interesting question along the bioreactor, and samples from reduction option, as well as design an we are exploring with these columns is influent, effluent, and sampling wells effective bioreactor should they choose determining the best method for scaling within the bioreactor are to be to include this technology in their our laboratory‐derived reaction rates to periodically tested for nitrate levels. The nutrient management plan.”

OPENS continued communities, and academic researchers devices that help us gain new insights into the world around us ‐ and that is throughout the world.” really cool.” The OPEnS lab is located on the second floor of the Gilmore Annex and if you want Selker continues, “Our vision is to cut the to get involved, follow them online, price of measurements per dollar by 100, propose project ideas and/or sign up for lab and bring techniques that open five innovation updates through their website entirely new measurement opportunities at www.open‐sensing.org. each year.” Pictured: The “Rube Goldberg” box was Examples of current projects include a new designed to demonstrate at conferences way to sample the constituents of some of the technology that can be built in rainwater for $5 in place of the current $500 the OPEnS lab. The box takes in water from system; a 100‐sample water quality device another box (not pictured) through tubing for $300 in place of the current 24‐sample and deposits it in a bottle in the bottom of the device that costs $5,000 (and ours does this box. Inside the bottle there is a sensor that while protecting the samples from any tells an Arduino that the bottle is full and losses, which the current technology does turns two pumps on. These pumps move the not achieve); a soil‐profiling device that water to another container. When the other reports gas and water status of the surface container is full a solenoid valve opens to let every 6" to 6 feet depth; a rain gauge that the water flow out of the box through some for $10 reports not only the rain, but also tubing and into the other box. measures the evaporation; and the list goes on. “All of our designs, code, and methods Udell says, “We are seeking to collaborate OPENS LAB WEBSITE can be downloaded, reproduced, and not only with researchers within Oregon modified by anyone,” he continues. “In so State, but also with academic extension, www.open‐sensing.org doing, we’re empowering a global our regional agricultural and environmental community to make, use, and improve BIOLOGICAL & ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING | December 2016 7

EESS IN THE COMMUNITY

Ecological Engineering Student Society The Ecological Engineering Student basic computer programming and Society (EESS) of OSU was founded in electrical engineering skills within the 2009 by students in EcoE. They are a scope of ecological engineering. group of motivated students who view the club as a place to acquire hands‐on Looking to the Future experience with system design and As the club moves forward, they are construction, data collection, constantly looking for new projects to professional communication and take on. Some of the potential options research. The club allows students to be include design and construction of an involved with a wide range of ecological improved drainage system at Starker engineering applications that aren't Arts Garden for Education (SAGE) or the necessarily available in the classroom. adoption of a stream and bioswale on the Down the River Clean Up EESS Student joined the Clackamas River Basin Council Faculty Advisor: Dr. Chad Higgins OSU campus. Many members have also expressed interest in learning and to help with clean‐up on the Clackamas River, a tributary President: Jack Blackham of the Willamette entering near Oregon City. incorporating geotechnical skills into Vice President: Lars Larson future projects. In similar fashion to the Secretary: Kayla Nolette professional world, all projects taken on Treasurer: Neal Poovaviranon by the EESS offer future opportunities to monitor, improve, or alter as future Project Coordinator: Lucas Evans members see fit. Projects can be Mission Statement proposed by any club member and must pass through the EESS Project Fee Board “An interdisciplinary assembly of committee, which acts as an oversight students focused on facilitating student into the feasibility, relevance to engagement in campus and community ecological engineering, project cost, opportunities, promoting professional sustainability and educational value of growth and development, and to the proposal. Greenhouse stimulate student reasoning towards the EESS member, Ecological Engineering Student Sam design of diverse, adaptable, and How you can help Rabe, works on the set‐up in their greenhouse in Weniger Hall. resilient engineering solutions.” The EESS is constantly looking to grow Current Projects and improve. Please contact the club President, Jack Blackham EESS is focused on the completion of two ([email protected]); existing projects that include a large Event Coordinator, Willow Walker system and a rainwater ([email protected]); or catchment system. Both of which are Project Coordinator, Lucas Evans located in the EESS Weniger Hall ([email protected]), greenhouses. The aquaponics system if you wish to propose a project, present cycles dissolves nutrients between a research or professional work, or believe large fish tank and plants to grow edible that your job location would make for an produce and fish simultaneously. The informative and practical field trip. rainwater catchment captures runoff Finally, thank you for all your work and from the greenhouse roofs and stores it involvement within the realm of in a pressurized tank to water EESS Plant Sale ecological engineering and beyond to greenhouse plants. Nearing completion, EESS club members at the Fall Plant Sale to help raise make this world a better place. money to fund club projects. some necessary modification and fine‐ tuning remain for it to be fully How you can help EESS OPERATES PARTIALLY THANKS operational. These projects will offer TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS Find EESS online: sites.google.com/a/ future EESS members the opportunity onid.oregonstate.edu/eess/about www.campaignforosu.org/bee for testing and monitoring. Eventually and on Facebook: the club has plans to install an arduino to www.facebook.com/groups/ www.campaignforosu/ beescholarship monitor water quality of the larger, EcologicalEngineeringStudentSociety/ multi‐tiered aquaponics system and as a WEBSITE water level control of the rain catchment www.bee.oregonstate.com system. This presents an opportunity for BIOLOGICAL & ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING | December 2016 8

Ron Miner Scholarship Recipient time, he served as an endlessly Carl, along with advisor Dr. Stephen supportive coach and mentor to his Good, Biological & Ecological graduate students and is remembered Engineering, is working on determining for his charm, enthusiasm for life and discrepancies between remote sensing love for teaching. evaporation models and the error within those models. Carl is also working on the Carl Talsma is a Water Resources partitioning of evaporation and Engineering M.S. candidate in BEE and transpiration using stable isotopes. Carl the recipient of the Ron Miner Memorial is hoping to gain a deeper understanding Fellowship. Carl is working under advisor of hydrologic processes and Dr. Stephen Good. environmental modeling and apply those skills to a professional career. Carl graduated with his B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Cornell Thank you to Betty Miner and the family in 2015. Carl has worked for the of Dr. Ron Miner for their continued Whitefish Lake Institute, a non‐profit support of the Biological & Ecological organization, where he helped in Engineering program via their generous The Ron Miner Memorial Scholarship providing comprehensive water quality donations which give us the opportunity honors the memory of J. Ronald Miner, data collection and analysis. He has also to fund a phenomenal students like Carl. an Agricultural Engineering professor at interned at the Pu'u Wa'awa'a Hawai'i OSU from 1972‐2003. Dr. Miner was an State Forest Reserve where he To donate to one of BEE’s scholarship internationally recognized expert on conducted a study of herbivory and funds, visit waste management, water disease on out‐planted endangered plant www.campaignforosu/beescholarship. quality and odor control. At the same species.

Biological & Ecological Engineering Oregon State University 116 Gilmore Hall Corvallis, OR 97331

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