USU to Host Intermountain Biological Engineering Conference

LOGAN, UTAH, Nov. 7, 2019 — Utah State University’s Department of Biological Engineering will host a regional conference featuring academic, industry, and government research in biological engineering on Saturday, Nov. 9. About 75 faculty, staff and students will engage with industry researchers and government employees in the daylong event on the USU Logan campus.

Scheduled events include workshops, presentations, industry panels, poster competitions, lab tours, networking opportunities. Faculty, staff and students from USU, University of Utah, University of Idaho, Brigham Young University and BYU-Idaho are expected to attend.

Keynote addresses will be given by Ching-An Peng, department head of Biological Engineering at University of Idaho, and Rex Plaizier, chairman of the board at WesTech Engineering. WesTech has headquarters in Salt Lake City and is an internationally recognized leader that develops water treatment solutions. Plaizier is a longtime supporter of USU’s Biological Engineering Department and serves on the USU College of Engineering Industry Advisory Board.

Internationally recognized biotechnologist Kamal Rashid will present a workshop on fermentation and cell manufacturing. Karen Eilbeck and Nicole Ruiz-Shultz, co-chairs of the University of Utah’s Department of Bioinformatics, will present a workshop on bioinformatics.

USU’s biological engineering program is ranked No. 25 nationwide by U.S. News and World Report. Faculty and student researchers study synthetic biology, emerging biomaterials, bioprocessing, and biomedical engineering. Alumni work in multiple sectors including pharmaceuticals, energy, food manufacturing, medical technology, and soil and water treatment.

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Contact: Dr. Keith Roper, keith.roper@usu.edu, 435-797-2223

Writer: Matt Jensen, matthew.jensen@usu.edu, 435-797-8170