Biological and Environmental Engineering

Combining the power of engineering principles and techniques with biology.

Welcome to the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Cornell is the Land Grant University of the State of New York and one of the Ivy League schools. 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 biology and the environment; and public outreach to help society implement new knowledge.

We Bring Life to Engineering

Our unique focus to design and develop processes, products and systems using basic biological and environmental science and engineering tools  generates solutions to societal problems involving water, food, energy and public health.  Students increasingly need to participate in problem solving across traditional boundaries. Rapid technological changes are an added challenge, with implications driven by diminishing resources and a growing population. 

Our department aims to enable our students to drive innovation as our discipline continues to be transformed by our changing world.