Iowa State’s agricultural and biosystems engineering program was ranked first in the nation, according to the 2017 U.S. News and World Report on university graduate programs.  

Steven Mickelson, chair of the agriculture and biosystems engineering program, discussed the significant change that placed the department at the top of the nation’s graduate program ranking.

Before 2014, the department worked with outdated facilities, which made it difficult to encourage projects that would secure jobs for graduate students, Mickelson said.

Despite the challenges it faced, it was still able to maintain a high rank, sitting in the top 10 over the years among Purdue, Illinois and other Midwestern universities.

But in June 2014, new facilities became available in Elings Hall and Sukup Hall, enabling the department to advance to new heights.

 “It really gave us an edge over our peer universities out there,” Mickleson said. “It gave us world-class teaching and research. It made it easier to hire faculties when they know they are going to get the best facilities. It was easier for them to recruit graduate students, as well.”

The fund from the College of Engineering and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences made the new lab and research facilities possible. 

“They drive my budget so I am able to make a pitch every year and say here is my staffing needs and here is my faculty needs,” Mickelson said. “They have been very supportive in helping me to hire those key faculties.”

The spending on research has grown, reaching $12.5 million last year, and about 35 percent of the total funds is dedicated to industrial research, Mickelson said.

The faculties and staff have been working together to improve the quality of research and facilities in order to be the best in the nation.

“This has been a goal for our department,” Mickelson said. “To reach that goal is quite a testimony to the diligence of my faculties and staff who have worked really hard to make it happen.”