Brian Haggard, associate professor of biological engineering, has taught at the University of Arkansas since 2006, when he received the opportunity to teach while working on his masters in environmental science. Haggard has taught biological engineering design studio and his interest in environmental science grew while he working on watersheds and studying water quality.
“I came to this type of work when I was working with watersheds, water quality, so my interest turned to ecological hydrology,” he said.
How I got into engineering
Haggard began his college career as a student athlete seeking a degree in engineering before setting his sights on bioengineering. Once he got involved with environmental consulting, he earned a master’s in environmental science and a doctorate in engineering.
Shortly after graduating, Haggard started working for the Federal Government USGS, Department of Agriculture, as a Hydrologist.
University of Arkansas experience
When I came to the University of Arkansas, “I was working on my masters in 1997. It felt like home, so I took the opportunity,” he said. “The USDA, that I was working for beforehand, was in Fayetteville.
“For someone in this field, the location is premiere: the outdoors, the community tie to the water, locations like Devils Den, Beaver Lake and surrounding streams” are all beneficial for this type of study.
Although Haggard always had a love of the outdoors, he was in the majority of students that had difficulty making the connection between the classroom and physical, outdoor projects. A college mentor, Emily Stanley, bridged this gap and inspired him to experience engineering first-hand by getting out of the lab.
She helped change his perspective of engineering.
“Emily Stanley is a limnologist at the Center of Limnology, University of Wisconsin, and she was on my PhD committee,” he said. “She taught me how to write, how to think. She taught me to get out, to get in the water.”
As a teacher, Haggard mirrors Stanley by encouraging his students to do one simple thing to become a better engineer. “Our department encourages students to get out and get a feel for it. Drive to it and see it,” he said. “It helps with understanding.”
As before, students are still most comfortable in the classroom and in the lab.
“When I was teaching a class on stream flow, I gave them an assignment involving multiple points of a creek and they had to figure out why it was higher and flowed more quickly at certain points,” he said. “Once I started grading the assignment, I realized that no one drove out to the creek, which was not far from campus.”
Research
Haggard is Director of the Arkansas Water Resource Center. To learn more about their projects and staff, visit http://www.uark.edu/depts/awrc/.
“At the Arkansas Water Resource Center, our main focus water. We take samples from 20 sites in Northwest Arkansas to create long-term databases by monitoring water quality change over time,” he said.
This center is working on a number of water quality projects at the moment. One project monitors the White River, which drains into Beaver Lake, pulling water from a different source into our local water supply.
Another AWRC endeavor focuses on the discharge in the Illinois River Basin, estimating the total maximum daily load, or TMDL, of pollutants into the stream. “Here, we create a load estimate in kilograms of nitrogen, sediment and phosphorous.”
At the Arkansas Water Resource Center, “We partner with Oklahoma State University, which has a gravel alluvium, (that enables) quick transport for phosphorous.”
Currently, the largest, all-inclusive project at the center is a multi-organization endeavor for evaluating Arkansas Natural Resources.
“This is involving Arkansas Game & Fish commission, who are studying the fish of the area in this case; the University of Central Arkansas, whose researchers are studying the invertebrates and then our Biological Engineering Department researchers are studying the habitat,” he said.
For the University of Arkansas, that means “studying the effect of drills on streams in places like the south fork of the Little Red River—scenic areas,” as well as a region where streams and rivers cross multiple states (the Three Kings River that flows from Arkansas to Missouri) and Fayetteville Shale areas.
“The center has been collecting water samples in streams draining multiple trans-boundary watersheds, and then getting those analyzed in its fee–based lab,” Haggard said. “Several specific studies on water quality have also been completed looking at the effects of municipal effluent discharges, hydrology and land use changes on water quality.”
Monday, May 16, 2011
Meet the Professor: Dr. Jin-Woo Kim
Dr. Jin-Woo Kim, associate professor of biological engineering, has taught at the University of Arkansas since 2001.
Kim earned his bachelor’s of science in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Seoul National University in Korea; his masters of science in Biology from the University of Wisconsin; a second bachelor’s of science in Microbiology from the University of Iowa; his doctorate in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A & M and two years Post Doc in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Iowa.
“My time at Texas A &M gave me a critical opportunity to learn to be a researcher, which is what I like to do,” Kim said.
For his complete, comprehensive education, he said, “I thank my parents because they believed in me, spoiled me by giving me the opportunity.” A challenging task, he said, because his parents “did not have tons of money.”
My education
Kim entered the world of science because “it had more options than other fields, science has a practical sense of application and basic.”
After earning a bachelor’s of science in Chemical Engineering, and a Masters in Biology, he realized the background of Microbiology “would be logical way to go forward for a career.” So Kim returned to college to earn a bachelor’s in Microbiology.
“I just liked biology, but people told me ‘you’re crazy for getting a second bachelor’s engineering degree,” he said. “That’s why I earned my PhD from Texas A & M, I finally found what I like to do.”
University of Arkansas Experience
Kim was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Iowa, but the University of Arkansas was where he officially began his first full-time teaching job.
Kim was attracted to the unique engineering community at the University of Arkansas because “the number of faculty was small,” he said. “When I got here, it was less established, less traditional and I enjoyed the cultural aspect to bioengineering.”
Dr. Lalit Verma, Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department Head, began his work at the University of Arkansas in 2000, just a year before Dr. Kim joined.
“Dr. Verma transformed the vision and the leadership here. That’s what triggered my decision,” he said. “I wanted to be a doctor people would work with, and have lots of opportunity, but I didn’t have industry experience.”
In his extensive educational experience, Kim said that the level of student involvement is higher at the University of Arkansas than at other universities.
“We have more to offer than in the lab,” he said. “My research students that I attract are not just in teacher-student relationship, they’re more family-like relationships. They engage more (people?) than me in lecture.
“That doesn’t happen in larger schools.”
Even in universities of roughly the same size, such as the University of Iowa, Kim had a different faculty-student interaction.
Role Model
Among the people that inspired Kim the most was a Graduate Advisor from the University of Wisconsin. “Without them, I couldn’t do what I like now,” he said.
When Kim began as a research-specific instructor at the University of Arkansas, he paired with another faculty member, for research purposes. Russell Deaton, a computer science professor, has worked with Kim on DNA Computing Nanotechnology for the past 10 years.
“I don’t think what I am without him,” Kim said. “He is my mentor, my friend, as well as colleague.”
An instructor at UAMS medical school, Vladimir Zharov, also changed Kim’s educational path.
“I met him in a meeting when we were working together. He introduced me to laser-based diagnosis and treatment,” he said. Kim and Zharov jointly published two nature papers last year.
“Research is an exciting field and we fit together in what we’re doing,” Kim said. “We’re productive. We make a good team because we have complimenting techniques- I run experiments, he handles the theoretical and modeling side, providing each other with information.
“Personally, I admire him. I’m happy to know him,” he said.
Current research
Dr. Kim’s research interests are in BioNanotechnology. “Merging bio-technology and nano-technology is crucial,” he said. “We’re building a structure from small model, using surf assembly to enable it for a specific function.”
He works with bio- and nonbio-interfacing, hybrid material, which includes DNA computing and DNA based technology, or pictures of DNA.
“When working with DNA technology and nanotechnology that merge, it gives control,” which is the number, location, orientation, direction and dimension (1D, 2D, 3D) of his data. “This allows me to make what I like to make with Deaton. We’ve had quite a bit of progress and a paper is to come” about the defined DNA particle.
Kim is actively involved with IEEE and has chaired conferences in biology and medicine. For the IEEE International Conference on Nano-Molecular Medicine and Engineering, “I was in that division last year as program chair and will serve as General Co-Chair for the conference this year,” he said.
In Kim’s research, he uses the techniques of controlling electrical properties and biomedical research from other fields, such as physics, electrical engineering and versatile platform, which provide many applications.
The researchers use instruments that increase the temperature of “bad cells” to produce a photo-thermal reaction. This is similar to melanoma treatment, where the patient’s skin is cauterized- destroyed with a hot instrument, an electrical current, or a caustic substance, a process commonly thought of “burning, freezing or scraping” skin off, but Kim says his technology is much improved and a lot less invasive.
Through Near-Infrared Technology, “We can change the intensity of the Infrared rays for a direct response to shape and size of the structure, controlling optical property,” he said. “Our biotissue is near transparent. That property is used for medical diagnosis.”
When shooting with infrared rays, “Our tissue cells don’t register it and it doesn’t damage normal cells. Only the bad cells show up,” he said. “This non-invasive imaging is particle interfacing, a more efficient way to detect and treat tumors. From this, many, many good things will happen.”
When he’s not in the lab or classroom, Kim uses his time hike, go to the lake or the park.
For more information about his research, visit his website for links to his research publications.
Kim earned his bachelor’s of science in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Seoul National University in Korea; his masters of science in Biology from the University of Wisconsin; a second bachelor’s of science in Microbiology from the University of Iowa; his doctorate in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A & M and two years Post Doc in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Iowa.
“My time at Texas A &M gave me a critical opportunity to learn to be a researcher, which is what I like to do,” Kim said.
For his complete, comprehensive education, he said, “I thank my parents because they believed in me, spoiled me by giving me the opportunity.” A challenging task, he said, because his parents “did not have tons of money.”
My education
Kim entered the world of science because “it had more options than other fields, science has a practical sense of application and basic.”
After earning a bachelor’s of science in Chemical Engineering, and a Masters in Biology, he realized the background of Microbiology “would be logical way to go forward for a career.” So Kim returned to college to earn a bachelor’s in Microbiology.
“I just liked biology, but people told me ‘you’re crazy for getting a second bachelor’s engineering degree,” he said. “That’s why I earned my PhD from Texas A & M, I finally found what I like to do.”
University of Arkansas Experience
Kim was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Iowa, but the University of Arkansas was where he officially began his first full-time teaching job.
Kim was attracted to the unique engineering community at the University of Arkansas because “the number of faculty was small,” he said. “When I got here, it was less established, less traditional and I enjoyed the cultural aspect to bioengineering.”
Dr. Lalit Verma, Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department Head, began his work at the University of Arkansas in 2000, just a year before Dr. Kim joined.
“Dr. Verma transformed the vision and the leadership here. That’s what triggered my decision,” he said. “I wanted to be a doctor people would work with, and have lots of opportunity, but I didn’t have industry experience.”
In his extensive educational experience, Kim said that the level of student involvement is higher at the University of Arkansas than at other universities.
“We have more to offer than in the lab,” he said. “My research students that I attract are not just in teacher-student relationship, they’re more family-like relationships. They engage more (people?) than me in lecture.
“That doesn’t happen in larger schools.”
Even in universities of roughly the same size, such as the University of Iowa, Kim had a different faculty-student interaction.
Role Model
Among the people that inspired Kim the most was a Graduate Advisor from the University of Wisconsin. “Without them, I couldn’t do what I like now,” he said.
When Kim began as a research-specific instructor at the University of Arkansas, he paired with another faculty member, for research purposes. Russell Deaton, a computer science professor, has worked with Kim on DNA Computing Nanotechnology for the past 10 years.
“I don’t think what I am without him,” Kim said. “He is my mentor, my friend, as well as colleague.”
An instructor at UAMS medical school, Vladimir Zharov, also changed Kim’s educational path.
“I met him in a meeting when we were working together. He introduced me to laser-based diagnosis and treatment,” he said. Kim and Zharov jointly published two nature papers last year.
“Research is an exciting field and we fit together in what we’re doing,” Kim said. “We’re productive. We make a good team because we have complimenting techniques- I run experiments, he handles the theoretical and modeling side, providing each other with information.
“Personally, I admire him. I’m happy to know him,” he said.
Current research
Dr. Kim’s research interests are in BioNanotechnology. “Merging bio-technology and nano-technology is crucial,” he said. “We’re building a structure from small model, using surf assembly to enable it for a specific function.”
He works with bio- and nonbio-interfacing, hybrid material, which includes DNA computing and DNA based technology, or pictures of DNA.
“When working with DNA technology and nanotechnology that merge, it gives control,” which is the number, location, orientation, direction and dimension (1D, 2D, 3D) of his data. “This allows me to make what I like to make with Deaton. We’ve had quite a bit of progress and a paper is to come” about the defined DNA particle.
Kim is actively involved with IEEE and has chaired conferences in biology and medicine. For the IEEE International Conference on Nano-Molecular Medicine and Engineering, “I was in that division last year as program chair and will serve as General Co-Chair for the conference this year,” he said.
In Kim’s research, he uses the techniques of controlling electrical properties and biomedical research from other fields, such as physics, electrical engineering and versatile platform, which provide many applications.
The researchers use instruments that increase the temperature of “bad cells” to produce a photo-thermal reaction. This is similar to melanoma treatment, where the patient’s skin is cauterized- destroyed with a hot instrument, an electrical current, or a caustic substance, a process commonly thought of “burning, freezing or scraping” skin off, but Kim says his technology is much improved and a lot less invasive.
Through Near-Infrared Technology, “We can change the intensity of the Infrared rays for a direct response to shape and size of the structure, controlling optical property,” he said. “Our biotissue is near transparent. That property is used for medical diagnosis.”
When shooting with infrared rays, “Our tissue cells don’t register it and it doesn’t damage normal cells. Only the bad cells show up,” he said. “This non-invasive imaging is particle interfacing, a more efficient way to detect and treat tumors. From this, many, many good things will happen.”
When he’s not in the lab or classroom, Kim uses his time hike, go to the lake or the park.
For more information about his research, visit his website for links to his research publications.
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