08/20/2003

Taylor Named Biosystems Engineering Department Head

AUBURN, Ala. —Steven E. Taylor, a professor of forest and structural wood engineering at Auburn University, has been named head of the Department of Biosystems Engineering.

Taylor, who has been on faculty in the department since 1989, assumed his duties Aug. 10. He replaces department chair Clifford Flood, who is retiring.

Taylor earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Florida in 1983 and 1985, respectively. He received his doctorate in ag engineering from Texas A&M University in 1988 and a year later joined the faculty at AU as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 1996 and full professor earlier this year. Taylor also serves as adjunct professor in the AU School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences (SFWS) and is a leader in numerous agriculture, engineering and forestry outreach activities.

Both as a teacher and as a researcher, Taylor’s interests and expertise lie in forest and structural wood engineering, specifically in the areas of predicting the performance of engineered wood components, developing innovative timber bridge designs, developing portable timber bridge systems, reducing environmental impacts from forest roads and stream crossings, and using Global Positioning Systems in forest operations.

Taylor was named the Department of Biosystems Engineering’s outstanding faculty member in 1991, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2001. A registered professional engineer, he is a member of and serves as a leader in a number of professional organizations.

“Dr. Taylor is an outstanding teacher and researcher who has the vision, the energy and the excellent leadership abilities to build and sustain a premier biosystems engineering program at Auburn University,” John Jensen, interim dean of the College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES), said in announcing the appointment.

The Department of Biosystems Engineering is in the College of Agriculture, but undergraduate students in the program are enrolled in the College of Engineering. The program is jointly supervised by the deans of engineering and agriculture.

Biosystems engineering is a profession that applies engineering expertise to solving problems in agricultural, food, forest and natural resource systems.

Taylor and his wife, Martha, live in Auburn. They have two children: Travis, 11, and Shelby, 9.

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News from:

Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Steve Taylor, 334-844-3435 or taylost@auburn.edu

08/20/03

For immediate release