University of Hawai'i University Relations Media & Publications Honolulu, HI 96822	(808) 956-8856 Telephone (808) 956-3441 Facsimile ur@hawaii.edu E-Mail
For Immediate Release:	September 21, 2000
Contact: Jody Moore, director Publications and Information Office College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources University of Hawai'i at Manoa 956-6016, moorej@ctahr.hawaii.edu

Biosystems Engineering program receives accreditation

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa's new Biosystems Engineering program was recently accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, which accredits engineering-related programs at about 500 U.S. colleges and universities. Biosystems Engineering is part of the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Biosystems Engineering in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

The mission of the newly accredited program is to apply biological and physical sciences in discovering knowledge to strengthen industries like biotechnology, agriculture, aquaculture, food processing, bioproducts formulation and environmental technologies, says Jody Moore, director of CTAHR's Publications and Information Office.

Biosystems Engineering Chair Charles Kinoshita says accreditation is affirmation that the program meets criteria aimed to ensure graduates are competent and will contribute to the profession. ABET is a federation of 28 professional engineering and technical societies representing more than 1.8 million engineers, technologists and technicians.

"Accreditation is a valuable tool for marketing an education program to prospective students and parents as well as for marketing graduates to prospective employers or graduate schools," Kinoshita says.

Kinoshita says the program hopes to expand its student base while maintaining the high quality of students who graduate with Biosystems Engineering degrees.

"If this goal is achieved, we will be able to offer courses on a more frequent rotation and expand our course offerings," he says. "The ultimate goal for our program is to produce graduates who are highly skilled in the engineering of biological systems to meet the needs of their employers and society."

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