Sustainable Biomaterials Major
Explore the Sustainable Biomaterials Major
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Sustainable Biomaterials (SBIO)
SBIO majors help the industry improve products and production while cutting costs and environmental impact.
SBIO majors work to produce, develop, and sell renewable materials from wood and similar natural products; they help satisfy the material needs of society using renewable resources and a systems-analysis approach to optimize sustainability in manufacturing.
Why? Because wood products are essential to a sustainable future! We use wood products in many different commercial markets, large, small, and all sizes in between. This large, diverse industry provides choices and opportunities for SBIO majors to find all interests! For example, the annual construction of new homes and non-residential wood structures is a major U.S. economic indicator. This is because of the immense scale and diversity of wood products required to build each new home and structure. Some of the products are obvious to the untrained eye. Many other products in the wood-construction industry are hidden, but they are technologies that SBIO students use to make better wood products, more efficiently.
And, it’s not just wood! A great number of wood products attract alternative materials that we also need in the future. Examples include bamboo for flooring and for structural and non-structural building elements. Industrial hemp is also emerging in building products, using the whole plant or just the bast fiber. Wood is the SBIO major's emphasis, as learning about wood is the best way to learn how to develop other new products from natural alternatives like bamboo, industrial hemp, and even mycelium. In fact, VT's SBIO department works with numerous sustainable biomaterials, including wood, but also bamboo, industrial hemp, soybeans, walnut shells, mycelium, chitin from crustacean shells, lignin from trees and plants, cellulose, and others.
Challenge yourself
What to study in Sustainable Biomaterials?
SBIO majors get to select one of two options that will show on their transcript and degree: Sustainable Residential Structures, or Sustainable Biomaterials Science.
Both of these options integrate science, technology, engineering, and systems analysis, but in different ways for different interests. While all SBIO majors will take much of the same coursework, the Sustainable Residential Structures option has a greater focus on producing and using wood products to make residential structures. And, the Sustainable Biomaterials Science option provides a deeper foundation in chemistry due to the numerous wood technologies that require chemical understanding.
This pairing of SBIO options reflects the industry and the great breadth of opportunities available to our students. Each option allows students to identify their own areas of interest and craft a course load to enhance their knowledge of those areas. Many courses are hands-on, with meetings in labs and research areas, to create and test products in real-world environments. Students are encouraged to meet and talk with industry professionals to gain an understanding of industry issues and concerns.
Internship and co-op opportunities are highly encouraged in both options. Employment of Sustainable Biomaterials students is very high, and employers seek out these students to fill positions.
Sustainable Residential Structures
Students in this option learn about the entire residential construction process – from computer design to construction to building use and deconstruction. Special emphasis is given to green building practices to make construction more efficient, less costly, and long-lasting. All SBIO majors learn how sustainable biomaterials are grown and processed, they learn how the unique structure of wood and similar materials controls and optimizes their application. Students in the Sustainable Residential Structures option gain structural design skills for wood structures, and elements within structures, and learn how to create long-lasting and durable buildings.
Sustainable Biomaterials Science
As in the first option, students studying the Sustainable Biomaterials Science option learn how timber is processed into wood products, and how it's applied. As nearly all wood products require chemical technology and understanding, students in the Sustainable Biomaterials Science option also gain chemical training to work in areas like adhesives, coatings, fire retardants, and renewable chemicals. The Sustainable Biomaterials Science option is also excellent preparation for graduate school, where students pursue deeper studies into the transformation of plants, fungi, kelp, etc. into the sustainable products of the future.
Alumni Interviews
Graduates of the Sustainable Biomaterials major share their ongoing stories with us!
"Studying Sustainable Biomaterials taught me the ability to think at a systems-level. Instead of looking at a problem as a singular issue, expand your perspective to consider outside factors. This is a critical skill in sustainability as environmental, social, and governance issues are often severely intertwined."
- Kevin Mikita, 2022 B.S., SBIO Alumni
Our Program
Learning
Small Class Sizes = Personal Connection
Our small class sizes provide the opportunity for our students to build more personal connections with our faculty. In addition, our advisors are available to help students by providing industry connections and career guidance throughout their time at Virginia Tech.
Student talking to employer
Career Ready
Industrial Connections
Our close collaboration with industry allows our students to find internships, co-ops, and employment after graduation. Our extensive industry network includes major international companies.
Students getting hands on experience
Experiential Learning
Hands-On Experience
The best way to translate the knowledge obtained in class to real life is to use it to solve real-life issues. All of our sustainable biomaterials students have the chance to be involved in hands-on projects even during their first-year, including working in our research centers, undergraduate research projects in our labs, internal summer internships, and industry sponsored senior design projects.