Use of hands-on experiences in our classrooms, laboratories, and excellent internship opportunities ensure that you gain experience with the concepts and the technology essential for prevention, assessment, and abatement of environmental problems. Students in BESC have the unique opportunity to build their networking skills prior to graduation by participating in our student chapter of the National Association of Environmental Professionals, which hosts speakers from industry and government agencies involved in environmental careers.

Our BESC Professional Board is composed of environmental professionals from across Texas eager to help you succeed. We host an annual BESC Symposium and career expo.

We emphasize  fundamental organismal, physiological, molecular and genomic concepts associated with fungal, bacteriological, viral, mycoplasmal and physiogenic diseases.

Research:
Faculty programs focus on a diversity of plant-microbe interactions, from plant innate immunity, biocontrol, host-pathogen interactions (signals, volatiles), mycotoxins, pathogenicity mechanisms, control of programmed cell death, to biofuels. and bioinformatics.

The department encompasses projects that attack applied problems like plant disease control with both classical and modern approaches.

The department  is associated with various other Texas A&M departments and the network of AgriLife Research & Extension Centers.

Extension:
We address the educational plant health needs in Texas of crop agriculture, green industry, homeowners, and other clientele with plant health issues. We provide accurate, state-of-the-art plant disease diagnostics, participate in national plant diagnostic networks, and train first responders.

We support Texas Extension agents through county-based Extension programs as plant pathology resources are requested. We contribute to the applied, field research responsibilities of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.