Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Engineering history: Iowa State collaboration caps off historic farm State Fair exhibit
The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering embraced the challenge when alumni from the Iowa Barn Foundation had a vision for a 1910 glazed tile silo to appear at the Iowa State Fair. Read More

June 24, 2025
The Harold and Katherine Guy Graduate Fellowship: Supporting 7 grad students working to advance soil and water conservation
Seven ABE graduate students have received the Harold and Katherine Guy Graduate Fellowship for exceptional academic and research performance in soil and water conservation. Read More

March 21, 2025
Hanwook Chung is building a Simulated Environment Agriculture Lab, starting with his courses
Hanwook Chung, assistant professor in the Agricultural, Biosystems and Environmental Engineering department, is developing a new simulated environment concept that provides information on growing environments affect food production systems. Read More

February 25, 2025
Research Staff Spotlight: Barbara Tran, Research Scientist at ABE’s Water Quality Research Lab
Get to know Barbara Tran! Learn more about her background and day-to-day work with the Water Quality Research Lab. Read More

October 17, 2024
Welcoming Philip Cox, new professor of practice in agricultural and biosystems engineering
Mechanical engineering undergraduate and graduate program alumnus and long-time John Deere teammate Philip Cox will be leading Capstone! Read More

August 26, 2024
ABE Alum Spotlight: Emily DeJesu – conserving water, starting at ISU
Emily DeJesu graduated from Iowa State University in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Systems Engineering (BSE). DeJesu grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and had a connection to Iowa State through her dad, with Iowa State being her dad’s alma mater. She always had a passion for the environment, math, and science which made BSE at ISU an easy educational choice. Read More

July 30, 2024
The little Cyberry that could: ASABE Robotics Competition
A team of three ABE undergraduate students will compete at the annual ASABE international meeting with their robot Cyberry Shortcake. Read More

July 24, 2024
ABE Alum Spotlight: Austin Lamphier – finding a passion for leadership and technology, starting at ISU
Austin Lamphier graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology (ITec) in 2018. Originally from Center Point, Iowa, Lamphier had always connected with technology and engineering, which led him to apply to ISU. Read More

July 23, 2024
ITEC Student, and Mechanical Lead, achieves victory with the Cardinal Space Mining team
A passion fostered in the ITEC program led Anna Overmann and her team to out-of-this-world results and career-building experiences. Read More

July 22, 2024
Josh Peschel receives NSF CAREER Award for Foundational Interaction Research Manipulating Drones
Throughout much of his career, Peschel has been doing the groundwork of defining questions and answers related to human-robot interaction with drones. This project is the culmination of knowledge and testing he has done so far, and it provides an opportunity to define and build implementable solutions for specific drone use cases in the future. Read More

July 11, 2024
ABE Alum Spotlight: Sarah Sievertsen – writing for engineers, starting at ISU
Sarah Sievertsen graduated from Iowa State University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Systems Technology (AST). Originally from northwest Alabama, Sievertsen had a passion for manure management and air quality in high school. She now works for GEA North America as a technical writer. Read More

July 9, 2024
ABE Alum Spotlight: Jacob Bickett – engineering professionalism, starting at ISU
Jacob Bickett graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering in the fall of 2020. He grew up in north central Illinois, farming row crops with his family. Combining his love for agriculture and knack for mathematics and mechanics, Bickett was bound for a career in agricultural engineering. Read More

July 1, 2024
ABE Alum Spotlight: Willow Griffith – innovating with precision, starting at ISU
Willow Griffith graduated from Iowa State University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture systems technology (AST). Now at the Climate LLC as a product manager, she has combined her love for agriculture and innovation to find a career she is passionate about. Read More

June 18, 2024
ABE Alum Spotlight: Matt Haas – engineering for the farmers, starting at ISU
Matt Haas graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering in 2023. Growing up on a farm in rural Illinois, Haas had a passion for Legos, agriculture, and hands-on work. Read More

June 11, 2024
Welcoming ABE’s new advisor: Aaron Leppert
The Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering (ABE) is excited to welcome Aaron Leppert to the department as the new Agricultural Engineering advisor. With a background in chemistry and secondary education, Aaron is extremely passionate about guiding students through their time at Iowa State. Read More

June 7, 2024