About the Department

Science and technology to feed the world, protect natural resources, and improve quality of life.

The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering is Penn State’s home for advancing the engineering, business, and technical management of biological and agricultural systems through teaching, research, and outreach.

We are a small, inclusive group united by our fascination with the technology and processes that make life better for everyone.

We boast state-of-the-art facilities and world-class faculty composed of engineers and scientists with years of working experience in their fields.

Student success drives the department. Our undergraduate majors offer hands-on learning with real-world applications, excellent internship experiences, robust scholarship opportunities, and high job placement.

Our graduate programs offer master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees rooted in research through our core engineering, science, and management disciplines.

Penn State is a Tier 1 Research University. Students are highly encouraged to participate in meaningful research starting the first semester of their freshman year.

Meet our faculty, staff, and students, and learn more about our academic home. Welcome!

Latest News

July 28, 2026

Penn State researchers evaluating biomass-to-gasoline startup in northern Pa.

Researchers in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences are working with the entrepreneur behind the proposed startup of an innovative woody biomass-to-energy facility planned for north central Pennsylvania to determine if the planned operation will be sustainable and ecologically sound.

July 28, 2026

College of Ag Sciences student gains global research experience in Germany

Megan Brown, a senior agricultural and biorenewable systems management major in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is spending two months in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. She is part of the International Partnership for Responsive Infrastructure using Sustainable Multifunctional Materials, or iPRISM, and is conducting research at the University of Freiburg.

July 28, 2026

Huck Institutes announces recipients of nine interdisciplinary seed grants

Penn State’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences has awarded nine research teams seed funding for 2026-27. These grants support high-impact, innovative research projects that align with the Huck’s strategic research priorities and have the potential to drive scientific breakthroughs and generate significant return on investment.

July 17, 2026

Q&A: Can a misunderstood tech benefit farmers’ bottom lines and the environment?

An advanced technology that could benefit farmers’ bottom line and help answer the rising demand for domestic energy production borrows a key ingredient from a centuries-old practice of burning dried manure to warm homes where trees were sparse or expensive: animal waste. According to Christine Costello, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, anaerobic digesters may help not only manage animal waste but also generate renewable energy and additional income streams.

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