Professor brings industry experience to new digital and precision agriculture major
Professor brings industry experience to new digital and precision agriculture major
Publish Date: 2026-04-07 15:13:00
Source Domain: www.cals.iastate.edu
Robert Gunzenhauser, an associate professor of practice of agronomy, uses a 3-D model to describe the relationship between topography and water flow. Students in Agron 1900X used this model to spark discussions of best practices.
By Madelyn Ostendorf
Students are already gaining insight into the new digital and precision agriculture major that will officially launch in the fall, learning to apply technology and data analysis to crop and soil management to help farmers make the best choices for their land.
The major emphasizes hands‑on experience with tools like sensors, drones and mapping software, while continuing to build on a basis of agronomy to support decision‑making. Students draw from coursework across agricultural systems technology, agronomy, data science and geographic information systems.
“Digital and precision agriculture will give students a front‑row seat to how modern production agriculture actually works,” said Amy Kaleita, chair of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. “They learn how data, technology and agronomic science come together in the field, not just the classroom. That combination opens doors to meaningful careers and helps ensure farmers have the skilled professionals they need to navigate an increasingly complex agricultural landscape.”
Helping lead the new major is Robert Gunzenhauser, an associate professor of practice of agronomy whose industry experience spans more than three decades across farming, consulting and agricultural technology development.
“If you had asked me when I was a student in agricultural systems technology and agricultural education if I ever thought about being a professor, I would have laughed,” Gunzenhauser said. “But after my time in the industry, what attracted me to this role was the opportunity to pour back into the next generation of students, and to be working in the same departments that I took classes in.”
Glen Ritchie, chair of the Department of…
