Brandon Mar’s early Purdue experience was rough. He hasn’t shied away from admitting that, calling his first year “a circus” and “tumultuous” when reflecting after his honoring as a Fellow in September 2024. While he wondered at the time if he would make it out of first-year engineering (FYE), Mar ultimately made it out, into a major and all the way to graduation, leaving a positive impact as he grew and gave.
His “caring, passionate, energetic and positive” personality has been an asset to his current lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he pursues a doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences. Mar’s research at Purdue focused on drug development in the Low Research Lab and bacteriophage proteins in the Clase Lab. Now working with Nicholas Kalogriopoulos in his Madison lab, Mar explores the use of cell therapies with synthetic G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to dismantle solid tumor growths.

Purdue University researchers have developed a novel, patent-pending process to synthesize soybean-based biokerosene that can be blended for use in cold-weather biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel. Biokerosene fuel blends also emit lower levels of greenhouse gases and expand the market for locally grown soybeans.

The biokerosene was developed and tested by Nathan Mosier, Indiana Soybean Alliance Soybean Utilization Endowed Chair and head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Junli Liu, senior bioprocess engineering research scientist, and graduate student Elena Robles Molina, all working in Purdue’s Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering. The Indiana Soybean Alliance funded the research, which was published in Biofuel Research Journal.

Converting aquaculture sludge with a natural microbial process into a viable renewable biofuel presents a mind-numbing chess match of biochemical variables. This process — anaerobic digestion — involves microbes operating in a no-oxygen environment.

“Although the anaerobic digestion technology has been employed for more than a hundred years all over the world, there is still a lot that we need to investigate,” said Jiqin Ni, professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University.

Roadside mowing is inherently dangerous, time-consuming and costly.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) spends approximately $18 million annually maintaining more than 40,000 acres of roadside vegetation. Contractors must often operate just feet from high-speed traffic, sometimes crossing into travel lanes and navigating around obstacles hidden in tall grass.

To address the challenges facing mower operators, INDOT partnered with Purdue on a research project funded through the Joint Transportation Research Program. Led by John Evans, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering (ABE) in Purdue’s College of Agriculture and mechanical engineering (by courtesy) in the College of Engineering, the project explores whether autonomous mowing systems could improve safety and efficiency.

Even if you don’t know much about beef or dairy production, if you imagine a ranch or a milking barn, you probably picture different cattle breeds. A shiny Black Angus makes a great steak, whereas a black and white Holstein produces creamy milk.

These days, however, many dairy farms are incorporating beef genetics into their breeding programs, said Hinayah Rojas de Oliveira, assistant professor of animal sciences. The beef-on-dairy crossbred cattle produced help maximize profit for dairy farmers, who can see premiums of $350 to $700 per head for their meat quality compared to purebred dairy calves.

Purdue’s American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) student chapter energized the campus this year by hosting its first Midwest Regional Rally in 15 years. The event drew more than 90 students from seven universities. Students took part in hands-on activities, built lasting networks, and embraced leadership roles that laid the foundation for academic success and future careers in agricultural and biological engineering.

Shawn Ehlers, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering and ASABE Purdue Chapter adviser, highlighted the event's outcomes. "Planning the Midwest Rally gave our students direct networking with peers from other universities, insight into graduate opportunities at Purdue, exposure to local industries and access to academic, research and career pathways," Ehlers said.

Somali Chaterji, associate professor in Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) and the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), has been named a 2026 University Faculty Scholar for her research at the intersection of machine learning, digital agriculture and genomics.

3rd place overall out of 23 teams from across the US and Canada
Received 3rd place in the Performance Events and
Earned the Serviceability Award for their tractor design.

Purdue University researchers published a literature review laying out an integrated approach to cut the environmental footprint of ruminant livestock while supporting animal welfare and production. According to the team, the livestock sector is responsible for 18% of emissions globally, and addressing that requires coordination across breeding, nutrition, management and technology rather than a single fix. The review appears in the journal Agriculture and was featured on the cover of a special issue on environmental threats to farm animals.

Before Megan Casey was studying post-wildfire flooding, she was a teenager at camp, learning how ecosystems work and imagining how they could be protected.

“I realized I wanted to go into agricultural engineering when I was around 16 years old,” she says. “That was really my first experience that this could be something that I could do.”

That curiosity led to a career tackling one of today’s toughest challenges: understanding how landscapes change after disruption.