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 Agronomy, said Gunzenhauser’s experience in the industry will be an invaluable asset to students.
“Bob brings a rare combination of cutting-edge, real-world experience in digital and precision agriculture, as both a developer of advanced sensing and application technologies and a trusted advisor to students and colleagues,” Ritchie said. “Together with the digital and precision agriculture leadership team, he is shaping our new interdisciplinary program to deliver hands-on training that will prepare students to lead in a rapidly evolving global agricultural industry for decades to come.”
Gunzenhauser is teaching a short course this spring that introduces students to key areas of digital precision agriculture. The program’s introductory course, DPA 2020, will launch with the official start of the program in fall 2026, followed by advanced coursework and a capstone experience that integrates technical, agronomic and management skills.
“Think of the digital part of the major as the head coach of a team,” Gunzenhauser said. “Digital looks at the overarching, big picture. The precision aspect is all in the implementation. It's like the offensive and defensive coordinators. This major is bringing together the tactical and strategic to teach students how to better use these tools.”
His teaching approach focuses on context and application. “I'm going to give students the ‘So what’s the big idea?’,” he said. “My goal is to introduce the concepts but help them to connect to this ever-evolving space and hopefully develop their own solutions.”
From there, students are encouraged to connect classroom learning to hands-on implementation at the learning farms, during internships and in industry careers.
Learn more about the new major on the Digital and Precision Agriculture website.