FABE | Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Sours receives $50,000 grant to support our Humanitarian Engineering Program

Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE) faculty Patrick Sours has earned the Humanitarian Engineering Program a $50,000 grant, making it the largest grant in program history. Sours submitted his 2025 proposal earlier this year and was just granted approval in the fall after a thorough decision from the committee. The grant comes from the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) and Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP), who contribute $810,000 annually to the university or other philanthropic endeavors for similar proposals.

FABE Graduate Student Wins First Place in The Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award

Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE) graduate student, Sandeep Dhakal, was awarded first place in the Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award (Master's Category) at the 2025 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Annual International Meeting.

The Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award recognizes excellence in the conduct and presentation of research dedicated to engineers who exclusively design equipment, facilities and processes for the sustainable operation of a biological system.

In memoriam: Professor Ann Christy

The Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University mourns the loss of beloved faculty member, Dr Ann Christy. She passed away on Friday, October 3 at the age of 63.

Dr. Ann Christy was a Professor of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Professor of Engineering Education at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, and Associate Dean and Director for Academic Programs.

Saba investigates electricity’s productive effect on food waste fermentation

A new study, led by FABE Research Scientist Beenish Saba, found that adding an electrical jolt to fermentation of industrial food waste speeds up the process and increases the yield of platform chemicals that are valuable components in a wide range of products. This discovery could increase efficiency and sustainability, as well as decrease the cost of production of multipurpose chemicals. In addition, Ohio State University researchers also discovered that combining two bacterial species in the electro-fermentation mix allowed for more targeted chemical production.

Ohio State Engineering students earn first place in NASA Student Challenge

FABE students at The Ohio State University earned first place at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland last month. The student team created an innovative design aimed at managing fluids in space for NASA’s 2025-2026 University Student Design Challenge. The challenge encourages college students to develop innovative approaches to NASA mission needs, specializing in various space-themed projects.

New investigation of machine learning to estimate agricultural water use

A group led by Dr. Darren Drewry in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE) at Ohio State University recently published an article in the peer-reviewed journal Agricultural Water Management on the use of machine learning (ML) to estimate total ecosystem water use (also known as evapotranspiration or latent energy flux) in agricultural systems.

Students earn several awards at CFAES Research Forum and Poster Competition

The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Undergraduate and Graduate Research Forum Poster Competition provides a means for undergraduate students to share their research with members and friends of the OSU community; recognizes the significant contributions to research by OSU undergraduates; and facilitates exchange between students, faculty, and the public.

2025 FABE Student Scholarship and Awards Banquet

On Wednesday, April 16th, 2025, the Ohio State Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE) held its annual Student Scholarship and Awards Banquet. The banquet, held at the Nationwide 4-H Center on campus, honors faculty, staff, students and alumni for contributing to the department's advancement in 2024-2025.

Faculty and staff recognized at CFAES Awards Ceremony

Earlier this month, the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at Ohio State University held its annual awards ceremony at the 4-H Center, honoring college staff, research, extension, teaching and advising.

The Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering (FABE) faculty and staff received two awards on the day, including the Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer Award and the Distinguished Multidisciplinary Team Extension Award.

Graduate program ranks in top 10 for seventh year running

The Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE) within both the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and College of Engineering at The Ohio State University has been ranked ninth in the nation among graduate programs by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-2026 Best Biological /Agricultural Engineering Graduate Programs rankings, released this week.