A team of biological and agricultural engineering students from the University of California, Davis, won the Western Growers Award for Excellence in Specialty Crops during the 2026 Farm Robotics Challenge.
What began as an unexpected major change became a defining path for UC Davis senior Nikolas Chupkin. Through sustainable engineering research, meaningful mentorship and close friendships, he discovered a deep interest in circular-economy research.
From GLP-1 treatment to upcycling coffee and legume waste streams, students tackled real food-related issues with an entrepreneurial mindset in Innovation for Impact: Food Systems, colloquially called “Hacking 4 Food.” Instructor and facilitator Alice Dien, a Ph.D. candidate in biological systems engineering, shares her reflections.
The Minnesota marshes Matthew Maciosek explored as a child are threatened by agricultural groundwater use. Now a UC Davis biological systems engineering student, he's researching sustainable irrigation practices in California's Central Valley to help protect wetlands for future generations.
Fungi and yeast as architects for cultured meat? Ph.D. candidate Begum Koysuren engineers living scaffolds that allow cells to attach, grow and organize naturally. Her work could transform how we produce sustainable food — by letting nature do what it does best.
Between her biological systems engineering research and her job as assistant grower at Gotham Greens, aka her “living lab,” master's student Grace Algeo is focused on developing practical tools that support growers, strengthen sustainability efforts and point toward a more resilient future for agriculture.
With a quick leaf scan, the AI-powered Leaf Monitor delivers real-time nutrient insights for crops. By replacing weeks-long lab tests, the new tool, developed by UC Davis engineers, can help farmers boost yields, cut fertilizer waste and manage fields with precision and sustainability.
Inspired by math, construction and the rainforest, Nicolas Almeida built a path in biological systems engineering rooted in purpose and a future in sustainable impact.
Five UC Davis students are among the finalists in the NASA-sponsored 2025 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition. Their project? RoboBees, a swarm of autonomous drones that mimics natural pollination to help modernize capabilities in agriculture.
This summer, a multidisciplinary group of undergraduate students participated in a biomanufactured foods research challenge. Now, they are taking their project — turning agricultural waste into food using fungi — to Washington, D.C.
