UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State students interested in agricultural conservation will have a new opportunity to gain hands-on experience in fall 2025. The College of Agricultural Sciences’ Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering is launching “ABSM 497-002: Ag structures: conservation,” a course designed to equip students with the technical knowledge and skills to identify and plan conservation structures on farms.
Taught by Weiyun Hua, assistant teaching professor of agricultural and biological engineering, the course is supported by the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training, which is administered by Penn State Extension. The course is aimed at addressing a growing need for professionals trained in agricultural conservation engineering.
“There is an urgent need to address soil erosion and water pollution while maintaining crop productivity,” Hua said. “This course will prepare the next generation with the knowledge and skills to plan conservation structures that protect and restore natural resources while also meeting farmers’ needs.”
Students will explore a variety of conservation-related structures, such as fences, stream crossings, roofed heavy-use areas, waste storage facilities, mortality composting facilities, livestock watering systems and agrochemical handling facilities.
The course will include field trips, hands-on learning experiences and networking opportunities with industry professionals. Students will develop conservation plans using AutoCAD design drawings and 3D printing models to better understand the functionality of different structures.
Jennifer Fetter, water resources program leader for Penn State Extension and director of the center, noted that the course addresses a critical workforce gap.
“The biggest challenge in agricultural conservation is the lack of technical assistance capacity,” Fetter said. “There’s a long waitlist for engineering services in Pennsylvania — sometimes over a year — because there simply aren’t enough trained professionals to design and implement conservation structures on farms.”
According to Fetter, many conservation practices, such as off-stream watering systems for livestock or roofing for barnyards to control runoff, are delayed due to a shortage of trained engineers. This course could help fill that gap by preparing students for careers in conservation planning and agricultural engineering.
The course will target students from biological engineering, agricultural and biorenewable systems management, environmental resource management, forest ecosystem management, civil engineering, and other relevant majors who are interested in agricultural conservation.
“We want to train students with the skills they need to design and implement these structures,” Fetter said. “Right now, most knowledge transfer happens informally — retiring experts are passing down skills as quickly as possible. But we need to be proactive in preparing the future workforce.”
The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training was heavily involved in conceptualizing the course, and Hua worked with the department to bring it to life.
“We’re thrilled to see this course become a reality,” Fetter said. “Penn State’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering is doing something novel here, recreating an old topic back into the coursework and addressing a technical capacity need that’s being felt across Pennsylvania.”
Fetter praised Hua’s innovative teaching techniques: “Dr. Hua recently showed me a 3D-printed model of a roofed heavy-use area. It’s an incredible tool that helps students and farmers visualize conservation structures beyond two-dimensional plans on paper. This kind of innovation is exactly why we hired her.”
Suat Irmak, professor and head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, led the effort to hire Hua and helped to develop the course contents.
“This course exemplifies our continued commitment to providing students with cutting-edge education that directly addresses stakeholders’ needs,” Irmak said. “We’re proud to offer a program that will help to educate and train future-generation professionals and also contribute to shaping the future of agricultural conservation.”
He noted that the primary vision is to provide the skills and knowledge for graduates to be able to plan, survey and design conservation-related structures that will help to improve agricultural conservation functions and environmental services.
“The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering has extensive research, teaching and extension programs on various aspects of agricultural engineering, soil and water conservation, and natural resources engineering,” Irmak said. “This course will be an important addition to our programs and will benefit our students and the agricultural engineering and conservation profession.”
Funding for Hua’s appointment and the course is provided through the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program, administered by the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering provides significant academic support to accomplish the goals and objectives of the position.
The course lecture is scheduled from 12:20 p.m. to 1:10 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays in the fall 2025 semester. A lab accompanies the course at the same time on Fridays. Students must have taken PHYS 250 or 211 and MATH 110 or 140 as prerequisites.
Students can register in LionPATH or contact Hua at wvh5223@psu.edu for more details.