As greenhouse agriculture continues to expand to meet growing food demands, researchers at the University of Kentucky are developing new technologies to produce healthier crops more efficiently, while also reducing the time and labor required to grow them. Biyun Xie, Ph.D., associate professor in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is the principal investigator on a nearly $1.2 million U.S. National Science Foundation grant to develop an autonomous robotic system that could transform how greenhouse-grown tomatoes are monitored and evaluated.
Researchers at the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Transportation Center are collaborating to better understand the crash risks for teen drivers in the Commonwealth, with the goal of developing new strategies to improve driving safety. Working alongside state highway safety partners, the team is examining teen driver crash patterns to support Kentucky’s long-term safety goals. Fatal teen driver crashes are a complex, multi-layered problem, which requires expertise from an interdisciplinary team.
Scott Berry, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, has been honored as a 2026-27 University Research Professor.
