Matt Darr
Email: darr@iastate.edu
Phone: 515-294-8545
Title(s):
John Deere Endowed Chair in Ag Innovation / Professor
ABE Associate Chair of Operations
Office
2356 Elings605 Bissell Rd.
Ames, IA 500111098
Information
Appointment
35% Teaching, 40% Research, 25% Administration
Expertise
Learn more about Dr. Darr’s programs:
Education
- Ph.D. Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2007
- M.S. Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, University of Kentucky, 2004
- B.S. Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2002
Interest Areas
Dr. Matt Darr is a professor in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering department at Iowa State University. He currently manages a team of 30 university professionals and graduate students who provide leadership to a range of ag technology areas including precision agriculture, data analytics, digital agriculture, machine learning, and aerial imagery systems. He is author or co-author on 25 patents and licensed technologies, 32 journal articles, and has received over $30M in grant funding for his program. In addition to his research assignment, Dr. Darr is the lead instructor for ISU courses in precision agriculture and agricultural machinery electronics.
Additionally, Dr. Darr serves as the administrative leader for the BioCentury Research Farm. The Iowa State University BioCentury Research Farm is the first-in-the-nation integrated research and demonstration facility dedicated to biomass production and processing. Biomass includes lignocellulosic crops, crop residues and grain. It is internationally recognized as the home of cutting-edge bioeconomy science and engineering. Since 2009, the BioCentury Research Farm has served as the home for innovative and sustainable research and development utilizing some of the most plentiful raw materials available in Iowa: corn, soybeans, crop residues, grasses and algae. During that time, BCRF has led and supported over $85M in grant funding and supports more than 50 sponsored research and industry service projects each year. The more than 260 undergraduate students who have been employed at the facility have gone on to careers at leading companies in the agriculture and engineering industries, including John Deere, Caterpillar, Inc., Corteva, Gross Wen Technologies, SpaceX and many more.