Dr. Yanqiu Yang joined the Department of Animal Science at the University of Tennessee as an Assistant Professor on June 1, 2025. Her research and teaching focus on precision livestock systems and agricultural automation. She integrates artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision, robotics, and sensing technologies to enhance animal welfare, reduce labor demands, and support sustainable livestock production.
Dr. Yang received her B.E. from China Agricultural University and completed a joint master’s program between China Agricultural University and Harper Adams University in the UK, where she worked on sensor-based behavior monitoring in dairy cattle. She earned her Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Penn State University, focusing on noninvasive, data-driven technologies for integrated pest management. Her work contributed to tools such as ScabDoc, bioWatch, and MothNet for disease diagnosis and invasive species monitoring.
Her work has been recognized with several honors, including the Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate Student Award from Penn State’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, the Harold V. and Velma B. Walton Doctoral Student Endowment, and multiple first-place awards for research presentations at Penn State and national society meetings, and was a Nittany AI Challenge winner for her work on bioWatch.
Dr. Yang brings industry experience from her time as a program manager and product engineer at John Deere, where she helped deploy precision agriculture technologies across diverse environments. She also serves as a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador, advocating for inclusion and mentoring the next generation of women in technology.
At UT, Dr. Yang is launching a research program that bridges engineering, data science, and animal agriculture, while building collaborations with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and industry partners. She is also committed to teaching and curriculum development, with plans to launch a new undergraduate minor in Smart Agriculture to prepare students for the technological challenges of modern farming.