Meet Our Team

Dr. Dana Choi

Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor

Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Gulf Coast Research and Education Center

University of Florida, United States

Dr. Daeun "Dana" Choi is a researcher in precision agriculture at the University of Florida, where she creatively blends machine learning, synthetic data, and digital twins to enhance crop production. An active member of the ASABE for over 11 years, Dr. Choi has authored/co-authored 41 publications and secured 24 grants totaling $16.7 million to drive innovation in agricultural technologies.

In our lab, students dive into exciting projects like developing intelligent sensors, automating drones and robots, and creating low-cost agricultural tools with advanced data processing techniques. In Smart Ag Lab, researchers not only contribute to cutting-edge research but also gain invaluable skills in developing solutions that make technology accessible to all farmers.

Education:

Ph.D.   Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 2017, University of Florida

M.S.    Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 2013, University of Florida

B.S.    Bio-mechatronic Engineering, summa cum laude, 2011, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea

B.S.    Economics, 2011, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea

Professional Experience:

2022-present  Assistant Professor, Department of Ag and Bio Engineering, University of Florida

2017-2021  Assistant Professor, Department of Ag and Bio Engineering, Penn State University

Awards and Honors:

  • 2024 FL ASABE Outstanding Young Extension Worker Award

    Presented by the Florida Section of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, this award recognizes exceptional young professionals under 40 in the extension field who have demonstrated excellence in developing, implementing, and promoting extension services.

  • 2022 ASABE Rain Bird Engineering Concept of the Year Award
    Awarded by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers on July 15, 2022, for unique contributions to the development or advancement of a new engineering concept.
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  • 2019 Next Leaders Program
    Hosted by the Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR) on November 7, 2020. This program unites future leaders to learn about the current state-of-the-art and build global relationships.

  • 2019 New Faces of ASABE
    Recognized by The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers on March 1, 2019, for inspiring peers and the public through professional and personal achievements.

  • 2019 UF ABE Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
    Presented by the University of Florida on May 8, 2019, to alumni under 45 who have excelled in their fields or contributed outstanding service to the profession.

  • 2018 Giuseppe Pellizzi Prize
    Conferred by The Club of Bologna and the Accademia dei Georgofili on November 11, 2018, for outstanding PhD theses on Farm Machinery and Mechanization.
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  • 2017 AKABFE Service Award
    Awarded by the Association of Korean Agricultural, Biological, and Food Engineers on July 18, 2017, for outstanding service and commitment.
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