Farzaneh Khorsandi Receives ASABE Award for Agricultural Safety Research
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, or ASABE, has selected Farzaneh Khorsandi, associate professor of cooperative extension in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis, to receive the 2026 SMV Technologies Ergonomics, Safety and Health Award.
The award recognizes outstanding contributions that advance agricultural and biological safety and health through research, innovation and leadership. Khorsandi was selected for her groundbreaking work improving agricultural safety through engineering innovations, AI-driven approaches and advancements in ATV and machinery safety.
Khorsandi’s research and extension programs focus on reducing workplace risks in agriculture, including heat-related illness prevention, agricultural vehicle safety and the safe integration of emerging technologies such as robotics, drones and agrivoltaics.
Through her research, Khorsandi has worked closely with state and national agencies, including the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Caltrans, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Her work has also helped inform agricultural safety policy at the state and federal levels
Khorsandi developed the first ATV safety test station in the United States and has received multiple ASABE recognitions, including the Superior Paper Award and as an ASABE New Face of Engineering.
“I am very passionate about protecting the health and safety of farmworkers, particularly youth, women and underserved agricultural communities,” Khorsandi said. “I greatly appreciate this award and special thanks to my students, lab members, collaborators and colleagues for their continued support of my research. I especially would like to thank Salah Issa [an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign] for his encouragement and support of this nomination.”
