Past experience includes forage, biomass, and livestock feeding research and teaching in Agricultural Engineering and Agricultural Systems Management regarding equipment (engines, drivetrains, fluid power, traction), computing, design, and special topics. Current research in Agricultural and Biological Engineering includes data collection and management for agriculture including the Open Ag Data Alliance (OADA) and related apps for agriculture.

Digital agriculture is the realm in which our physical and social world is fused through digital devices. Integrated characterization and modeling improves decision making using modern data-intensive technologies that collect, connect, curate, communicate, and compute. As the Dean's Fellow for Digital Agriculture, Dennis works to extend the vision for data in agriculture through community building, coordinating IoT in agricultural settings, and teaching and researching advanced technology for agriculture (broadly defined - production, handling, processing, marketing - plant, animal, product, even machine and personnel logistics),

As an academic administrator (previously Asst. Dean in Academic Programs), Dennis's focus was on maintaining and improving the quality of teaching and advising offered in Purdue Agriculture. This was through awards, workshops, and support.