He earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in agricultural engineering from ISU. Andersen's research interests are in the areas of manure management and water quality, which involve: manure treatment and utilization, nutrient management planning, field- and farm-scale soil and water quality monitoring and modeling, and economic evaluation of agricultural practice alternatives. His extension program focuses on manure treatment, management and utilization.