Ren Yang
Assistant Professor - Food and Biomass Engineering
Biography
Dr. Ren Yang is an assistant professor of food and bioproducts engineering within the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, where he commenced his tenure in October 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Science in food science and engineering from the Northwest University of China, a Master of Science in food safety and technology from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from Washington State University. With a current role that comprises 80% research and 20% teaching, Dr. Yang instructs the course AST 443, titled "Food Processing and Engineering Fundamentals," and ABE 754, "Advanced Unit Operation." Dr. Yang is deeply dedicated to advancing the field of food engineering. His passion revolves around the development of intelligent and sustainable food process engineering technologies, aiming to enhance food safety, security and sustainability in the foreseeable future.
Education
- B.S. in food science and engineering | Northwest University, China
- M.S. in food safety and technology | Illinois Institute of Technology
- Ph.D. in food engineering | Washington State University
Academic and Professional Experience
Academic Interests
Academic Interests
Dr. Yang’s Intelligent and Sustainable Food Process Engineering Laboratory
- Pillar 1: Fundamental Microbial Physics and Kinetics
- Modeling from thermodynamic principles
- Quantifying the impact of soluble food composition
- Developing advanced engineering tools
- Pillar 2: Advanced Energy-Based Technologies
- Engineering novel pulsed laser sanitation
- Developing scalable cold plasma reactors
- Advancing UVC sanitation and validation protocols
- Pillar 3: Cyber-Physical and Intelligent Systems
- Creating predictive digital twins
- Developing advanced process sensors
- Visualizing novel sanitation with mathematical models and AR
- Nurturing next-generation process control using smart algorithms
Academic Responsibilities
- AST 443 - Food Processing and Engineering Fundamentals
- ABE 754 - Advanced Unit Operation
Committees and Professional Memberships
- Society of Food Engineering
- International Association for Food Protection
- Institute of Food Technologists
- Phi Tau Sigma
Associated Areas
