Dr. Brian Farkas became Head of the Department of Food Science on July 1, 2013. Dr. Farkas will continue his research in transport phenomena
as applied to food and agriculture, with a current focus on high-temperature
interfacial science. In this, his laboratory seeks to develop a better
understanding of the flow of mass and energy across solid-liquid-gas interfaces
during processing at elevated temperatures.
Previously, Dr. Farkas had been alumni distinguished undergraduate
professor and undergraduate coordinator of food science at North Carolina State
since 2009. He began his work at NC State as an assistant professor in
the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and rose to
professor and associate department head in 2006.
He worked in the freeze-drying industry as a process
engineer and alternate shift supervisor at Innovative Foods Inc. of South San
Francisco, Calif., from 1985-1987 and held research and teaching positions at
the University of California at Davis from 1992-1994.
Dr. Farkas received his doctorate in engineering and a master's
degree in food science from the University of California Davis and a bachelor's
degree in food science from the University of Delaware.
Research
Research in the areas of heat, mass, and momentum transfer as applied to food processing and preservation. Mathematical modeling and process simulation are used to develop a better understanding of transport processes and process optimization. Research activities focus on two areas: 1. Thermal processing of foods and 2. Mathematical modeling of moving boundary / phase change problems.
Dr. Farkas oversees the Hops and Brewing Analysis Lab. He was instrumental in creating Boiler Gold Ale brewed by Peoples Brewing Company in Lafayette, Indiana, and the opening of Purdue's 1869 Tap Room.
Current Graduate Students and Research Lab Members
Shreya Sahasrabudhe