Dr. Brian Farkas served as Head of the Department of Food Science from July 1, 2013 until December 31, 2019. 

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. 

While at Purdue, Dr. Farkas 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

no longer mentoring graduate students