Umut Yucel

Umut Yucel is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Food & Nutrition Program at Kansas State University's School of Health Sciences, holding joint appointments in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry and the Food Science Institute since March 2016. His interdisciplinary work bridges agricultural, engineering, and health sciences domains with research and teaching responsibilities spanning food innovation and safety.

His educational background includes:

• B.S. in Food Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Turkey (2004)
• M.S. in Food Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Turkey (2006)
• M.S. in Food Science, Pennsylvania State University (2010)
• Ph.D. in Food Science, Pennsylvania State University (2011)

Dr. Yucel's research integrates fundamental food biophysics with practical applications, focusing on colloidal systems, bioactive compound encapsulation, lipid chemistry, and emerging contaminant mitigation. His current work pioneers investigations into microplastic and PFAS migration through agricultural ecosystems and food supply chains, while advancing sustainable packaging solutions and functional food design. This dual emphasis on molecular mechanisms and real-world food safety challenges reflects his engineering-to-application research philosophy.

He leads cross-college research initiatives securing funding from USDA, NIH, Kansas Department of Agriculture, and industry commodity boards. Dr. Yucel actively partners with private sector entities to solve product development challenges, validate novel technologies, and enhance food quality assessment methodologies through material characterization expertise.

Teaching responsibilities encompass both in-person and online delivery of specialized courses including Flavor Chemistry, Food Dispersions, Fermented Foods, Physical Methods in Food Analysis, and Quality Assurance of Food Products, training next-generation food scientists through his integrated research-education approach.