Kirk D. DolanView profile
Professor
Kirk D. Dolan is a Professor at Michigan State University (MSU), holding joint appointments in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (lead) and the Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering within the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. His research focuses on thermal processing modeling of foods and inverse problems in food science, utilizing advanced computational tools like MATLAB and COMSOL for parameter estimation. He actively contributes to food safety through extension work, including co-teaching the FDA-mandated Better Process Control School and HACCP courses. PhD, Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University, 1989 MS, Agricultural Engineering, University of California, Davis, 1985 BS, Agricultural Engineering, University of Florida, 1983 Dolan’s research spans thermal processing technologies (canning, drying, aseptic processing), inverse problem solving, and statistical methods for food researchers. His recent publications emphasize antioxidant analysis, kinetic modeling, and computational approaches in food systems. Recent publications highlight advancements in parameter estimation for food processing, including studies on thermal conductivity in cherry pomace, starch viscosity models, and microbial inactivation dynamics. His work bridges computational methods with practical applications in food safety and quality preservation. 2019 CANR Camden Endowed Teacher/Scholar Award Dolan chairs the triennial Inverse Problems Symposia at MSU and co-teaches graduate courses like BE 835 (Modeling Methods in Biosystems Engineering). His extension work supports Michigan food entrepreneurs through FDA product registration assistance and industry training programs.






