Maneesha Mohan

Maneesha Mohan is an Associate Professor and Alfred Chair in Dairy Manufacturing at South Dakota State University (SDSU), with a concurrent adjunct senior lecturer role at Lincoln University, New Zealand. Her expertise bridges food process engineering and dairy science, focusing on sustainable technologies and functional ingredient development. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee (2014) and has held roles at institutions including Teagasc (Ireland) and Glanbia Consumer Foods.

Research interests emphasize novel processing methods like high-pressure, nanobubble, and supercritical fluid technologies, alongside valorization of dairy byproducts. Key areas include polyphenol-milk protein interactions, whey permeate utilization, and gut microbiota modulation. She has pioneered studies on nanobubble wastewater treatment and bioactive delivery systems using milk proteins.

Awarded the 2024 SDSU Global Engagement Award and 2023 ADSA Foundation Scholar Award, she has secured over $1.2M in research grants. Her 25+ peer-reviewed articles and patents reflect contributions to food safety, packaging, and lipid science. Active in global education, she established a 3+1 BSc program with Amity University (India) and delivered Brain Gain scheme lectures across Indian institutions.

Teaching includes dairy processing, judging, and lab techniques at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She advises over 15 students annually across SDSU and Lincoln University, mentoring research on topics like GOS production from whey and nanobubble applications. Professional leadership roles include editorial board memberships for Journal of Dairy Science and Frontiers in Nutrition.