Pranabendu Mitra

Dr. Pranabendu Mitra is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, affiliated with the College of Arts & Human Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from Chungnam National University, along with earlier degrees from Bangladesh Agricultural University. His research focuses on food engineering, extrusion processing, bioactive compound extraction, and product development utilizing agricultural byproducts. He has conducted postdoctoral research at prestigious institutions like McGill University and Cornell University, receiving fellowships from NSERC (Canada) and the Korea Research Foundation.

Dr. Mitra’s teaching portfolio includes courses such as FN 350/550 (Unit Operations in Food Processing), FN 728 (Introduction to Food and Nutritional Sciences Research), and FN 770 (Thesis-Food Science and Nutrition). He has been recognized with the PEPSICO 50 Award (2016) and serves as a Discovery Center Research Fellow at UW-Stout. His professional roles include editorial positions for multiple journals and service on the University’s Educational Activities Committee since 2017.

His research innovations span supercritical CO₂ extraction, development of functional food products from cranberry pomace, and optimization of extrusion processes for soy and rice flour blends. Recent work explores microbial fuel cells and canola protein functionality. Dr. Mitra emphasizes sustainable food systems through waste valorization and bioprocessing techniques, contributing to both academic and industry-relevant advancements.