Ranjith Ramanathan

Dr. Ranjith Ramanathan is a Professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Oklahoma State University, holding the Leo & Kathy Noltensmeyer Endowed Research Chair. He earned his Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut (2012), and his Bachelor's in Veterinary and Animal Science from Kerala Agricultural University, India (2004). With over 13 years of faculty experience, he specializes in meat science, focusing on meat quality, myoglobin biochemistry, and mitochondrial function. He has secured $7.3M in research grants and published 101 peer-reviewed articles.

His research addresses meat discoloration mechanisms, applying metabolomics and AI techniques. He has mentored 19 graduate students and 54 committee roles, alongside training 32 undergraduates. Teaching includes four food science courses: Fundamentals of Food Science, Food Chemistry, Analysis of Food Products, and Advanced Food Chemistry. He is recognized for teaching excellence by multiple institutions.

Key achievements include:

• Development of novel tools for meat color analysis (e.g., electrochemical and spectroscopic methods)
• Advances in understanding dark-cutting beef metabolism and mitochondrial roles
• Strategies to mitigate meat waste via improved packaging and storage

Scientific awards include honors from the American Society of Animal Science, American Meat Science Association, and NACTA. His work emphasizes sustainable food systems and reducing post-harvest losses.