Ren Yang

Dr. Ren Yang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at South Dakota State University, specializing in Food and Biomass Engineering. He commenced his tenure in October 2023 and holds a B.S. in Food Science and Engineering from Northwest University of China, an M.S. in Food Safety and Technology from Illinois Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Food Engineering from Washington State University.

• Research Interests: Focus on intelligent and sustainable food process engineering technologies, including microbial physics modeling, pulsed laser sanitation, cold plasma reactors, and predictive digital twins.
• Academic Responsibilities: Teaches AST 443 and ABE 754, with a role split between 80% research and 20% teaching.
• Professional Memberships: Affiliated with the Society of Food Engineering, International Association for Food Protection, Institute of Food Technologists, and Phi Tau Sigma honor society.