Ultan McCarthy

Ultan McCarthy is a Lecturer in the Department of Land Management at South East Technological University (SETU). He also serves as the IEEE CRFID Associate Vice President of Finance (2023–2025) and has been recognized as an IEEE CRFID Distinguished Lecturer. His research focuses on improving supply chain management and cold chain logistics using technologies like RFID and wireless sensors to enhance food security and sustainability.

Education:

• PhD in Biosystems Engineering (2009), University College Dublin – Investigated RFID for food supply chain traceability.
• MBA (2010), Focused on electronic traceability as a competitive tool for sustainable advantage.
• Masters in Food Science (2005), University College Dublin – Explored milk coagulation kinetics using NIR spectroscopy.

Research Interests: McCarthy’s work spans smart food supply chains, cold chain optimization, and food safety. He emphasizes technologies like RFID, IoT, and analytical tools to reduce waste and support UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in agriculture and food systems.

Awards:

• IEEE CRFID Distinguished Lecturer (2023)
• IEEE CRFID Associate Vice President of Finance (2023)

Advising & Leadership: Currently accepting PhD students and actively contributing to IEEE technical committees. Previously held roles as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of South Florida and Research Centre Manager at IMaR Technology Gateway.

Labs & Networks: Affiliated with SETU’s Eco Innovation Research Centre and collaborates globally on agri-food electronics through initiatives like the IEEE Conference on AgriFood Electronics (CAFE).