Principle Investigator 

Dr. Minliang Yang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences, an Associate Faculty in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at NC State University, and an affiliate of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Yang’s research focuses on applying technoeconomic analysis (TEA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) in food, bioprocessing, and agricultural systems to explore strategies to mitigate life-cycle environmental impacts and improve the sustainability of the food system from both costs and environmental perspectives. Yang has published peer-reviewed papers in journals including Nature Food, PNAS, ES&T, JCLP, and ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. Before joining NC State, Yang received her postdoc training in sustainability analysis of biofuel and value-added bioproducts at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). She earned both her Ph.D. and M.S. in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University.

 

Graduate Students

Millena Cruz (Ph.D., Food Science)

M.S. Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Pará, Brazil, 2024
B.S. Biotechnology, Federal University of Pará, Brazil, 2019
Millena has expertise in regulatory affairs, quality assurance, and R&D within the tropical fruit pulp, beverage, and sorbet food industry.

Ajinkya Atkare (Ph.D., Food Science; Co-advisor: Rohan Shirwaiker)

M.S. Food Science, NC State University, 2025.
M.B.A. Food & Agribusiness Management, Indian Institute of Management, India, 2019.
B.Tech. Food Engineering & Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, India, 2016.
Ajinkya has 5 years of industry experience in food product development, Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) business, and consulting.

Zimeng Peng (Ph.D., Food Science)

M.S. Agricultural and Biosystem Engineering, Iowa State University, 2025.
B.S. Food Science, Iowa State University, 2021.
Zimeng has worked as a food quality control in Hy-Vee Fresh Commissary before starting her graduate school.

 

Seung Hyun Yoo (M.S., Food Science)

B.S. Food Science & Biotechnology of Animal Resources, Konkuk University, Republic of Korea, 2021.
Seung Hyun has working experience in both the food industry: CJ CheilJedang and HY Korea Yakult, and international organizations: the World Bank and the International Vaccine Institute.

 

Alumni

Robert Wine (M.S., Food Science)

M.S. Food Science, N.C. State University, 2025. Thesis: Sustainability Analysis of Food Waste Valorization for a Circular Economy.

Ajinkya Atkare (M.S., Food Science)

M.S. Food Science, N.C. State University, 2025. Thesis: Comparative LCA of animal-source foods.

Graduate researcher 

Harini Srinivasan, master in FBNS (2025)

Khushi Modi, master in FBNS (2024 – 2025)

Maria Kangala, master in FBNS (2023)

Saniya Gapchup, master in FBNS (2023)

Yashasya Shah, master in Computer Science (2023)

Undergraduate researcher

John Hall-Floyd, Food Science & Sustainable Materials (2025 – current)

Juan Travis, Agricultural Engineering (2025 Bezos Center for Sustainable Proteins at NC State SPURS REU program)

Tyler Hill, Food Engineering (2023 -2024)

Matt Sexton, Nutrition Science (2023)