Amy Sprague
September 6, 2024
ISE is thrilled to announce the addition of Professor Juming Tang as the new chair of the department. Professor Tang joins us from Washington State University (WSU), bringing with him a wealth of experience and groundbreaking achievements in food engineering and safety.
New ISE chair Juming Tang
Tang was a Regents Professor and Distinguished Chair of Food Engineering at WSU and served as Chair of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering between 2016-2020. He is a world-leading expert and pioneer in advancing thermal processing technologies for pathogen control in commercial production of ready-to-eat foods and ingredients, particularly in the areas of microwave pasteurization, microwave sterilization of food, and low-moisture food safety.
Tang's career has been marked by numerous outstanding accomplishments. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for invention and commercialization of electromagnetic spectrum wave-based food processes.
"The food crisis that Professor Tang's research addresses is a global challenge that is faced by nearly all nations (developed or not) and is driven by many factors such as conflicts, climate change, higher fertilizer and energy costs and increased operational costs," says ISE interim chair Cynthia Chen. "Crisis also means opportunities; it is where innovation can spring up and flourish. Professor Tang is on the international stage addressing the crisis, and ISE is looking forward to joining the march under his leadership."
Tang also served as the director of Microwave Sterilization Consortia and several research centers, consisting of members from food processing and equipment companies and other research universities and regulatory agencies. His innovative research has reached important milestones, including receiving the first-ever FDA acceptance of microwave sterilization processing for pre-packaged foods, obtaining licensed US and international patents, and successful launching of industrial operations.
He is currently conducting externally funded research at the interface between food and health, focusing on advancing sustainable food preservation technologies for the production of high quality and microbially safe ready-to-eat meals with extended shelf-life for consumers with various special needs.
Tang's expertise spans mechanical engineering, electric engineering, and food engineering. He was a summer fellow of NASA Johnson Space Center. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan, an M.S. from the University of Guelph, and a B.S. from South Central China University.