Ashim Datta
Professor
Biological Engineering
Biography
Ashim Datta is a Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering. He is interested in the physics of food processes; in particular, how increased efficiency and competitiveness in food production, processing, and equipment design can be obtained from physics-based models of food quality and safety.
Research Interests
Professor Datta’s research group develops mechanistic understanding of process, quality and safety for complex food processes, under various heating modes (such as microwave and infrared), with a goal to improve food safety and quality. Instead of focusing on any one process or product, his group’s aim is in developing frameworks that are useful for many food products and processes. A fundamentals-based approach is pursued that includes multiphase and multicomponent porous media, multiscale and multiphysics.
Teaching Interests
Professor Datta teaches students fundamental engineering concepts and problem solving abilities, using transport processes as a vehicle. He teaches two coordinated courses; the first addresses the basics of energy and mass transport, followed by a more advanced application of transport to real-life biomedical processes. The second course is project-based, using research-grade computational software, and taught in the context of design. These courses are, respectively, BEE 3500 Biological and Bioenvironmental Transport Processes and BEE 4530 Computer-Aided Engineering: Applications to Biomedical Processes.
Selected Publications
- Arias-Mendeza, A., Warning, A., Datta, A. K., & Balsa-Canto, E. (2013). Quality and safety driven optimal operation of deep-fat frying of potato chips. Journal of Food Engineering. 119:125-134.
- Datta, A. K., & Rakesh, V. (2013). Microwave combination heating.Comprehensive Reviews of Food Science and Food Safety. 12:24-39.
- Halder, A., Datta, A. K., & Spanswick, R. M. (2011). Water transport in cellular tissues during thermal processing. American Institute of Chemical Engineers Journal. 57:2574-2588.
Selected Awards and Honors
- Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow (2014) Cornell University
- Fellow (2013) Institute of Food Technologists
- Merrill Presidential Scholar, for Kimberly Lin (2013) Cornell University
- Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Tucker ’50 Excellence in Teaching Award (2012) College of Engineering, Cornell University
- USDA Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in College and University Awards Program: Regional Award (2011) USDA