BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY – STAFF PROFILE
Dr. Metadel Kassahun Abera, PhD
Associate Professor | Postharvest Technology Chair Holder
Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (BiT), Bahir Dar University
Contact Information
Office Address:
Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (BiT)
Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering
Gion Building #222
P.O. Box 26
Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Official Email: metadel.kassahun@bdu.edu.et
Alternative Emails: metadelk@yahoo.com; mtdlabera@gmail.com
Telephone: +251 900 418 808
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2PJyUqgAAAAJ&hl=en
Biobrief:
Dr. Metadel Kassahun Abera is an Associate Professor, researcher, and academic leader at Bahir Dar University with over two decades of experience in higher education, research, and academic administration. He currently serves as the Postharvest Technology Chair Holder at Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (BiT). He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering (2020–2024) and held several leadership positions, including Chair Holder for Process Engineering.
Dr. Abera has extensive international research experience through his doctoral and postdoctoral appointments at KU Leuven, Belgium, where he worked on computational biosystems engineering, virtual plant tissue generation, and multiscale modeling of biological systems. His interdisciplinary research integrates food engineering, postharvest technology, biochemical engineering, biotechnology, biomass valorization, renewable energy systems, environmental biotechnology, and computational modeling.
He has published extensively in high-impact international journals and actively contributes to curriculum development, accreditation activities, research collaborations, and community engagement programs. His work focuses on developing sustainable technologies that improve food security, food quality, postharvest management, and renewable bioresource utilization.
Academic Qualifications
Degree | Specialization | Institution | Year |
PhD | Bioscience Engineering | KU Leuven, Belgium | 2014 |
MSc (Research) | Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India | 2007 |
BSc | Chemical Engineering | Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia | 2004 |
PhD Dissertation: Virtual Fruit Tissue Generation Based on Cell Growth Modeling
MSc Thesis: Effect of Immobilization of Microbial Cells on Their Ability to Resist Toxic Environment
Academic and Administrative Positions Held
- Postharvest Technology Chair Holder (2024–Present)
- Dean, Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering (2020–2024)
- Chair Holder for Process Engineering (2019–2020)
- Associate Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (2019–Present)
- Postdoctoral Researcher, Fund for Scientific Research–Flanders (FWO), KU Leuven, Belgium (2014–2016)
- Research Associate, BIOSYST–MeBioS, KU Leuven (2013–2014)
- Doctoral Researcher, KU Leuven (2009–2013)
- Predoctoral Researcher, KU Leuven (2008–2009)
- Lecturer and Assistant Lecturer, Bahir Dar University (2004–2008)
Teaching and Graduate Supervision
Dr. Abera has extensive teaching experience at undergraduate, MSc, and PhD levels. Courses taught include: Tissue Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, Advanced Biochemical Engineering, Biocatalysis , Advanced Food Packaging Technology, Catalysis and Catalytic Reactor Engineering, Advances in Food Process Engineering, Water and Wastewater Treatment, Thermodynamics and Mass Transfer Unit Operations
He has supervised and I superviing 24 MSc students and 13 PhD students in Food Process Engineering, Biotechnology, Biomass Valorization, Renewable Energy, Postharvest Technology, Food Biotechnology, and Environmental Engineering.
Research Output and Professional Contributions
Dr. Abera has an extensive scholarly record comprising:
- Numerous peer-reviewed international journal publications
- Book chapters published by Springer Nature
- International conference proceedings and symposium papers
His recent research addresses:
- Fermentation and nutritional improvement of traditional Ethiopian foods
- Biomass pretreatment and biofuel production
- Food safety and aflatoxin control
- Sustainable packaging and food preservation
- Supercapacitor materials from biomass-derived carbon
- Computational modeling of food and plant tissues
Professional Service and Community Engagement
Dr. Abera actively contributes to university and community service through:
- Coordinating ABET accreditation processes
- Curriculum review and development
- Postharvest management capacity building
- Chemical safety and disposal training
- Technology transfer and community engagement projects
- Quality evaluation and industrial consultancy services
References
- I will provide when asked.