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Aynadis Molla Asemu
Academic Rank
Associate Professor of Food Engineering and Postharvest Tec

Aynadis Molla Asemu, PhD

Associate Professor of Food Engineering and Post-harvest Technology/ Chemical Engineering. Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University.

Biography/Profile Summary

Aynadis Molla Asemu (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering at Bahir Dar University (BDU), where she has been serving since 2005. She is a Postharvest Technology and Food Engineering specialist with over 21 years of experience in teaching, research, and community engagement. She served as a researcher (2014–2018) and currently as Co-Principal Investigator (since 2019) of the USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss (PHL-IL) project at BDU. Her research focuses on postharvest management of crops, food processing & optimization, crop drying/ experimental and modeling, food extrusion, and loss reduction technologies. She also served as a National Consultant for FAO Ethiopia, leading the development of the national Postharvest Management Manual for Wheat and its training guide. She also contributed to the development of the National Grain Postharvest Management Strategy prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Educational Back Ground

  • PhD in Post-harvest Technology – Bahir Dar University

Specialization: Post-harvest Technology

  • MSc in Chemical Engineering/ Food Engineering – Addis Ababa University
  • BSc in Chemical Engineering – Bahir Dar University

Core Expertise & Research Interests

  • Food processing and Optimization
  • Post-harvest loss reduction of crops
  • Crop drying/ experimental and modeling 

Key Publications & Projects

RESEARCH PROJECT EXPERIENCES

  1. Project Co-PI, USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-harvest Loss (PHL-IL): Kansas State University. 2019-present, $12,000.00
  2. National Consultant: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States (FAO), Ethiopia, consultant for Preparing Post Harvest Management (PHM) Manual on Wheat, September-March, 2022. $11,740.00
  3. Researcher, USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-harvest Loss (PHL-IL): Kansas State University. 2014-2019. $12,000.00
  4. Project Consultancy, OVID group, Industrial Production of Ethiopian Stew (ወጥ). October 2022-May 2023. $ 14,250.00
  5. Researcher, USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-harvest Loss project, Growth Through Nutrition (GTN). Land o Lake, Ethiopia. Applicability of Solar drying technology for fruit and vegetable preservation and its effect on nutritional and microbial content at farmer level.  2019. $7,500.00

Publications

  • Teferi, D., Kassa, M. G., Tesfa, M., …, & Abera, B. D. (2026). Tella (Ethiopian traditional beer): Brewing, microbiology, nutrition, health implications, byproducts, and challenges. Cogent Food & Agriculture. 
  • A Sahilu, AM Asemu, NG Habtu, Y Jemberu, M Admasu Delele, 2025, On-farm investigation of integrated post-harvest management practice for the reduction of post-harvest loss of maize in West Gojjam, Ethiopia. CyTA-Journal of Food 23 (1), 2605747
  • Lake, Y., Mossie, B., Tenagashaw, M. W., Ambaw, B. A., Asemu, A. M., Hilemeskel, W. H., & Sendekie, Z. B. (2026). Effect of blending ratio and fermentation time on the quality and acceptability of injera produced from a composite of teff, maize and potato flours. SSRN. 
  • Ewunetu, M. G., Woldie, Z. T., & Asemu, A. M. (2025). Effect of roasting time and method on physicochemical and functional properties of roasted maize grain (Asharo). Applied Food Research, 5(2), 101266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afres.2025.101266 
  • Asemu, A. M., Shibeshi, A. M., & Kalsa, K. K. (2025). Comparison of traditional and improved storage methods for protection of stored maize under on-farm conditions in Ethiopia. Journal of Stored Products Research. 
  • Ewunetu, M. G., & Asemu, A. M. (2025). Process optimization and quality evaluation of sugar cane-guava blend wine. Food Chemistry Advances, 8, 101070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focha.2025.101070 
  • Masresha, Z., Habtu, N. G., Admasu, B. T., & Asemu, A. M. (2025). Drying kinetics of coffee cherries from two varieties using a solar cabinet dryer coupled with underground thermal energy storage. Journal of Food Process Engineering.
  • Kassa, M. G., Asemu, A. M., & Habtu, N. G. (2025). Impact of threshing moisture content, threshing methods, and storage structures on storability of maize grain. Discover Food, 5, 107. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44187-025-00360-3
  • Gebeyehu, S. K., Asemu, A. M., Haile, A. S., & Kassa, M. G. (2025). Influence of temperature and mango pulp thickness on the performance of batch window refractance dryer. Applied Food Research. 
  • Kassa, M. G., Habtu, N. G., Worku, A., …, & Asemu, A. M. (2023). Effect of threshing and storage conditions on mold contamination of stored maize grain (Zea mays L.). In Green Energy and Technology. 
  • Masresha, Z., Habtu, N. G., Admasu, B. T., …, & Asemu, A. M. (2023). Drying characteristics and kinetic study of coffee cherries (Coffea arabica) in convective hot air dryer. In Green Energy and Technology. 
  • Asemu, A. M., & Zegeye, A. (2020). Influence of extrusion conditions on the product quality characteristics of corn-peanut flakes. Annals. Food Science and Technology, 21(2), 249–260. 
  • Asemu, A. M., Habtu, N. G., Subramanyam, B., Delele, M. A., Kalsa, K. K., & Alavi, S. (2020). Effects of grain drying methods on postharvest insect infestation and physicochemical characteristics of maize grain. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 43(7), e13423. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.13423 
  • Asemu, A. M., & Zegeye, A. (2014). Effect of extrusion conditions on aflatoxin content of corn-peanut flakes. [Conference/Journal information not fully available]. 
  • Asemu, A. M., Workneh, S., Subramanyam, B., Alavi, S., & Habtu, N. G. (2019). Performance comparisons of solar mixed and indirect dryers for maize grain drying. In 
  • BDA Desye Alemu Teferi, Messenbet Geremew Kassa, , Mikru Tesfa Belachew, Aynadis Molla Asemu, 2025. Review on nutritional properties, health benefits, food industry applications, post-harvest management, and potential risks of Hagenia abyssinica (African Redwood).Applied Food Research 5 (1)
  • MGK Samrawit Kasse Gebeyehu, Aynadis Molla Asemu, Abiy Solomon Haile, 2025. Influence of temperature and mango pulp thickness on the performance of batch window refractance dryer. Applied Food Research 5 (1)
  • N Geremew Kassa, M., Molla Asemu, A. & Gabbiye Habtu, 2025.Impact of threshing moisture content, threshing methods, and storage structures on storability of maize grain.. Discover Food 5, 107 (2025) 5 (107)
  • Kassa, Messenbet Geremew, Desye Alemu Teferi, Aynadis Molla Asemu, Mikru Tesfa Belachew, Neela Satheesh, Biresaw Demelash Abera, and Eshetie Gelagay Erku. "Review on psyllium husk: nutritional, functional, health benefits, food industry applications, waste treatment, and potential negative effects." CyTA: Journal of food 22, no. 1 (2024): 110.
  • Messenbet Geremew, Aynadis Molla, Nigus Gabbiye, Jaggar Harvey, Rizana Mahroof, Fetien Abay, 2023. Effects of threshing and storage conditions on post-harvest insect infestation and physical characteristics of maize grain. Journal of Stored Products. DOI: 10.1016/j.jspr.2023.102131
  • Salehudress, Zelalem M., Nigus G. Habtu, Bimrew T. Admasu, Mulugeta A. Delele, and Aynadis M. Asemu. "Performance study of low temperature air heated rock bed thermal energy storage system." Energy Storage 6, no. 4 (2024): e621.
  • Zelalem M. Salehudress, Nigus G. Habtu, Bimrew T. Admasu, Mulugeta A. Delele, Aynadis M. Asemu, 2023. Drying Characteristics and Kinetic Study of Coffee Cherries (Coffee arabica) in Convective Hot Air Dryer (Book Chapter). Advancement of Science and Technology, Materials and Energy. 65-87, Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-33610-2_4
  • Asemu, A.M., Habtu, N.G., Delele, M.A., Subramanyam, B., Alavi, S., 2020. Drying characteristics of maize grain in solar bubble dryer. J. Food Process Eng. 43, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.13312
  • Asemu AM, Habtu NG, Subramanyam B, Delele MA, Kalsa KK, Alavi S. Effects of grain      drying methods on postharvest insect infestation and physicochemical characteristics of maize grain. J Food Process Eng. 2020;e13423. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.13423
  • Molla, A., Alavi, S., Subramanyam, B., Workneh, S., & Gabbiye, N. (2019). Performance Comparisons of Solar Mixed and Indirect Dryers for Maize Grain Drying. (Vol. 274, pp. 145–159). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15357-1
  • Aynadis Molla and Adamu Zegeye. Influence of Extrusion conditions on the product quality characterstics of Corn-Peanut flakes. Annals. Food Science and Technology. Annals. Food Science and Technology. Volume 21, Issue 2, 2020. www.afst.valahia.ro
  • Molla, Aynadis, and Adamu Zegeye. "Effect of extrusion conditions on aflatoxin content of corn–peanut flakes." Zede journal 32 (2014): 47-56. 
  • Geremew Kassa, M., Asemu, A. M., Belachew, M. T., Satheesh, N., Abera, B. D., & Alemu Teferi, D. (2024). Review on the application, health usage, and negative effects of molasses. CyTA-Journal of Food, 22(1), 2321984.
  • Kassa, M. G., Habtu, N. G., & Asemu, A. M. (2023). Performance Evaluation of Grain Pro Collapsible Natural Convection Solar Dryer for Maize Grain Drying in Ethiopia. In Advancement of Science and Technology in Sustainable Manufacturing and Process Engineering (pp. 163-176). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
  • Kassa, M. G., Habtu, N. G., Worku, A. F., Abera, B. D., & Asemu, A. M. (2023). Effect of Threshing and Storage Conditions on Mold Contamination of Stored Maize Grain (Zea mays L.). In Advancement of Science and Technology in Sustainable Manufacturing and Process Engineering (pp. 261-281). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS 

Aynadis Molla, askalemariam Sahlu, Niguss Gabbiye, Sisay Geremewu. Integrated post-harvest management for the reduction of maize grain post-harvest loss. International Conference on the Advancements of Science and Technology (ICAST, 2020)

Molla, A., Alavi, S., Subramanyam, B., Workneh, S., & Gabbiye, N. (2019). Performance Comparisons of Solar Mixed and Indirect Dryers for Maize Grain Drying. International Conference on the Advancements of Science and Technology (ICAST, 2019)

Aynadis Molla Asemu, Sajid Alavi, Bhadriraju Subramanyam, Solomon Workneh, Nigus Gabbiye Habtu 2018.  Thermal Performance Study of Solar Bubble and Cabinet Dryers for Maize Drying. 1st National conference on Post-harvest Management for Improved Livelihood and Sustainable Development (Book of Abstracts), 10 May 2018, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Karta Kaske Kalsa, Aynadis Molla, Admasu Fanta, Solomon Workneh, Sadik Jemal, Bhadriraju Subramanyam, Sajid Alavi, Rizana Mahroof, Nigus Gabbiye,  Merkuz Abera, Girma Demissie. 2018. Postharvest Loss Reduction in Maize and Wheat: The Case of Grain Drying and Improved Storage. Small Scale Irrigation  and  Agricultural  Technologies for Sustainable  Development in  16  January 2018  (Book  of  Abstracts)  Bahir  Dar,  Ethiopia Jacaranda Hotel Amhara Region.

DEVELOPED TRAINING MANUAL 

Aynadis Molla (2022): Manual on post-harvest management of wheat. Food and Agriculture organization of the United States, Ethiopia.

Aynadis Molla (2022): Training Facilitators Guide on Post- Harvest Management of Wheat. Food and Agriculture organization of the United States (FAO), Ethiopia.

Aynadis Molla, Admasu Fanta, Karta Kalsa (2019). Training Manual within the scope of the project: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post- Harvest Loss for District Level Expertise and Model Farmers in Ethiopia

Teaching & Academic Duties

  • Undergraduate Courses:Grain processing, Extrusion technology, Fermentation technology, Unit operation in food processing, Heat and mass transfer in food processing, Fundamentals of Food Process Engineering, Drying Technology, Grain Post-harvest technology, Post-harvest handling of fruit and vegetable, Fruit and vegetable processing, Transport Phenomena,
  • Postgraduate Courses: Advanced Unit Operation, Research methodology and Experimental Design, Advanced Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Drying Technology, Post-harvest grain handling, Fruit and Vegetable handling and storage, Agricultural products process engineering,
  • Institutional Roles: Director for University Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer at Bahir Dar University