Matt Tom

Matt Tom is currently an advisor at Multus Media, but they have over seven years of experience as an engineer, specifically in bioprocessing and control systems. Matt started their career at the USDA-ARS in January 2005 and worked there until December 2012 when they transitioned to their current role. While at the USDA-ARS, Matt worked on developing prototypes for snacks, breakfast cereals, noodles, pastas, and energy drinks that incorporated value-added ingredients. Matt also managed four concurrent project teams and conducted over ten sensory evaluations. In addition, they were responsible for specifying equipment, layout, and utilities for the food processing area of the ARRA act at the site’s pilot plant.

Some of Matt’s notable achievements include developing a multiphysics math simulation of a food drying process that utilized clean energy to understand drying rates and designing a method to incorporate probiotic yeast in extruded snacks while ensuring viability and shelf stability. Matt also successfully redesigned and implemented the SCADA and HMI/HCI system for the primary extruder and peripheral equipment.

Matt has authored five manuscripts that are currently in preparation, as well as two posters and three abstracts for international conferences. Matt has also collaborated on four projects with international scientists from CIPHET, Fraunhofer, and EMBRAPA. Lastly, they have mentored over twenty students from high school all the way to PhD candidates.

Matt Tom has a MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering (Usability, Six Sigma) from San Jose State University, BS in Biological Systems Engineering from University of California, Davis, and certification from Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA), BCPE, and ASQ.