Meet Our Team Members

Principal Investigator

Dr. Ahmed Hammam

Dr. Ahmed Hammam earned his B.S. in Dairy Science from Assiut University, Egypt, in 2012, where he also served as a Teaching and Research Assistant. He completed his M.S. (2019) and Ph.D. (2022) in Dairy Manufacturing at South Dakota State University. His graduate work included teaching and coaching the SDSU Dairy Products Judging Team, which placed third nationally in 2022.

Dr. Hammam has industry experience in dairy processing, product development, and quality improvement, with a focus on innovation and sustainability. In 2024, he joined the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University as an Assistant Professor in Dairy Foods Processing.

Adjunct Professors

Dr. Lloyd Metzger

Dr. Lloyd Metzger earned his B.S. in Dairy Manufacturing and M.S. in Dairy Science from South Dakota State University, and his Ph.D. in Food Science from Cornell University. He served for over two decades as a faculty member at South Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, and as Director of the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center, overseeing a nationally recognized, industry-funded research program. Dr. Metzger has extensive experience in dairy processing, product development, and applied research, and currently serves as Vice President of Quality and Technical Services at Valley Queen, where he leads quality assurance, process improvement, and technology initiatives in cheese manufacturing.

Graduate Students

Omar Abdelsater

Omar Abdelsater earned his B.Sc. in Dairy Science from Assiut University, Egypt, in 2021, where he also worked as a Teaching and Research Assistant from January 2022 to July 2025.