Rate My Professor Miranda Mirosa

Professor Miranda Mirosa is Head of the Department of Food Science at the University of Otago, holding the position of Professor and serving as Honorary Professor at the International Business School Suzhou, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in China. She earned her PhD, BCom (Hons), and BA from the University of Otago, along with a Certificate in International Business from Otaru University of Commerce in Japan. As Director of the University of Otago Food Waste Innovation Research Theme, she oversees initiatives to measure food waste, develop reduction strategies, apply innovative technologies, and influence producer and consumer behaviours via the Sustainable Food Systems Behavioural Research Group. Her research employs methods from marketing and psychology, including surveys, experiments, and ethnographic studies, with a focus on consumer food science, food waste in sectors like aged care and hospitality, food safety culture, sustainable packaging and labelling, risk communication, cross-cultural preferences, and plant-based proteins. Mirosa coordinates postgraduate programmes such as BSc(Hons) and MSc in Food Science, and teaches courses on food in a changing world, psychology of food, advanced consumer food science topics including food waste, and research projects.

Mirosa represents the University of Otago on the Science Leadership Team of the New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre, previously led research for the New Zealand China Food Protection Network (2016–2023), and is Founding Chair of the New Zealand Food Waste Champions 12.3 Charitable Trust. She contributes to the Staff Women’s Caucus, Global Citizenship Programme, and Academic Leadership Development. Awards include Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (FNZIFST), Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors (MInstD), inclusion in Aotearoa New Zealand's TOP 50 most influential and inspiring women in food and drink by Cuisine Magazine, and the Division of Sciences Outstanding Community Engagement Award. Notable publications encompass 'Review of Online Food Delivery Platforms and their Impacts on Sustainability' (2020), 'Gauging attitudes and behaviours: Meat consumption and potential reduction' (2018), 'A systematic review of consumer perceptions of smart packaging technologies for food' (2020), 'Getting a taste for food waste: a mixed methods ethnographic study' (2014), and the chapter 'Ethics of Food Waste' (2017). She provides keynote talks, workshops, governance advice, and fosters partnerships through the Upcycled Food Lab, impacting policy, industry, and sustainability in New Zealand and Asia-Pacific.