Food Science and Technology News: December 2025 Department Highlights

• The department hosted their annual graduation party for our FST graduates. We celebrated with our 5 undergraduate students, 4 master’s students, and 4 PhDs who completed degrees during the autumn semester. We also published a special edition graduation newsletter that gave the graduates a chance to share some of their favorite memories as well as acknowledge some of the people who supported them. Congratulations and best of luck to our newest alumni.
• Congratulations to Dr. Gary List who has been selected as the 2025 Harris Award recipient. Dr. List had a distinguished career as a research chemist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service at the Northern Regional Research Laboratory in Peoria, Illinois. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the Food Science and Human Nutrition program. Dr. List will travel to campus this spring to receive his recognition and to give a public lecture in the department.
• Dr. Rafael Jimenez-Flores talks about the chemistry of kefir in an article with Chemical & Engineering News.
• Congratulations to Dr. Yael Vodovotz and Dr. Hua Wang who were recognized this past semester for 25 years of service to the university.
• This past month, the Food Industries Center trained FDA, NOAA, U.S. Army, and state regulators through the FD152 Food Processing & Technology course. Dr. Valente Alvarez led a team of collaborators from FST, FABE, and the food industry, including numerous staff and graduate students, and the following Ohio State faculty: Dr. Sheryl Barringer, Dr. Osvaldo Campanella, Dr. Melvin Pascall, Dr. Mary Kay Pohlschneider, and Dr. Sudhir Sastry. The 5-day course provided an overview of the basic principles in food processing, technology, and awareness of associated equipment used to ensure the safety of manufactured foods.
• Nominations are open for the 2026 FST Hall of Distinction. Established in 2013, the Hall of Distinction seeks to recognize graduates and friends of the Department of Food Science and Technology at The Ohio State University who have made significant contributions to the food science and technology profession. Click here for more Hall of Distinction information and the nomination form. Click here to see the 2025 Hall of Distinction celebration.
• The department's 2026 Spring Seminar Series will take place on Wednesday’s from 4:00 -5:00 pm in the Parker Food Science and Technology Building room 118 each week and are open to the public. Upcoming scheduled seminars are listed below in Upcoming Events and a finalized schedule for the semester will be available soon. Any questions can be directed to the seminar host instructors at belury.1@osu.edu or jimenez-flores.1@osu.edu.

Upcoming Events
January 21     FST Department Seminar
Neil O’Connor - Vice President of Business Development at comprex® North America
4-5 pm Parker Food Science Room 118

January 28     FST Department Seminar
Dr. Jen-Yi Huang - Ohio State Dale A. Seiberling Dairy and Food Engineering Professor
4-5 pm Parker Food Science Room 118

February 4     FST Department Seminar
Graduate Student Presentations – Matthiew Haines and Veeramani Karuppuchamy
4-5 pm Parker Food Science Room 118

February 11   FST Department Seminar
Dr. Cris Onetto - Assistant Professor, Ohio State Food Science and Technology
4-5 pm Parker Food Science Room 118

February 18   FST Department Seminar
Autumn Schuck - Assistant Program Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials
4-5 pm Parker Food Science Room 118

February 25   FST Department Seminar
Graduate Student Presentations – Ruiya Bao and Daniel Do
4-5 pm Parker Food Science Room 118

March 3 - 6     Food Industries Center Training Course
Better Process Control School (Hybrid)
https://go.osu.edu/bpcs