Food Science and Technology News: FST Special Edition Newsletter – 2023 Spring Graduation

Once again, graduating FST students have been given an opportunity to share with us some of their favorite memories of their time at Ohio State in this special edition newsletter. Many also took the opportunity to give a shoutout to those that supported them, befriended them, and helped make the journey one to remember.

Congratulations to all the students from the Department of Food Science and Technology who have graduated this semester. We are proud of all that you have accomplished and hope that you will stay connected. Come back to visit and be sure to meet up with us as we continue to engage in various professional food science forums around the world. Just remember, you’re a #BuckeyeForLife

Be sure to also check out the SP23 Graduate Photo Album

Undergraduate Students
James Bates – The supportive faculty and intelligent student body. It was inspiring every time I set foot on campus. My other favorite memory is when I came here for a job interview 4 years ago. The campus had such an impact on me that I decided to enroll instead of taking the job! [Culinary Science]
Julia Bliss – I have many great memories from my time here at OSU. Meeting the love of my life, Hunter, who has been my greatest supporter throughout my time here is one memory I will never forget. Interning at Wendy’s Innovation Center was the opportunity of a lifetime and I have many fond memories there. Connecting with my classmates and forming strong friendships as we navigated life together for four years was a pleasure. And finally, making plant-based mousse was a blast- shoutout to Emily, Matt & Morgan! I will be forever thankful to OSU for guiding me to a major where I can go on to use both my passions for food and science in one! [Food Science and Technology]
Hailey Bush – My favorite memories at Ohio State are going hammocking in the trees, spending warm days in the oval, and going to the home football games with family and my best friends. I want to thank my family, friends, lab partners, professors, and classmates for a memorable 3 years. I'm so thankful for the people I have met in Parker over the years. Ohio State has brought me many lifelong friendships and memories I will cherish forever! [Food Science and Technology]
Nolan Gast – [Food Science and Technology]
Gabriella Gephart – My favorite memory at Ohio State has been making life-long friends. I was lucky enough that my random freshman year roommate became my best friend. I am so grateful for her and all her support throughout the years! My favorite memory within the department has been having the opportunity to do research. Going into the lab and learning new techniques has been so rewarding and has let me put my classroom knowledge into practical application. I want to thank my family and friends for being so supportive of me throughout my college experience. [Food Science and Technology]
Ken Guo – [Food Science and Technology]
Matthew Hill – [Food Science and Technology]
Dasha Makogon – I really enjoyed the scenery around campus, getting to enjoy the gardens in between classes and even getting to see some lovely sunrises on my way to my 8am classes. I also enjoyed being part of CFAES and meeting many great professors. I'd like to shout-out my mom, my boyfriend, my brother, David Wirt, Dr. Rodriguez-Saona and my two friends Tanner and Megan for supporting me all the way throughout my time here at Ohio. [Food Science and Technology]
Elizabeth Mugge – One of my favorite memories at Ohio State is watching the sunsets on the 11th floor of Thompson library! I want to give a shout out to Dr. P. for being the best advisor & making classes the most fun. I also want to thank my sisters & parents for giving me endless love & support during my entire college journey! [Food Business Management]
Devlin Murray – [Food Science and Technology]
Patrick O'Toole – [Food Science and Technology]
Emily Ray – My favorite memories at OSU (I can't pick just one) were the times I was able to spend with all my friends in Alpha Phi Omega. Whether this was going on trips out of state, going to coffee shops on Sundays, serving the community, or even just attending chapter on Mondays, I would give anything to be able to redo all of it the exact same way. I want to shout out to my family for pushing me to join APO when I was nervous about going alone. I also want to thank everyone outside of that organization that helped me enjoy every day in Parker. [Food Science and Technology]
Cameron Rich – My favorite memories from OSU stemmed from my involvement with the Food Science Department. Events through the FST Peer Mentor program and the Food Science Club allowed me to meet and grow connections with my classmates and truly enjoy my college experience. I'd like to thank my family and friends who supported me through my journey at Ohio State, I am lucky to have you! [Food Science and Technology]
Nathan Stevens – [Food Science and Technology]

Graduate Students
Audrey Kuei – Audrey received a master’s degree and was advised by Dr. Christopher Simons.
Allison LeMinh – My favorite memories at the Ohio State were going to home football games, taking walks around campus, and chatting with fellow lab mates. Additionally, it was fun going to the hockey games for free (I’m from MN and that was not the case there). They were a treat as well as hearing the Ohio State hockey song. I’d like to thank all the people who have supported me throughout my time here at the Ohio State! This includes my friends and family, fellow students, staff, and of course my wonderful committee and advisor. Allison received a master’s degree and was advised by Dr. Osvaldo Campanella.
Lu Xun – My favorite memories at OSU including gathering with lab for activities, doing projects with lab mates, random events and chatting in Parker, attending conferences, going to the concert and football games, and playing basketball with friends at RPAC. I am grateful for the memories made with my advisor, lab mates, and friends throughout my time at OSU! Lu received a master’s degree and was advised by Dr. Monica Giusti.
Jeffrey Caminiti – Jeff received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Dennis Heldman.
Elliot Dhuey - My favorite memories at Ohio State are going to many breweries and happy hours in Columbus, competing in product development competitions with great friends, and going to IFT conventions. Elliot received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Melvin Pascall.
Zoey Fu – Zoey received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Devin Peterson.
Jerish Joyner Janahar – Thanks to everyone at Ohio State who shared this journey with me! Jerish received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Bala Balasubramaniam.
Kym Man – I’ll miss the hilarious basement snack breaks, ping-pong tournaments, end-of-semester lab potlucks, breakfast clubs, weekly group runs, and occasional happy hours with my FST friends. Moments I’ll never forget include when I figured out the exact line of code I needed, experienced the virtual environment I built in VR for the first time, packaged thousands of bags of candies with my fellow lab-mates in an assembly line in the pilot plant, and being called Dr. Man after my defense. Kym received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Christopher Simons.
Shengyue Shan – My favorite memory at Ohio State is one winter night when I finally finished all my experiments around 2 am. Being in the building for so long, I did not notice there was a light snowfall until I left the building. The snow on the ground looked like coconut flakes and the air was so brisk, and I saw a tiny bunny that looked too small to be unattended dashing across me to flee into Chadwick Teaching Garden. It was a magical moment that made me feel life is poetic and lovely. Shengyue received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Osvaldo Campanella.
Fenfen Tang – I have so many wonderful memories of my time at Ohio State, but one that stands out to me is when I received the offer to be one of coordinators of the FoodSURE program. I had the opportunity to give back to the community and work alongside some amazing people. I will always remember these amazing experiences: operating the massive high-field NMR instruments at Riffe, attending conferences with FST friends, enjoying happy hours with lab mates, tasting ice cream made in the dairy pilot plant, taking Pilates classes at RPAC. The garden in front of the Parker building was my favorite place to take a walk between data analysis, reading and writing during fall semester. Fenfen received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Emmanuel Hatzakis.