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Department of Food Science and Technology

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Food Science and Technology News: March 2022 Department Highlights

  • Dr. Monica Giusti was officially recognized as one of three 2021-2022 CFAES Distinguished Professors during the 2022 CFAES Awards program. In addition, Dr. Rafael Jimenez-Flores received the CFAES Innovator of the Year Award,  Dr. Luis Rodriguez-Saona received the CFAES Distinguished Teacher Award,  Dr. Brian Waters received the CFAES Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer, Dr. Monica Giusti received the CFAES Distinguished Graduate Student Mentor Award and Molly Davis received the CFAES Staff Advisory Council Key Values Award. The awards program can be viewed here.
  • The department held the inaugural FoodSURE Undergraduate Research Poster Competition earlier this month. The event was held in the Parker Food Science and Technology Lobby and showcased the research of undergraduate students who are conducting research in our department and participating in our FoodSURE program. Congratulations to the following students who placed in the competition: Proposal category – Noah Dameron; Completed/Ongoing category: 1st Thania Ortiz Santiago, 2nd Talia Katz, 3rd Kaylee Rae Presnell, Honorable Mention – Cameron Jordan and Celeste Miller. Also participating was Grayson Craig, Michala Krakowski, Cam Rich, and Will Spencer.
  • Congratulations to Dr. Yael Vodovotz who recently received an Accelerator Award through Ohio State’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development for her project titled “Overcoming challenges to commercialization of a biobased, biodegradable rubbery bioplastic: a need for an industrially produced prototype”.
  • The department was well represented at the 36th Annual Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum. Congratulations to the following students: Yumin Xu received 1st place in the Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences oral competition, Danielle Voss received Honorable Mention in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences oral competition, and Jerish Joyner Janahar placed 2nd in the Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences poster competition. Other Food Science and Technology students participating at the forum were Drew Barkley, Ariel Garsow, Brianda Gonzalez Orozco, Erica Grush, Allison Howell, Jennifer Janovick, Mrunmayee Joshi, Ellia La, Shreya Nuguri, Howard Park, Lu Xun, and Siyu Yao.
  • Congratulations to Yutong Li, a Ph.D. student in the department, for being selected as the 2022 recipient of the Dr. Elwood F. Caldwell Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship is awarded to one recipient each year through Feeding Tomorrow, the official Foundation of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
  • Congratulations to Ellia La, a PhD student in the department, on receiving the 2021-2022 Graduate Associate Leadership Award (GALA). She will be formally recognized at the Graduate School’s Annual Award Ceremony in April.
  • Congratulations to our newly selected FST Peer Mentors for the 2022-2023 academic year: Noah Dameron, Dominick Goodman, Talia Katz, and Jack Pettit. They will be joining returning mentors, Rachel Barrett, Jenny Cong, Betsy Cunningham, Gabriella Gephart and Cam Rich. Thank you to graduating senior mentors for their leadership and service: Meegan Gould, Kirsten Lower, Lydia Tantalo, Emily Thimmes and Melanie Petitti (AU21). Now in its 10th year, the FST Peer Mentor Program pairs upper-class students with new first-year and transfer students to ease their transition into their major and to the Columbus campus.
  • Congratulations to undergraduate student Celeste Miller and to PhD student Danielle Voss as both students were recently awarded a CFAES Internal Grant.
  • Grayson Craig participated in the 2022 Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. Grayson conducts research in the lab of Dr. Rafael Jimenez-Flores.
  • As the past president of the American Dairy Association (ASDA), Dr. Rafael Jimenez-Flores was recently featured on their website.
  • On March 14 – 17, Dr. Valente B. Alvarez led the Food Industries Center’s virtual Better Process Control School, with lectures from Dr. Osvaldo CampanellaSteven SimmonsMatt Papic, and expert industry collaborators. Daily lectures were offered in microbiology, acidified and low-acid foods, container closures and handling, thermal processing, and recordkeeping. This course satisfies the training requirements specified in both the FDA and USDA regulations designed to prevent public health hazards in low-acid and acidified low-acid canned foods.
  • Dr. Valente B. Alvarez presented, “Hungry for Success: Considerations and Challenges for a Startup Food Processor” during OSU Extension’s Food Preservation Inservice on March 18.
  • Welcome to Peggy Grgich who has joined the department as our Fiscal Officer.
  • Nominations are open for the 2022 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 information and the nomination form.
  • Know of a great food scientist in industry or academia but they’re NOT from Ohio State? Nominations are being accepted for suitable candidates from all persons or groups in the food science profession for the 2022 OSU Harris Award for Excellence in Food Science & Technology. The purpose of the Harris Award at The Ohio State University is to celebrate excellence in food science, food technology or related disciplines. Click here for more information.
  • The department’s Spring 2022 seminar schedule is published on the FST website under ‘About Us’ and takes place on Wednesday’s from 4:00 pm -5:00 pm in Parker Food Science and Technology room 118 and also via Zoom. Please email elisar.1@osu.edu or yousef.1@osu.edu if you would like the link to any of the seminars. All are welcome to attend.


Upcoming Events
April 6                   Department Seminar
Student Presentations: Drew Barkley and Mrunmayee Joshi
April 11-14           CFAES Annual Research Conference
April 12                 OVIFT/CIFT networking Event and Student Poster Competition
April 13                 Department Seminar
Student Presentations: Elliot Dhuey and Fenfen Tang
April 19-20            Food Industries Center Training Course
Introductory HACCP
https://www.go.osu.edu/haccp

April 20                 Department Seminar
Student Presentations: Erica Grush and Audrey Kuei
April 26-28           Food Industries Center Training Course
FSPCA - Preventive Controls for Human Food Training
https://www.go.osu.edu/fspca

May 6                    FST Spring Graduation Party
2:30 – 3:30 Parker Food Science and Technology Lobby