Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences (FBNS) News
Spring 2008
Volume 36, No. 1

As the Department Changes, So Does Its Name

The Department of Food Science began a new year with a new name, reflecting the establishment of two new undergraduate degree programs in the department.

Effective January 1, 2008, what had been the Department of Food Science became the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences.

“We’ve added two new undergraduate degree programs,” Dr. Donn Ward, department head, stated. “We felt we needed to expand our name so it’s clear we’re not just food science.”

Dr. Ward said the department’s nutrition degree program has quickly become its most popular, with approximately 170 students. Nutrition had been offered as a concentration through several departments.

The bioprocessing degree program is off to an excellent start and Ward anticipates its popularity will increase as students become aware of the program and employment opportunities available to graduates in an expanding bioprocessing industry in North Carolina.

Approximately 60 students are enrolled in the department’s food science undergraduate degree program, and Ward said there are 70 students in the department’s graduate food science degree program.

Article in part courtesy of Dave Caldwell - CALS Prespective - Winter 2008

Congratulations are in Order!

NC State Meats Group wins at American Meat Science Association Reciprocal Meats Conference (RMC)

Congratulations to our NC State Meats Group! They placed 2nd in the annual Taste of RMC Product Development Contest, held June 16-20, 2007 in Brookings, South Dakota, on the campus of South Dakota State University.  The Taste of RMC requires universities to develop a new meat product, prepare a marketing plan and food safety plan for its production (HACCP), and to present the product to meat industry professionals. Students are judged on product creativity, craftsmanship, and product flavor, as well as the marketing plan, HACCP plan, and product label.

Team members included Holly Deal, masters student in Food Science, Matt Hudson, junior in Chemical Engineering, and Drew Watson, masters student in Food Science.  The team was advised by Dr. Dana Hanson, extension meat specialist at NC State.  The team created Succulent Satay, a hickory smoked pork satay, marinated in oranges and chipotle peppers, and drizzled in a pomegranate glaze.  The product was developed as an all natural, fully cooked, convenient entrée.  Utilization of the latest food science technology helped the team fulfill their desire to develop an all natural and minimally processed product which could be placed in natural food markets. 

The 60th annual Reciprocal Meats Conference served as the annual scientific meeting of the American Meat Science Association and was attended by industry, academia, and student membership.   

Drew Watson, Holly Deal and Matt Hudson

Article and pictures courtesy of Holly Deal and The NCSU Meats Group

2007 Student IFT Winners

Stephenie Drake

This year's Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) meeting was held in Chicago, Illinois July 28 - August 1, 2007. Stephenie Drake won 2nd place in the Sensory Evaluation Division oral competition. Her presentation was entitled "The Role of Dislike in Food Preference." Sarah Zevchak won 2nd place in the Dairy Foods Division poster competition. Her poster was entitled "The Impact of Agglomeration on Flavor and Flavor Stability of Whey Proteins." We congratulate both of them as well as their advisors, mentors, and co-authors!

Sarah Zevchak

Congratulations to Our Fall 2007 Graduating Class!

The following graduates were recognized at the annual NC State Department of Food Science fall graduation ceremony. It was held at the University Club on December 19, 2007 at 1:00 pm.

Picture courtesy of Dr. K.P. Sandeep

Graduate Notes of Interest:

Grace Cramp was a co-op with NASA for six months after graduation. She returned to NC State to pursue her Ph.D. in Genomics under the direction of Dr. Todd Klaenhammer.

Adam Croissant is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Food Science under the direction of Dr. MaryAnne Drake.

John Lillard took a position as Product Developer for the Campbell Company of Canada in Toronto.

Mallorye Lovett is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Food Science under the direction of Dr. Jon Allen.

Laurie Steed is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Food Science under the direction of Dr. Den Truong.

Jacob Thompson, after two internships with Kraft, was offered and accepted a job as an Associate Scientist II. He is working in the global dairy technology with enzyme modified cheese.

Sarah Zevchak is currently working on shelf-stable innovation products for ConAgra Foods In Omaha, NE.

Alexis Corbitt finished her masters in the summer of 2007 and started in August at the UNC School of Dentistry.

Jennifer Boardman also finished her masters this past summer and in August headed to California to attend Vet School at Western University.

Supriyo Ghosh is currently an Application Scientist for the Minispec Division of Bruker Optics Inc. located in Woodlands, Texas.

Jeffery Greene is currently a Sensory Science Scientist at Kraft in Glenview, IL.

Brad Wright completing his Ph.D. in the summer of 2007 and has been working as a Post-Doc for Dr. MaryAnne Drake. He has been working on milk powder flavor in a storage study; but, he left the end of March for a research and development position at General Mills in Minneapolis, MN.

We congratulate all our graduates and wish them the very best in their future endeavors!!

Dr. Josip Simunovic Named 2008 Emerging Food Engineer of the Year

Dr. Josip Simunovic has been selected as the 2008 "Emerging" Food Engineer of the year!  The award presented in alternate years is to honor and recognize those who have made engineering contributions in research, development or design of food processes significant to the food industry; or in outstanding leadership, management or education to advance the food engineering profession. The "Emerging" Food Engineer must have less than 10 years from the date of nominee's terminal degree to the date of the nomination submission. The award includes a gold medal, a certificate, $2000 cash and the recipient's travel expenses to the annual conference of the International Association of Food Industry Suppliers for presentation of the award. The winner will also be honored with a plaque at the Annual International Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. Our department has a rich history in food engineering contributions, and we congratulate Dr. Simunovic in this prestigious honor! Article courtesy of Dr. Kenneth Swartzel

Appointments

Chancellor Oblinger Named Board Member for National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges

Dr. James Oblinger, chancellor at North Carolina State University, has been elected to serve a three-year term on the board of directors for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), the nation's oldest higher education association. Based in Washington, D.C., NASULGC's mission is to support its member institutions as they perform their teaching, research and public service functions. The association is particularly interested in improving member accountability, global competitiveness and internationalization. It has 216 member institutions across the United States and a 27-member board of directors. Article courtesy of Chad Austin, NCSU New Services, 1-14-08

Dr. Leon Boyd, Interim Coordinator of Diversity for Academic Programs Following the retirement of Dr. Brenda Alston-Mill, Dr. Leon Boyd is serving as the Interim Coordinator of Diversity for Academic Programs in a half-time position during the spring 2008 semester.

Honors and Recognitions

Dr. Andrea Azcarate-Peril was inducted into the NC State chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honor Society for Agriculture, at the April 17, 2007 initiation program and awards banquet.

Michele Yates

Two of the department's staff members were recently recognized for their years of service here at the university. Michele Yates has worked for the department for 20 years and Carl Hollifield for 5 years. They were presented with a service award of their choice. We congratulate them both and thank them for their hard work and dedication to the department!

Carl Hollifield

Welcome to the Department!

We would like to extend a warm NC State Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences welcome to:

New Staff

D. Seth Fornea

Two new staff members have joined the USDA-ARS Vegetable Fermentation Lab, affectionately know in the department as "The Pickle Lab." Seth Fornea is a Chemist working with Dr. Roger McFeeters. He received his M.S. degree in analytical chemistry from Clemson University just before starting with Dr. McFeeters in January of 2007. Emily Thorp came to the department in September 2007. She is a Biological Science Laboratory Technician working with Dr. Fred Breidt.

Emily Thorp

The department and in particular the Dairy Plant welcomed Stephen Jones on August 1, 2007. He is a Vehicle Operator for the Dairy.

New Visiting Scientists and Post-Docs

Ms. Worarat (Tukta) Khayankan joined Dr. Allen Foegeding's lab in mid-June 2007 for six months as a visiting scientist. She worked on a project to develop whey protein gel sticks. She is an instructor at Chaingrai Rajabhat University in Thailand.

Dr. Maria Guadalupe Aguilar Uscanga, a visiting scientist from Mexico, joined Dr. Trevor Phister's lab in August 2007.

Dr. Joseph Kehoe from Ireland joined Dr. Allen Foegeding's lab in mid-February 2008 as a Research Associate Postdoc. His focus while here will be looking at the thermal stability of whey protein in beverages.

New Graduate Students

Farewell - We Will Miss You!

Paula Pharr Retires

With 15 years of dedicated service to the department, Paula Pharr retired on December 31, 2007. In honor of her retirement, she was recognized at the annual Holiday Luncheon held Tuesday, December 11, 2007. Paula has worked as an office assistant, information specialist for Center for Advanced Processing and Packaging Studies (CAPPS), and program assistant for the Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center (SDFRC). She was recognized by all as a talented, conscientious, unselfish and always positive person who surpassed her official duties to fulfill many critical departmental roles. In 1997, she was presented the "Award for Excellence," - the highest honor bestowed on an employee by CALS. Paula and her husband have since moved to Arkansas to enjoy their retirement. Paula's positive spirit and contagious laugh will be missed by all.

Farewell to Dr. Alejandro Amezquita

On November 30, 2007, the department bid a sad farewell to Dr. Alejandro Amezquita, assistant professor of food engineering since November 1, 2006. Due to circumstances beyond his or the department's control, Dr. Amezquita left the university to take an industry position. He is currently working in the Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre at Unilever in the United Kingdom. In the short time that he was with us, Dr. Amezquita proved to be an exceptionally productive colleague. One such example was the organization and delivery of a one-day basic sanitation and food safety workshop (Sanidad Basica en la Industria de la Carne) that was offered in Spanish for meat and poultry producers held in August 2007. Dr. Amezquita will be missed but he promises to not be a stranger to the department and hopes to work on collaborative projects in the area of food safety engineering. Oh yea, and he really misses the Raleigh weather as compared to Great Britain :-).

In Memory of Dr. Frank B. Thomas

Dr. Frank B. Thomas, 85, of Kenly, NC, formally of Raleigh, passed away Tuesday, July 31, 2007. He was survived by his loving wife, Rachel Kirby Thomas, two bothers, several nieces and nephews, extended family and lifelong friends. Dr. Thomas was born June 12, 1922 in Dover, DE. He was a professor emeritus from NC State University. He served his country in the Air Force as a Captain during World War II. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1948 and received a Masters and PhD from Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Thomas completed Post Doctoral studies from MIT. His career started as an instructor at Penn State. In 1958, Dr. Thomas came to NC State as an Extension Specialist. He coordinated programs in horticultural crops, seafood and specialty items processing through teaching, research and extension. He emphasized consumer education in addition to improved industrial processing. Throughout his long career in Food Science, Dr. Thomas earned many professional and honorary accolades which included Governors Sanford and Martin appointing him to the Commercial Fisheries Study Commission. He initiated the NCSU Seafood Laboratory in Morehead City, NC and was a member of the Sea Grant Committee Advisory Commission. He was selected Tarheel of the Week and a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Dr. Thomas' leadership in Seafood Extension promoted the growth of North Carolina's seafood industry to international acclaim and earned him the Outstanding Extension Service Award. Picture courtesy of the NCSU Seafood Lab in Morehead City, NC Article courtesy in part from The Raleigh N&O, Wed., Aug. 8, 2007

In Memory of Thomas Alexander Bell

Thomas Alexander Bell, passed away Thursday, November 15, 2007. He had just celebrated his 90th birthday. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Helen Cooney Bell; his son and two daughters, Thomas Bell Jr., Janet Bell Cantrelle and Karen Bell; and their families. Tom was born October 20, 1917 in Spartanburg, SC. He graduated from Wofford College in 1938 with a BS in Chemistry and graduated from North Carolina State University in 1940 with a Masters in Chemistry. He was a chemist for the USDA Food Fermentation Laboratory in the Department of Food Science, NC State from 1940-1977. He conducted both basic and applied research on the preservation of fermented fruits and vegetables for pickled products. He worked in coordination with Mount Olive Pickle Company for many years advancing the crispy pickle with innovative patents. His chemical studies on the causes and prevention of enzymatic softening were classic and contributed to the International reputation of the Food Fermentation Laboratory. A retired Lt. Colonel of the United States Army Reserves, he was a veteran of World War II stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington followed by a tour of duty in England and Germany. Mr. Bell was a founding member of the North Carolina State University Club and a supporter of the Wolfpack Club. Picture and article in part courtesy of The Raleigh N&O, Fri., Nov. 16, 2007

Departmental and Other Events

Fall Cookout

On Friday, September 21, 2007, the Food Science Club’s Activities Committee and the Department’s Social and Recreation Committee hosted a cookout for faculty, staff, students and their families and friends. Even with the rainy weather, there was still a good turnout. Burgers and hot dogs were provided by the club. Those who came to the cookout brought side dishes and desserts to share. It was a great event to visit with members of our department and get to know them and their families a little better. After the meal, a few people joined in a game of croquet.

It’s too bad that the softball game scheduled for that day had to be canceled because the fields were too wet. Get ready for a students vs. faculty softball game in the spring!

Article and pictures courtesy of Michelle Lloyd - The News & Preserver, October 2007

Fall Dogwood IFT Meeting

Article in part and pictures courtesy of Stephanie Marshall & FSC - The News & Preserver, October 2007

Annual Departmental Holiday Luncheon

There was a great turnout of students, faculty, staff, and honored retirees at our annual Holiday luncheon on Tuesday, December 11, 2007. The food brought in by our attendees was wonderful! A special thanks went to Holly Deal and Dr. Dana Hanson for the delicious meat. A game was sponsored by the Food Science Club’s activities committee. Drew Watson and Megan Whitson put a label on each person’s back as they were dishing up their food. The purpose of the activity was to get everyone talking to each other as they tried to ask yes or no questions to figure out what holiday-related word was on their back. Dr. Donn Ward ended up as “Scrooge” and wondered if the game had been rigged. Whatever the case may be, the activity brought some holiday cheer to all who participated. While eating, everyone had the privilege of watching a slide show put together by Dr. K.P. Sandeep.

Article and pictures courtesy of Neal Rogers & Michelle Lloyd - The News & Preserver, December 2007

Departmental Potpourri

November 21, 2007 Drs. Jon Allen and Den Truong were featured in "An Aid to Diabetes" an article series entitled "Behold... The Sweet Potato" posted on the NC State homepage. The article series was posted before and during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Winter 2008 edition of CALS Perspectives highlighted three of our departmental professors:

Dr. Ken Swartzel is featured in an article entitled "From Food Product Startup to Food Systems Leadership". It is found at the bottom of the featured article "New Technology, New Companies".

Dr. Sarah Ash and her honors seminar group are featured in the article "Pastured pork comes to campus".

Dr. MaryAnne Drake is featured in the article entitled "'Celebrate N. C. Wines' offers tastings, food and unique research demonstrations".

Dr. Dana Hanson and Mr. Larry Price (Our 2007 Outstanding Friend - see Alumni Section) were both featured in a July 6, 2007 press release entitled "International Environmental Group Reviews Methyl Bromide Use by NC Country Ham Producers" published by the Southern Region IPM Center. Since methyl bromide is an ozone-depleting compound, a group of scientists and consultants from the Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee (MBTOC) decided it was time to learn more about the country ham industry and why the chemical is necessary. They, therefore, visited Mr. Price at Nahunta Pork Center as well as another producer in Goldsboro. Methyl bromide is used in curing houses to control pests. This substance was phased out in 2005 in developing countries except in cases where it was technically and economically infeasible to do so. Dr. Hanson and other scientists are currently working on laboratory trials of several alternatives to help producers with a more environmentally friendly process.

Article in part courtesy of Rosemary Hallberg of the Southern Region IPM Center

On Saturday, September 15, 2007 Dr. Sarah Ash, with the help of several student volunteers from NC State, including Katie Patterson, set up and facilitated a booth at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Fall Festival to help encourage children to eat healthy foods.  Children were invited to draw as many fruits and vegetables as they could think of on a paper plate while they learned about the new food pyramid.

Article and pictures courtesy of Katie Patterson

Two of our own presented at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Seafood Science and Technology Society of the Americas held November 5-9, 2007 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Dr. David Green presented a paper on research conducted at the Seafood Laboratory entitled “Isolation and Identification of Histamine-Producing Bacteria in Yellowfin Tuna and Mahi-Mahi from North Carolina and Hawaiian Waters” during the session on Controlling Histamine Levels in Potential Scombrotoxic Fishes. Penny Amato presented a talk entitled "Proteolytic Degradation of Albacore Tuna Light Meat During Canning"  which was a collaborative work of Maria Ruilova, Tyre Lanier and herself, here in the department. NC State Alumni in attendance included Dr. Barbara Blakistone (our 2006 Alumna of the year, currently Director of Technical and Regulatory Affairs for the National Fisheries Institute) and Dr. Steve Otwell (Professor, University of Florida).

Article in part courtesy of Penny Amato & Seafood Currents - Winter 2008, Vol.1, No. 3

On November 8-9, 2007 Dr. Jon Allen attended and presented a talk at the Human Milk Banking Association of North America's (HMBANA) second International Congress in Fort Worth, Texas. His presentation was entitled "High Pressure Processing of Human Milk for Improved Nutrient Retention and Microbial Safety" which was a collaborative work of Dr. Brian Farkas, Stelios Viazis (former Masters student) and himself. It was at this meeting that a current need birthed the idea for one of the two Capstone projects that is currently in progress. Stephanie Marshall, Ambre Korby and Jae Jun Lee are working on the project entitled "Processing of a Human Milk Derived Protein Enhancement for Premature Infants" in which they are modifying human milk's composition to help premature infants thrive.

Barry Nash from the Seafood Laboratory moderated a Roundtable Discussion of New Product Commercialization at the Atlantic Fisheries Technology Conference in Portland, Maine held November 13, 2007. Lively discussion was held among industry producers and marketing experts about what the consumers are seeking in the market, value added products and new technologies.

The annual Hands-On Farmstead Cheesemaking Short Course was held November 28-30, 2007 here in the department. The short course was filled to capacity once again much to the delight of those involved including Dr. MaryAnne Drake, Gary Cartwright, Dr. John Rushing and Carl Hollifield. The cheesemaking process in this year's course was videotaped by Dr. Woo-Suk Bang for use in an upcoming unit of the updated, revamped online course FS/ANS324 - Milk and Dairy Products. With this great practical footage, students will be able to fully enjoy the cheesemaking process.

The Farmstead Cheesemaking Short Course, its organizers and instructors as well as a former participant's success story was highlighted in the Summer 2007 edition of CALS Perspectives. The article is entitled "(Cheese) Making a Profit."

The 20th Annual NC Aquaculture Development Conference was held at Atlantic Beach, NC on January 17-19, 2008. Dr. David Green presented a pre-conference, mini-workshop for over 25 participants entitled "Making the Grade: Sensory Assessment of Fish Quality in the Marketplace." At the end of the workshop, lab staff provided six fish samples at various levels of quality for participants to grade based on what they had just learned. Most commented their grading was “tougher” than the actual grade determined by the lab. All agreed that they learned a great deal on what is an acceptable level of quality and length of shelf life in order for these fish to be sold at market.

Article & picture courtesy of Seafood Currents, Winter 2008, Vol. 1, No. 3

The North Carolina Winegrowers Association's annual meeting was held February 1-3, 2008 in Greensboro this year. Many experts from across the state and country were there to give presentations on current topics relevant to the industry to the nearly 400 registered participants. Our own Dr. Trevor Phister made a presentation covering "Fermentation Issues."

The Seafood Laboratory at the coast will soon have a new and updated web site. Ms. Jill Fournier is in the process of developing this site - http://www.seafoodlab.cmast.ncsu.edu/ keep in mind it is still under construction. By visiting the web site you can currently access the first two editions of Seafood Currents, their new newsletter. Currently, Seafood Currents is an electronic publication that you can only receive by contacting Jill. Dr. David Green does a great job of making sure the department receives the publication. The last edition - Winter 2008, Vol. 1, No. 3 featured "Food Science and the Sea" including various research works that are going on in our department.

News from the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences (FB&NS) Outreach Committee

Outreach committee articles courtesy of Sharon Ramsey

The Outreach Committee has begun the year with several activities and projects.  Do you think you’re “Smarter than a 5th Grader”?  If you attended the CALS Tailgate event on September 7, 2007 in Dorton Arena, you could have confirmed that fact…or not.  Several faculty, staff and students hosted attendees, including several departmental alumni, at the FB&NS tables, asking them to answer four questions based on information taught to every 4th grade student across the state of North Carolina, all based on food science and nutrition.  Over 1500 event attendees tested their skills and tasted NC State ice cream, their reward for taking our quiz. Do you know what the results of the iodine test determine and what trans, saturated and unsaturated are types of?  If so, you’re as smart as a 5th grader.  Check out all the photos from the event on the CALS Alumni web site - http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/advancement/Tailgate_07/html/0.htm and come join us next year!

On October 20, 2007, the department hosted potential students at the University Open House on campus while, at the same time, several students represented the department during National Chemistry Day activities at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.  Over a thousand attendees used hands-on activities to learn facts about food chemistry, such as the effects of pH on color concerning anthocyanins, the effect of oxidation on apples - browning and the difference between (+) and (-) limonene by sniffing limes and oranges. 

Pictures courtesy of FSC - The News & Preserver, December 2007

If you live in the Triangle area, keep your radio tuned to the NC State student-run radio station, WKNC 88.1, and you might hear some public service announcements from the FB&NS Department, beginning with one to get students interested in coming over and participating in our Sensory panels.  Several more are being prepared which would focus on food safety, nutrition, the new dairy center…..keep listening and find out more.

Many middle and high school students are getting an early start for Dr. Allen Foegeding’s Food Chemistry class.  The Science Olympiad, a national organization that encourages science and engineering knowledge and skills through events and competitions, has implemented a Food Science Event for the past three years.  Sharon Ramsey is currently the State Food Science Event Supervisor for the North Carolina Science Olympiad.  She ran three training sessions in Raleigh in October for over 100 coaches and their team members, mostly from North Carolina, but also from as far as Alabama and Pennsylvania.  During the sessions, coaches learned rules and tasks specified in the event and then they participated in a mock Food Science event with typical lab experiments and questions.

Sharon will be training students and staff members to set up and lead ten regional Food Science Science Olympiad events on Saturdays in February and March throughout the state of North Carolina. Then in April, Sharon and her team of volunteers will be composing, setting up, and conducting the State Food Science Olympiad events in Raleigh with the student and staff leaders, connecting with over 1100 middle and high school students, their coaches and parents during the competitions.  If you would be interested in helping a team or assisting with the regional event in your area, go to the NC Science Olympiad web site to find out more information and volunteer (http://www.sciencenc.com/index.cfm).

Check out the video of the Food Science event of Science Olympiad at: http://www.sciencenc.com/Tournament_information/Event_rules_nc/food_science.cfm

Sharon was nominated and has been selected to compose and conduct the National Food Science Competition in May 2008 in Washington DC. Congratulations on your appointment!

Along with all the other activities mentioned above, the Outreach Committee of the Food Science Club continues to assist with classroom visits and other activities.  Many teachers have asked our students to visit their classroom to bring hands-on activities or to judge science fairs. 

Michelle Lloyd (right) enjoys Green Eggs and Ham with Kindergartners and 1st Graders at Fred Olds Elementary School after reading them the classic Dr. Seuss book.

Pictures courtesy of Michelle Lloyd - The News & Preserver, December 2007

On a Personal Note...

In December of 2006, Dr. Roger McFeeters and his wife Jo became grandparents! Their grandson, Daniel (Dima) Joshua McFeeters, was adopted from Russia and turned 2 years old this past May 28th. Congratulations to the McFeeters family on their precious addition!

Dr. Donn Ward and his wife Nora are proud grandparents! Their daughter gave birth to a baby girl, Lauren Emily, on July 13, 2007 at 3:10 pm. She weighed 9 pounds and was 20 1/2 inches long. Congratulations to all on their precious little girl!

On August 8, 2007 at 7:20 pm Dr. John Rushing and his wife Kelli became grandparents again. Madeline (Maddie) Glenn Rushing arrived weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches long. We congratulate the Rushing family on their 2nd precious granddaughter!

Joy, a research scientist in Dr. Drake's lab, and Brad, a recent Ph.D. graduate and postdoc in Dr. Drake's lab, Wright welcomed their first child, a precious little girl, into the world at 11:02 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2007. Reagan Michelle Wright weighed 9 lbs. and 6 oz. and was 21 3/4 inches long. Congratulations to the whole Wright family on their greatest work yet ;-).

Dr. Hyun-Jung Chung, a former post-doc research associate in Dr. Jaykus' lab and Dr. Woo-Suk Bang, a post-doc research associate in Dr. Drake's lab, brought forth their greatest creation yet, a beautiful baby boy this past January. Ryan Bang was born Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 10:20 am. He weighed 7.4 lbs. and was 20.5 inches long. Congratulations to Hyun-Jung and Woo-Suk on their first precious little one!

Dr. Ilenys Pérez-Díaz, assistant professor in the USDA-ARS Vegetable Fermentation Laboratory, and her husband Felix welcomed their greatest accomplishment into the world, a precious little baby girl. Kelsey Pérez-Díaz arrived February 7, 2008 at 9:04 am. She weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. and was 20 inches long. Congratulations to the Pérez-Díaz family on their first and beautiful addition to their family!

We wish to congratulate Kristin Price on winning the women's title of the Philadelphia Marathon on that windy and cold (with temperatures in the 40's) Sunday - November 25, 2007. Kristin, a master's graduate student in Dr. Daubert's lab, won with a time of 2 hours, 42 minutes and 5 seconds which qualified her for the U.S. Olympic women's marathon trials. The Olympic trials are set for April 2008 in Boston. We wish her the very best and will be cheering for her to make it all the way!

Alumni News

2007 CALS Alumni Winners

The following winners were announced and recognized at the annual NC State IFT Breakfast on July 29, 2007 during the IFT annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois:

Dr. Suzanne Case, Outstanding Alumnus B.S. 1983, M.S. 1988, Ph.D. 1992 Dr. Case is currently the Section Manager of Ingredient and Process Research for Kraft Foods, Inc.  Suzanne has always conducted herself as an outstanding scientist and proud alumni of NC State. After graduation with her B.S. degree, she went to work for Hardees Food Systems.  During that time she developed the start of her expertise in carbohydrates.  Realizing that she needed additional education to fulfill her career goal, she returned to NC State. Her outstanding achievement during her M.S. program was readily apparent and earned her a prestigious USDA National Needs Fellowship for her Ph.D. Program. Suzanne worked for National Starch for two years before moving to her current employer, Kraft.  Her career at Kraft is full of accomplishments, with a notable major contribution to the successful DeGiorno Pizza brand. Throughout Suzanne’s career she has always made it a point to help the Department of Food Science whenever possible.  This could be something as simple as making periodic visits and providing interesting industry insight to faculty, to being a key member of the departmental Industrial Advisory Board (1997–2003).  Whenever asked to contribute, Suzanne is always enthusiastically willing to give her time and wisdom for the benefit of the department.

Robyn Reynolds Jones, Outstanding Young Alumnus B.S. 1999 Upon completing her undergraduate degree, Magna Cum Laude, in Food Science at NC State, Robyn continued her studies with a study abroad experience in Asia, then on to graduate school at Michigan State University. While in school, Robyn was active in IFTSA, serving as student representative to the Employment Committee and chairing the Student Career Fair. Robyn is currently a Science Policy Analyst with the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, DC. During her tenure with FDA, Robyn has received numerous awards for her contributions and teamwork.  She also continues her service to the community and profession through active involvement in national and regional IFT committees and events.  Robyn is also active in maintaining and strengthening NC State Alumni support networks and is an avid Wolf Pack fan, still traveling to attend many home games.  She has served as the Capital Area NC State Alumni co-President for 2005-2007 and co-chaired an event in 2005 to raise money for the NC Statr Eric Cranford Memorial Scholarship fund. Robyn has excelled professionally, established herself as a leader and represents NC State, CALS and the Department of Food Science well.

Mr. Larry Pierce, owner/manager of the Nahunta Pork Center, Outstanding Industry Partner Mr. Pierce has supported the Food Science Department by allowing students to conduct major portions of their research within his operation.  During the remodeling of Schaub Hall, Larry allowed the Nahunta Pork Center to serve as a temporary “meat lab” while construction continued on campus. Larry has also opened his operation to undergraduate students as they conducted senior design projects. Larry has served on various advisory committees dealing with the challenges that face the country ham industry in North Carolina and has participated in various workshops put on within the department.  His expertise and willingness to help has been a very valuable asset to researchers at NC State.

Articles and pictures courtesy of JoAnna Foegeding

Harold Schmitz (Ph.D. 1993) was recently featured in the "It's My Job" section of the Summer 2007 edition (Vol. 79, II) of the NC State Alumni Magazine. In the article he discussed his job as Chief Science Officer at Mars, Inc. located in McLean, VA.

Congratulations are in order for Jill Godfrey Carson (B.S. 1998) for starting her new job on October 9, 2007 she started with AIB International. AIB International is a corporation founded by the North American wholesale and retail baking industries in 1919 as a technology transfer center for bakers and food processors.  Through rigorous independent inspections, superior audits and training, and shared expertise they empower their clients to lower their business risk and strengthen their reputations. In her newly created position of Food Safely Auditor - Manager for Asia, Jill will be helping expand the company's presence worldwide with their new office in Shanghai, China.

We send out congratulations to Paula Frank (Master of Food Science 2007) who back in October of 2007 was appointed chief editor of Baking Management magazine. Baking Management is a trade publication for the wholesale baking industry produced by Penton Media.

Melanie Morrison (B.S. 1987) received her MBA from the University of Phoenix in 2007 then joined the NCDA & CS Food & Drug Protection Division as a Food Compliance Officer. She also recently completed the Department of Homeland Security Level 3 Incident Command Systems training. Ms. Morrison is involved in processed food regulation and community/industry outreach including recent presentations to students in Dr. Keith Harris' and Dr. Sophia Kathariou's food science classes.

We regret to report that Dr. Edward Oamen (M.S. 1981) of Newburgh, Indiana passed away January 8, 2008. Dr. Oamen was employed by Mead Johnson Nutritionals as a Principle Product Development Scientist.  Previously, Eddie had enjoyed professional success with Global Food Technologies, Slim Fast Foods, Wilbur Chocolates, Mother Murphy’s Flavors, and Well’s Dairy (Blue Bunny). Eddie will be remembered as a true gentleman as well as an accomplished scientist.  His warm and friendly smile will be missed by all.

We are also sad to report that Dr. Ming Wu (Ph.D. 1984) passed away January 21, 2008. He was co-owner (and chief technical guru) of the third largest producer of surimi-based products in the US, AquaMar, located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Dr. Wu had taken ill suddenly in November/December 2007 with some sort of immune deficiency disease. A really brilliant yet humble guy, he was honored as our alumnus of the year back in 2001. Our sincere condolences go out to Dr. Wu's family, friends, colleagues and anyone that had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.

News - http://www.ncsu.edu/foodscience/news.htm
Calendar - http://ceres.cals.ncsu.edu/wolfcalendar/public/monthview.cfm?GroupID=16
Seminars and Meetings - http://www.ncsu.edu/foodscience/seminars_meetings.htm
Workshops and Training - http://www.ncsu.edu/foodscience/workshops_training.htm

Contents of this newsletter edition include events and items during the time period of July 1, 2007 - Febuary 29, 2008.

I would like to thank everyone that submitted information and assisted in gathering details for the publication of this edition. To list all the individuals that provided information would include just about the whole department and I would be afraid of forgetting someone. I do want to offer special thanks to Sue Strong, Carol Reilly, Dr. Jon Allen, and Dr. K.P. Sandeep for their editing and revising skills to make this edition possible.

Heather Hickman, Editor
heather_hickman@ncsu.edu