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Winter 2011

Food Science Institute 216 Call Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506

Phone: 785-532-4057 Fax: 785-532-6035E-mail: foodsci@k-state.edu • http//www.foodsci.k-state.edu

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

Food scientists developed the recipe and baked purple sweet potato pies to sell. Proceeds support student travel and research.Photo by Division of Communications and Marketing

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K-State nutrition scientists could be accused of carrying purple pride to extremes, but the purple sweet potato pies they created for Thanksgiving were a practical application of research.

The story of purple pride sweet potato pie starts with a sweet potato breeder named Ted Carey, who was a K-State horticulture professor before he moved to Ghana to work with the International Potato Center.

At K-State, Carey got seeds from purple sweet potato parent plants from the po-tato center’s germplasm bank in Peru. He planted the seeds in fer-tile Kansas soil. When they grew, he cloned the most colorful ones.

Enter George Wang, research scientist in K-State’s Department of Human Nutrition.

The bright purple color meant the pota-toes were loaded with anthocyanin, a pigment associated with reduced risk of cancer. Cancer preventative nutrition is Wang’s spe-cialty. Did the potatoes have anticancer abilities? He decided to find out.

His research attracted doctoral candidate Soyoung Lim and master’s student Tzu-Yu Chen, both studying human nutrition. They found that purple sweet potatoes have a significantly higher anthocyanin content and more antiaging and antioxidant components than other sweet potatoes.

Lim also found that two anthocyanin derivatives — cyanidin and peonidin — inhibit human colon cancer cell growth in cultured human colorectal cancer cells.

In 2010, Kansas had a bountiful purple sweet potato harvest. Jason Griffin, director of K-State’s John C. Pair Horticultural Center near Wichita, sent 400 pounds of the special spuds to Wang’s lab.

Purple Sweet Potatoes Turn Pie into Possible Cancer-Fighting Food

The team decided to turn the bumper crop into people food and for one day traded test tubes for pie pans. Could purple sweet potato pie become the next big functional food?

“Our research is focused on cancer prevention,” Wang said. “We hope to translate our discovery from the lab to humans. The pies could be used to test bioavailablity of an-thocyanins in humans. I hope we can promote a health food

for functional cancer prevention.”

The test pies, made using recipes formu-lated with the help of Delores Chambers, associate professor of human nutrition, were a success with taste tes-ters around the College of Human Ecology.

“They were impressed by the unique color as well as the great taste. Some even suggested we sell the pies at football games since the color represents K-State,” Lim said.

The naturally bright purple pie is healthier than regular sweet potato or pumpkin pie.

“Pumpkins and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are high in carotenoids — vitamin A precursors. But the purple potatoes have higher levels of anthocyanins, dietary fiber, and vitamins. And they are naturally sweeter, so we can cut down on the sugar content,” Lim said.

After testing pies, the lab still had 395 pounds of potatoes. Then Lim took orders, assembled her research

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The food science faculty, staff, and students express their

appreciation to Professor Melvin Hunt for his exemplary service to the program. Because of his

expertise and dedication as chair of the food science and industry

undergraduate program, the program grew threefold to

make it among the largest in the United States.

We all wish the best to Melvin and Rae Jean in a well-deserved

retirement. Thankfully, he still donates his time and expertise to

help with the distance program and travel abroad experiences

with Rae Jean as tour guide, too. Thank you, Hunter!

Photo by Darla Thomas

The on- and off-campus programs continue to grow — in large part because of your efforts to let others know about food science at K-State. Even though we rely on the website, I am convinced that word-of-mouth marketing continues to be effective. Additionally, our Student-to-Student Recruit-ment Program led by Tess Brensing is very successful in recruiting undergraduates for the on-campus program. We have increased undergraduate

student enrollment by 24 percent from a year ago. To help with that increase, the student-to-student staff and Food Science Club officers help mentor the new students. In recognition of that mentoring effort, the institute provides modest scholarships for those staff and officers.

We also have 13 students who are receiving international travel scholarships. Danisco’s support for the book program helps 25 to 30 students save $500 to $1,000 each year. Thanks to your continued support of the institute, we are able to provide these supplements to other scholarships pro-vided by K-State, the College of Agriculture, Kellogg’s, and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Approximately 60 percent of the undergraduates receive some level of scholarship support. Our goal is to increase that percentage.

If you are contacted by the KSU Foundation through the Telefund or another fundraising effort to help with student

scholarships, travel, professional development, etc., please designate your tax deductable contributions for the Food Science Institute account D25536. Your continued financial gifts will help our students attend college and realize their educational objectives. Thank you for your continued support.

The institute is committed to helping maintain the U.S. food system as the most competitive in the world. We have made a commitment to help educate on-the-job professionals in the food industry by providing under- graduate and graduate degrees and certificates by distance. This effort continues to grow and is helping the food industry meet its workforce needs.

According to the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, it will be difficult — if not impossible — to meet those workforce needs in the future by relying solely on the output of on-campus programs.

K-State is the only university providing these distance-education degrees and certificates, but our capacity is limited in meeting the growing demand. Therefore, food system leaders need to develop strategies to help maintain U.S. competitiveness in the world through creative educational programs. Thinking creatively about all the ways to educate the workforce needs to be a priority. K-State continues to be a part of this educational effort and is working to provide the additional input required to elevate the quality and quantity of scientific expertise for the food industry. If you have suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks again for your support!Curtis Kastner, Director

Food Science Institute

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Tell Us About YourselfFill out this form and return it to: Elsa Toburen, Food Science Institute 216 Call Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 or e-mail etoburen@k-state.edu

Name ________________________________________________

Spouse’s Name _________________________________________

City ________________________ State ______ ZIP _________

Home Phone __________________________________________

E-mail _______________________________________________

Graduation Date(s) ____________ Degree(s) ________________

Employer _____________________________________________

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Feel free to attach more information.

Upcoming EventsK-State Open HouseApril 16, 20119 a.m. to 3 p.m.Manhattan, Kansas

64th Reciprocal Meat Conference June 19–22, 2011Manhattan, KansasHosted by Kansas State University and Cargill

Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Expo

June 11–14, 2011New Orleans, Louisiana

31st Annual Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology Workshop and Symposium

July 15–21, 2011Manhattan, Kansas

International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting

July 31–August 3, 2011Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Mortar Board Bestows HonorsKansas State University’s Mortar Board chapter honored

Jake New, food science and industry major, with one of the honor society’s $500 Linda Henry and Sam Kruckenberg Outstanding Junior Scholarships.

Mortar Board also recognized Professor Fadi Aramouni as an outstanding faculty member and for his dedication to student success.

K-State Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Inducts Food Science Students

The nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective all- discipline honor society recently inducted more than 130 new members from Kansas State University.

Phi Kappa Phi’s new members are second semester juniors in the upper 7.5 percent of their class, seniors in the upper 10 percent of their class, or outstanding graduate students also in the top 10 percent of their class.

Food science students inducted into Phi Kappa Phi include: Deborah Kane, distance graduate student; Jessica Briggs, junior; and Julianne Jensby, senior.

Undergraduate Program Update John Unruh, Undergraduate Chair

The food science undergraduate program continues to grow. The official 20-day enrollment numbers for fall 2010 indicate that we have 160 full-time students — up 24 percent from a year ago.

The scholastic achievements of our students have been exceptional, with 10 students earning 2010–2011 Institute of Food Technologists scholarships (see page 9).

Last fall, a survey was sent to food science alumni, and 75 responded. The majority (92 percent) of K-State food science graduates agreed that they were satisfied with their food science education.

They responded that their food science degree gave them a broad food science background (89.3 percent), prepared them for their career (78.7 percent), and advisers provided valuable guidance (85.2 percent). Thank you to the alumni for providing valuable information to assist us in improving the program.

Graduate Program Update J. Scott Smith, Graduate Chair

The food science graduate program has enrolled more than 100 master’s degree students (23 on campus and 85 distance) and 11 doctoral students on campus for spring 2011. For 2010, the food science graduate program gradu-ated 11 students (eight distance master’s degree and three doctoral degrees).

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The Power of Purple: Purple Foods Provide Healthy Nutrients and AntioxidantsWhen it comes to healthy eating, consider adding some

powerful purple foods to your diet. Many purple foods contain anthocyanins, which are

red, blue, and purple natural pigments. Anthocyanins are healthy because they’re powerful antioxidants that may help boost the immune system, maintain health, and prevent disease, according to J. Scott Smith, Kansas State University professor of food chemistry.

“It’s the name of the game right now,” Smith said. “Everybody is really interested in antioxidants because they are thought to be healthy.”

Anthocyanins are more prevalent in fruits than veg-etables, Smith said, noting the deep red and purple hues of apple skin and grapes. Because anthocyanins are pH sensitive, they can appear more red or blue depending on the type of food.

Anthocyanins are especially common in berries, includ-ing blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and blackberries.

“That’s why people say ‘Eat your berries,’ because they are very healthy for you,” Smith said.

Even the extracts from foods that contain anthocya-nins are healthy, Smith said. A recent trend in the food industry is to use natural, instead of synthetic, food dyes. Anthocyanins can be extracted from fruits or vegetables and then used as a natural purple or blue-hued food dye.

Because red wine comes from grapes, it also contains anthocyanins. In addition, red wine contains resveratrol, which is a potentially heart-healthy antioxidant.

Some lesser-known purple foods also contain anthocya-nins. South Americans have grown purple corn for cen-turies, Smith said, and a purple cauliflower and a purple carrot also exist.

While beets come in deep reds and purples, it’s not because of anthocyanins, Smith said. The purple color found in beetroot comes from betalain pigments, which replace anthocyanins in some plants. Betalains are also healthy antioxidants.

Jennifer Torline, Communications and Marketing

 

Food Science Club Tours Emporia Food-Processing FacilitiesThe Food Science Club toured several food processing

facilities in Emporia, Kan. Students involved in the club visited the Emporia Pet Food processing plant. The plant used an extruder to produce a variety of pet food brands for distribution. The facility’s quality control manager conducted a tour that gave students a look at the extrusion process, microbiological testing labs, packaging area, and storage areas of the plant.

After touring the pet food facility, the club visited Bunge Oilseed Processing, a soybean processing company with plants in nine states and Canada. The quality control manager explained how the beans were processed from a raw state to flakes and eventually to oil — which is used in a variety of food products and has become an increasingly valuable commodity. The students viewed a series of machin-ery that sifted loose particulate from the beans and ground it into flakes that were pressed for oil.

The next stop was a locally owned apple orchard, known simply as The Orchard. Bob Karr, a former high school teacher, started The Orchard after noticing that the trees on his land were producing far more apples than he and his family could eat. Volunteers provide most of the labor.

The Orchard has its own safety-inspection process and built its business model on the value of wholesome, locally grown produce. The Orchard uses a cider press to produce apple cider and apple cider slushies. The storefront also sells cider spices, honey, and organic flour. The business has evolved over time, and it continues to grow each year, especially since the recent push for locally grown food.

The tour concluded with a meal at the home of Food Science Club adviser Kelly Getty’s parents. The students enjoyed getting to see a variety of food-processing facili-ties and learning more about potential jobs within the food industry.

team — Linette Ngaba, senior in dietetics, Tzu-Yu Chen, master’s student in human nutrition, and Jaeyong Kim, visiting scholar in human nutrition — and baked more than 40 pies. They sold the pies for $10 each, with profits going to support student travel and research.

In the future, Chambers will lead sensory tests on the pies at the Sensory Analysis Center.

Purple sweet potatoes are not on the market yet, so purple pride sweet potato pies aren’t on grocery stores’ shelves. However, the potential is there, and Wang, Lim, and the research team are confident they can prove the power of the purple pies.

Wang and Chambers are affiliated with the Food Science Institute.

Jane Marshall, Communications and Marketing

Purple Sweet Potatoes Turn Pie into Possible Cancer-Fighting Food, continued from page 1

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Faculty Honored for International EffortsKansas State University presented International Educator

awards to two Food Science Institute faculty, for their efforts to advance international education at the university.

Delores Chambers, associate professor, and Edgar Chambers, university distinguished professor, are directors of the Sensory Analysis Center in the College of Human

Ecology’s Department of Human Nutrition.With the investment of large corporations such as

Frito-Lay, the professors have conducted many international activities at the center to create market penetration in Asia. They have established a sensory analysis panel in Thailand — considered to be a satellite of the K-State program —

and have similar programs under way in Argentina, South Korea, and South Africa.

They also have taught short courses abroad, with the assistance of American students, to industry and academic professionals in Thailand and South Korea.

In addition, they have developed extensive col-laborations with international universities and serve as active members and chairs of the International Standards Organization. They personally host both visiting professors and graduate students at K-State.

The International Educator Award was estab-lished by the provost’s office and is sponsored by K-State’s Friends of International Programs and the Office of International Programs. Swinder Janda, professor of marketing in the College of Business Administration, also received the award.

Food science students attended the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco and also toured Cline Vineyards along with two other vineyards. They had lunch at the Sonoma Cheese Factory in Sonoma, Calif. Pictured from left: (front row) Kathryn Goddard and Tess Brensing and (back row) Siera Lundgren, Magali Bize, Ashley Pruett, and Jessica Rodriguez.

Delores ChambersPhoto by Division of Communications

and Marketing

Edgar ChambersPhoto courtesy of Edgar Chambers

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Graduate Students Win International Food Product Development Contest

The team of Angela L. Dodd and Daniela Nath de Oliveira took top honors at the 2010 AACC International Student Division Product Development Competition. Their product, Granotè, is a pineapple- and orange-flavored red sorghum herbal tea.

While sorghum and other grain teas have been popular for centuries in other parts of the world, they haven’t been readily accepted in North America despite the associated health benefits. Consumers are now looking for healthier beverage options that offer taste as well as convenience.

The process tea involved testing of a variety of sorghum hybrids (white, red, and black) and different styles of mill-ing, roasting, and steeping to determine the method that produced the tea with the best sensory attributes.

Angela Dodd (B.S. 2008 food science and industry) completed her master’s degree in food science in May 2010 under the advisement of Fadi Aramouni. She is a food sci-entist with Cargill in Lake Oswego, Ore. Daniela Nath de Oliveira earned a master’s degree in grain science in August 2010 under the advisement of Jon Faubion. She works as a food scientist for Subway World Headquarters, Milford, Conn.

Angela Dodd displays Granotè, a flavored red sorghum herbal tea, at the 2010 AACC International product development competition.

Study Looks at Enhancing the Food Safety Culture to Reduce Foodborne IllnessIf providing safe food is a priority, why do large outbreaks

of foodborne illness keep happening? Incidents like 2010’s Salmonella outbreak sickened more than 1,900 across the United States and led to the recall of 500 million eggs.

A new study by a Kansas State University professor and colleagues found that the way food safety is practiced within an organization can be a significant risk factor in foodborne illness.

Doug Powell, associate professor of food safety at K-State, said businesses and organizations often overlook how to operate above and beyond minimal food safety regulations and inspections, or their food safety culture.

“You’d think making customers sick is bad for business, yet some firms go out of their way to ignore food safety,” Powell said. “Some places are motivated by money and ef-ficiencies. The amount of regulation, inspection, and audits just doesn’t seem to matter. And those ‘Employees Must Wash Hands’ signs don’t really work.”

Powell, along with Casey Jacob, a former K-State re-search assistant, and Ben Chapman, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University, examined three food safety failures: an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Wales in 2005 that sickened 157 and killed one; a Listeria outbreak in Canada in 2008 that sickened 57 and killed 23; and a Salmonella outbreak in the United States in 2009 linked to peanut paste that killed nine and sickened 691.

Their study “Enhancing Food Safety Culture to Reduce Rates of Foodborne Illness” is being published by the journal Food Control and is available in advance online at http://bit.ly/hDh9EE.

“Creating a culture of food safety requires application of the best science with the best management and communica-tion systems,” Chapman said. “Operators should know the risks associated with their products, how to manage them, and most important, how to communicate with and compel their staff to employ good practices — it’s a package deal.”

According to the researchers, individuals who focus on food safety risks within an organization with a good food safety culture do the following:

• Know the risks associated with the foods they handle and how those should be managed;

• Dedicate resources to evaluate supplier practices;• Stay up-to-date on emerging food safety issues;• Foster a value system within the organization that

focuses on avoiding illnesses;• Communicate compelling and relevant messages

about risk-reduction activities, and empower others to put them into practice;

• Promote effective food safety systems before an inci-dent occurs; and

• Don’t blame customers, including commercial buyers and consumers, when illnesses are linked to their products.

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Food Science Freshmen Develop Holiday JamFreshmen majoring in food science

developed a holiday jam to sell as a Food Science Club fundraising project. The project served as an educational oppor-tunity for the students to gain product development experience and to learn about good manufacturing practices.

In early October, Alex Maxwell and Danny Neely began formulating the jam recipe, which included cranberries, straw-berries, oranges, cinnamon, and cloves.

“I’ve never canned before, so I felt the project was a nice introduction to a basic food processing method,” said Neely, from Lenexa. “I’m looking forward to participating further in other food projects.”

Maxwell, from Atchison, has been canning for more than 10 years, so he was able to take on a leadership role during the project.

“I was happy to teach others about something I had been doing at home for years,” Maxwell said. “There are definitely a lot more procedures to follow when you’re working on a commercial operation.”

The project included a series of trials that ultimately resulted in large batch sizes of more than 50 jars. The students developed a label, which gave them a better understanding of label design and nutrition facts panels. They also imple-mented a marketing strategy in collabo-ration with the university dairy bar.

Eventually the freshmen lead other members of the Food Science Club during commercial production of the product, educating their peers about what

they had learned. Holiday jam was sold in the dairy bar, and it was featured in the dairy bar’s holiday gift baskets.

Agriculture Honor Society Initiates New Members

Kansas State University’s chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture, has recognized several K-State students for excellence in research, teaching, and academics.

Students were initiated into membership at the Gamma Sigma Delta Fall Banquet on November 15, 2010. Curtis Kastner, director of the Food Science Institute, served as the speaker for the event.

Inductees in food science and meat science included: undergraduate student Julianne Jensby; graduate students Bryce Gerlach, Lindsay Bowers, Lauren Weber, and Tawnya Roenbaugh; and two food science distance graduate students Teresa Etzel and Deborah Kane.

Tawyna Roenbaugh (left) and Lauren Weber were inducted into Gamma Sigma Delta.

Toburen Recognized for Meritorious Service

Elsa Toburen, Food Science Institute administrative officer, was recently honored with the K-State Clas-sified Opportunity Fund Meritorious Service Award. FSI director Curtis Kastner nominated Toburen for the award. She has been working for the institute since it was created late in 2001.

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New Book Commemorates 150 Years of Kansas BeefKansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine,

Beef Cattle Institute, and Frontier Program are commemo-rating Kansas’ upcoming 150th anniversary with the release of the coffee-table book “150 Years of Kansas Beef.”

The book is dedicated to longtime Kansas rancher Jack Vanier, whose wife, Donna Vanier, made the project possible. The Vaniers own the CK Ranch in Brookville.

“With chapters reaching as far back as the great cattle drives of the 19th century, this historical and photograph-rich book will take readers through the challenges and triumphs of the Kansas beef industry over the last century and a half,” said Justin Kastner, director of the book project and co-director of the Frontier Program, a historical studies research program offered by the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology.

“Dozens of families contributed ranch histories, photo-graphs, and other paraphernalia to the project — some of which are described in an online podcast series available through the Beef Cattle Institute at http://www.beefcattlein-stitute.org,” he said. “We’re grateful to the scores of families who have contributed to the project.”

Chris Stephens, former development officer for the Col-lege of Veterinary Medicine, worked closely on the project with Kastner and Chris Gruber, the college’s current director of development.

The book, which will be delivered in summer 2011, can be ordered online at http://www.vet.k-state.edu/features/beef.htm. Photo coutesy of Blain (Bryant) Tenhouse

Research at Level-3 Lab Paving the Way for Food Safety, Health for AllOh no, not more news about E. coli.Most people are aware of the efforts to reduce health risks

from E. coli O157:H7 linked to undercooked ground beef and fresh produce, including spinach and lettuce.

While the focus on minimizing the risks of O157:H7 is ever present, recent concerns about an emerging, cousin-like group of microorganisms — dubbed non-O157 STECS, short for Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli — is the focus of comprehensive research at K-State.

The name has changed slightly, but this broader group of E. coli strains can produce the same toxins and the same threat of potentially life-changing illnesses (kidney failure is an example), said Randy Phebus, K-State Research and Extension professor of food safety and defense. He offered a sobering example of an active, healthy 25-year-old female confined to a wheelchair and requiring dialysis following illness due to the foodborne pathogen.

Food should nourish, not harm, said the food safety professor, who noted that K-State is internationally recog-nized as a center for food animal health and meat safety, and is now being looked to as a leader in new, and increasingly sophisticated, food safety research.

According to Phebus, the addition of the Biosecurity Research Institute, BRI, at K-State positions the univer-

sity to fulfill a leadership role in identifying potential food contamination and developing successful interventions to curb growing concerns about STECS and other potentially life-threatening microorganisms.

The BRI is uniquely set up to allow scientists to replicate commercial systems for livestock processing, identify risk factors for specific pathogens and develop appropriate anti-microbial interventions and detection methods, said Phebus, who explained that the research begins as soon as an animal enters the facility and continues until beef trimmings are ground into hamburger like that which enters the market.

The new research facility is the only one of its kind, where farm to plate food safety can be replicated under one roof, said Phebus, noting that suiting up in protective gear to enter the facility takes about 30 minutes.

“It’s similar to preparing for a moon walk, but keeping researchers safe is the first step in food protection,” he said.

While Phebus has focused on food safety during his 19 years at K-State, the addition of “defense” to his job title speaks to the expanding focus. “Food safety specialists re-main concerned about foodborne contaminants and natu-rally occurring microorganisms, but now must be increas-ingly watchful in detecting manmade contaminants and the

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MAPS program courses are intensive, as students must learn in six weeks what most K-State students would learn over the course of an entire semester. Here, students prepare for an experiment in a Chemistry I lab exercise.Photo by Amy Pruss

Incoming Freshman Participate in MAPS — a Summer Bridge ProgramKrystal Morales-Anderson and Courtney Bell, both

freshmen in food science are pictured in a chemistry labora-tory during the Multicultural Academic Program Success

(MAPS) program — a summer bridge program. The six-week program, developed for incoming K-State freshmen from historically underrepresented populations, was de-signed to help those students hit the ground running. With three academic courses, a full schedule of tours, speakers and events, and a presentation of their four-year plan, the MAPS summer bridge program is anything but remedial.

“Participating in the MAPS program helped me develop a sense of what college life would be like before even start-ing the semester,” stated Morales-Anderson. “I developed friendships and, best of all, gained college credits. It helped me feel a little bit more confident of being an out-of-state student away from home.”

Bell added, “I met several people who taught me all the things I didn’t know about college and K-State in general. I was able to get a ‘head start’ and familiarize myself with the campus. This program has really prepared me for college life, along with opening doors to new opportunities that I wouldn’t have had the chance to be a part of. It was really beneficial, and I would recommend it for future K-State students!”

possibility for intentional acts of bioterrorism or sabotage that could jeopardize the nation’s — and world’s — food supply, health, and economic stability,” he said.

Much of his current research is underwritten by funding from U.S. Department of Defense grants evaluating the safety of military food supplies, but Phebus said the research also strongly supports a greater understanding of general food safety for all consumers.

Phebus and others at K-State, including researchers with the university’s Food Science Institute in the College of Agriculture and the Beef Cattle Institute in the College of Veterinary Medicine, are engaged in the research. While the research is expected to benefit livestock production at all levels, Phebus said he and others at the university also are actively engaged in additional research and educational collaborations with other universities, governmental agencies and national laboratories.

“Research has to be ongoing,” said Phebus, who is opti-mistic about ensuring a safe food supply for all. Phebus is a highly respected food safety scientist and has been selected to chair the International Association for Food Protection’s centennial conference program committee in 2011.

Nancy Peterson, K-State Research and Extension

Research at Level-3 Lab continued from page 8 2010-2011 IFT Foundation

ScholarshipsThe Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) announced

its 2010–2011 Foundation (Feeding Tomorrow) Schol-arship winners. The 10 K-State students listed below were awarded scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000.

Yanji Bai — Carbohydrate Division Scholarship Jessica Briggs — Junior/Senior Scholarship Elyse Buckley — Junior/Senior ScholarshipJulie Chelewski — Junior/Senior ScholarshipKassie Curan — Sophomore ScholarshipThanh Hein — Food Microbiology Division

Scholarship Elisa Karkle — Graduate ScholarshipDaniel Neely — Freshman Scholarship Amanda Oakley — Freshman ScholarshipLaura Wiens — Junior/Senior Scholarship

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Faculty, staff, and students from Kansas State University, New Mexico State University, the University of Minnesota, Michigan State University, and the University of Arizona tour the U.S. Customs and border protection office at the Port of Baltimore.

Frontier Program Helps Students Understand Import Security and Food SafetySeven Kansas State University undergraduate and

graduate students received an exclusive look at border security during a field trip to Washington, D.C., and the Port of Baltimore.

The students met with U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials, who are responsible for making sure containers of food that come into the Baltimore port are safely and properly inspected. The weekend trip provided an opportunity for students to talk with government officials and gain insight for their research projects.

The students are part of the Frontier Program, a coopera-tive educational program between K-State and New Mexico State University that focuses on border security, food security, and trade policy.

“Border cooperation and border security are complex matters,” said K-State’s Justin Kastner, codirector of the Frontier Program and assistant professor of diagnostic medicine/pathobiology. “It’s important that students be encouraged to develop the depth of insight regarding the complexity of those issues.”

Julianne Jensby, senior in food science from Beatrice, Neb., was especially excited to see the Port of Baltimore after

viewing a border crossing at the U.S. – Mexico border last year with the Frontier Program.

“It was interesting to compare and contrast how inspec-tions are set up at a land crossing versus a seaport. There are differences based on the types of products that were im-ported to those places, and differences in infrastructures and cargo containers,” said Jensby, who is studying how to secure borders against public health threats and how governance can help prevent the spread of disease.

Other K-State students on the trip included Nicole Dorr, senior in food science and industry, Derby; Tara Lopez, master’s student in public health, Manhattan; Kelsey Rezac, junior in food science and industry, Onaga; Chelsea Stephens, master’s student in public health, Dodge City; Manoelita Warkentien, master’s student in biomedical science, Wichita; and Shweta Gopalakrishnan, master’s student in public health, India.

Nine students from New Mexico State University, the University of Minnesota, Michigan State University, and the University of Arizona also participated in the field trip.

Jennifer Torline, Communications and Marketing

William Trieb, sophomore in food science and industry from Wamego, was the September College of Agriculture Student of the Month. He also was Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz production at the Columbian Theatre in Wamego.

Jessica Briggs, junior in food science and industry from Manhattan,was chosen as the November Student of the Month. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Food Science Club, and the University Honors Program.

Briggs helps with recruitment within her department and for the university.

Each student organization may nominate a student to be recognized as Student of the Month. The College of Agriculture Student Council S & F Awards Committee makes the selections. Frontier Farm Credit provides $100 for each winner.

Food Science Majors Recognized as Students of the Month

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Axman Delivers Commencement Address

Tyler Axman, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in food science in December, was surprised and pleased when he was asked to deliver the College of Agriculture’s commencement address.

During his address, Axman focused on the vast number of disciplines within the agricultural industry and the importance of future employees’ diversified skill sets. He also reflected on his tenure at K-State and what a rewarding experience it had been.

“It meant very much to me to be able to represent a group of people that I have such a high opinion of,” Axman said.

In closing Axman commented, “I want to encourage each of you to remain active with your alma mater. I know that K-State and the city of Manhattan are techni-cally not our first home; however, if you’re like me, this university has become very special to you. Most impor-tantly, in a few minutes when you walk across stage, I hope each of you will be PROUD to call yourselves an alumnus of the K-State College of Agriculture and will represent K-State with pride in the future.”

Goddard Reaps Benefits from Internship

Giving up a semester of school and taking a six-month internship at the Kellogg Company may seem like quite a commitment, but for Kathryn Goddard it presented an opportunity to gain a broad view of the food industry.

Goddard will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in food science and industry in May 2011. She was an intern at Kellogg Company from June to December 2010.

“I served as a product development intern in the Ready-To-Eat Cereal Department, but was able to work closely with the Sensory and Consumer Science Department,” Goddard said.

Goddard’s intern projects included performing bench-top experiments, coordinating pilot plant trials, assisting with plant trials, developing formulas, and much more. Goddard enjoyed getting a glimpse of the plant’s entire operation.

“The Intern Committee works hard to give you oppor-tunities to explore not only within your own scope of work, but interdepartmentally,” Goddard said.

Taking a semester off may seem like a big sacrifice, but Goddard said she feels the knowledge gained is invaluable.

“The experience helps to put the classroom material to work while honing transferable skills for your future career,” Goddard said.

Student Named Finalist in America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest

Meriel Harwood, senior in food science, was a finalist in the “America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest” sponsored by the California Raisin Board.

For her entry, Harwood combined recipes for raisin bread with Czech Houska, a sweet bread.

The product development competition welcomed entries from all across the country to Manhattan’s American Insti-tute of Baking (AIB). The contest featured three categories: Commercial Raisin Bread, Artisan Raisin Bread, and a new Breakfast Item category.

Harwood was one of three student finalists in the Break-fast Item category. She said she enjoyed taking part in the competition and would like to see more entries from Kansas State in the future.

“Overall, it was a great learning experience for me,” Harwood said. “We had a lot of opportunities to talk to professionals in the industry, as well as learn from lectures at AIB during the finals.”

Photo by Dan Donnert

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Fall 2010 GraduatesDoctorate in Food ScienceCharles Conrad Dodd, Major Professor: David RenterFaraj Hijaz, Major Professor: J. Scott SmithKanithaporn Puangsombat, Major Professor: J. Scott Smith

Master’s Degree in Food Science#Marissa Brown, Major Professor: Delores Chambers#Angela Lynn Dodd, Major Professor: Fadi AramouniXinyi E, Major Professor: Yong Cheng Shi*Keith Pritts, Major Professor: Kelly Getty

Master’s Degree in Food Science (Distance)Sara Cox, Major Professor: Fadi AramouniDanielle Dougherty, Major Professor: Abbey Nutsch*Tresa Gay, Major Professor: Kelly GettyJoseph Layton, Major Professor: Fadi Aramouni#Katherine Lyle, Major Professor: Douglas PowellAlissa Rothenberger, Major Professor: J. Scott SmithBrian Sadowski, Major Professor: J. Scott Smith*Stephanie Clarissa Sajuti, Major Professor: J. Scott Smith*Serenia Stegner, Major Professor: Fadi AramouniShawna Lorraine Swan, Major Professor: Terry HouserKamaldeep Kaur Uppal, Major Professor: Kelly Getty

Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science and IndustryTyler Joseph Axman, Olmitz (H) (Cl)Lucia CarrilloJulie Ann Chelewski (H) (Cl)Janet Nicole GlahnTamuka Mazana (Distance)Megan Renee Myers-Kelly (Distance)Gregory Luis Pelan (Distance)

#May 2010 graduates*August 2010 graduates(H) Honors program(Cl) Cum laude

Food science graduates and FSI faculty at December 2010 commencement: (left to right) Kelly Getty, assistant professor; Tyler Axman; Julie Chelewski, Gregory Pelan; Janet Glahn; Tamuka Mazana; Lucia Carrillo; and John Unruh, chair of the undergraduate program. Photo by Dan Donnert

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Excellence in Food ScienceLiz Boyle, professor and K-State Research and Extension

specialist, received K-State’s Phi Tau Sigma Outstanding Food Scientist Award during Excellence in Food Science Day last fall. She gave a presentation on “Teaching Food Safety.”

Ten graduate students participated in the event’s poster competition. First place was awarded to Nigel Harper and Keith Pritts for their poster “Development of Modules for a Food Defense Workshop for Graduate Students and Working Professionals.”

Stop by and visit with us at the Food Science Institute booth #6847 at the IFT Annual Meeting and Expo in New Orleans.