By Melanie Jackson, FAPC Communications Graduate Assistantship

(Stillwater, Okla. – July 27, 2016) An Oklahoma State University graduate student is one step closer to pursuing his passion because of the experiences he has gained working at Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center.

Praveen Yerramsetti, a food science doctoral student, has gained experience in food safety by helping Jason Young, FAPC quality management specialist, develop model food safety procedures and support to assist Oklahoma food companies.

“Working side-by-side with Jason in the world of food safety and auditing afforded me an internship during the summer of 2015 with Head Country Food Products, which led to a permanent position,” Yerramsetti said. “I assisted Head Country in its BRC audit and helped the company achieve the highest rating of AA. This experience was second-to-none.”

Yerramsetti also is assisting Young with FAPC’s Oklahoma Audit Alliance. The program allows participating food companies in Oklahoma to send their food safety professionals to do internal auditing at other facilities.

“FAPC’s industry-supported Global Food Safety System program has been invaluable as it has provided financial assistance to Praveen as a student at FAPC,” Young said, “This has given him the opportunity to develop into a food safety professional.”

Yerramsetti recently was awarded a 2016 Graduate College Summer Fellowship, which includes a $4,000 scholarship and a two-hour tuition waiver for a summer course. In addition, Yerramsetti and his research will be featured on the OSU Graduate College website.

“I feel ecstatic and honored to receive this prestigious award,” Yerramsetti said.

Tim Bowser, FAPC food process engineer and Yerramsetti’s academic advisor, said he is an asset to OSU and FAPC.

“Praveen is an energetic, dedicated, intelligent, hard-working individual,” Bowser said. “When you combine these traits with his leadership skills and integrity, you have a rare combination that we are fortunate to have at FAPC and OSU.”

Bowser said Yerramsetti deserves this award because of his on- and off-campus achievements.

“He is actively involved with FAPC, our clients and the community in efforts to achieve higher quality and continuous improvement in every aspect of business and life,” Bowser said. “His work provides a benefit to everyone.”

Yerramsetti will use this fellowship to continue researching the effects of nitrogen in barbecue sauce.

“I would love to have a career in food safety and auditing,” Yerramsetti said.

FAPC, a part of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, helps to discover, develop, and deliver technical and business information that stimulates and supports the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.

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Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 36,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 25,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 120 nations. Established in 1890, Oklahoma State has graduated more than 260,000 students who have been serving Oklahoma and the world for 125 years.