FAPC Research Symposium features research and awards top students
By Kylee Willard
FAPC Communications Services Graduate Assistant
(Stillwater, Okla. – Feb. 28, 2011) Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center, together with the Institute of Food Technology-Oklahoma section, held the annual FAPC/IFT-OK Research Symposium highlighting food and agricultural products research conducted by FAPC and other OSU researchers.
On Feb. 22, more than 75 research enthusiasts and industry representatives gathered at the FAPC for a day filled with oral and poster presentations, a keynote speaker and industry lunch with the keynote.
“The event provided an opportunity for graduate students to make presentations of their work and for researchers to network with others in the food and agricultural field and possibly foster future collaborations among colleagues,” said Dr. Peter Muriana, FAPC food microbiologist and chair of the symposium.
Student awards were presented in both the oral and poster presentation categories. The top student winners were Claudia Cerruto-Noya and Lina Ramirez-Lopez in the oral and poster presentations, respectively.
Other winners were Dhiraj Gautam, second place, and Lianfan Su, third place, in the oral presentations and Preetty Pranatharthiharan, second place, and Yaymed Arocho, third place, in the poster presentations.
The IFT-Oklahoma Section provided monetary awards for the winners. First place received $250, second place was awarded $150 and third place won $75.
In addition to the student competition, the keynote speaker, Dr. A. Elizabeth Sloan, president of Sloan Trends & Solutions Inc., presented “Mining Food Mega Trends: Making Hay Out of Healthy, Home Grown, Home Cookin’ and Other Super Hot Industry Issues.”
“We were very excited for Dr. Sloan to speak about these recent market trends in the food industry on important industry related topics,” said Chuck Willoughby, FAPC manager of client relations. “Food marketing plays an important role in developing products, and that is something we do very well here at the FAPC.”
Sloan was former editor-in-chief of McCall’s magazine and director of the Good Housekeeping Institute that reviews consumer products, such as nutritional products, foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics and others, to achieve the “Good Housekeeping Seal.” In her capacity as president of Sloan Trends & Solutions, she draws on her experience to consult with companies in regards to new trends, foods, directions and strategies.
“We were fortunate to have Dr. Sloan as our keynote speaker,” Muriana said. “She was an exciting speaker and very knowledgeable about the future direction of food trends. Her talk was keen to many food companies in the state as they are preparing new products, markets and strategies. We are also lucky to have her presentation available, and I suspect that those who were not able to attend would wish they could have after they see the re-play of her presentation.”
Following the morning of oral presentations, more than 15 industry participants conversed with Sloan during the “Lunch with the Keynote” session.
The keynote speaker video presentation is available online at www.fapc.biz/sloanvideo.html <http://www.fapc.biz/sloanvideo.html> . Other material discussed by Sloan also are available online at www.fapc.biz/researchsymposium.html <http://www.fapc.biz/researchsymposium.html> .
The FAPC research symposium was held in conjunction with OSU Research Week. Sponsors of the FAPC/IFT-OK Research Symposium include Advance Pierre Foods, Bar-S Foods, BAMA Companies, Braum’s, Shawnee Milling, Sonic, Producers Cooperative Oil Milling and Vaughan’s Foods.
- ### -
Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system that cuts across disciplines to better prepare students for a new world. Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 32,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 19,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and about 110 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world. CREATE - INNOVATE - EDUCATE - GO STATE!
