Nutrition and Food Sciences News
Empowering Future Leaders: LSU Student Named Vice Chair of IAFP Student Professional Developing Group
These references highlight recent research and updates in low-moisture food safety, including outbreak trends, processing technologies, industry needs for research and extension, and pathogen survival kinetics on tree nuts under varying conditions.
Reunion of Five Former PhD Students at the 2025 Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium
Five former PhD students of Dr. Witoon Prinyawiwatkul, Professor of Sensory Sciences, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, LSU AgCenter had a reunion at the 16th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium, in Philadelphia, USA on August 17-21, 2025. Their professional profiles are as follows: Full name: Karen Garcia Graduation Date: May 2011 Current Job Title: Senior Manager - Sensory & Consumer Insights Current Job and location: Symrise, North America Full name: DAMIR DENNIS TORRICO Graduation Date: August 2015 Current Job Title: Assistant Professor Current job/employer and location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, US Previous Jobs: Senior lecturer at Lincoln University, New Zealand, and Post-doctoral fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia Full name: Wisdom Wordui (formerly Wardy) Graduation Date: August 2016 Current Job Title: Associate Principal Scientist Current job/employer and location: L'Oréal USA/Clark, NJ Previous Jobs: Sr. Quantitative UX Researcher/Meta Platforms/Menlo Park, CA; Scientist, Products Research/The JM Smucker Company/Orrville, OH Full name: Pitchayapat Chonpracha Graduation Date: May 2019 Current Job Title: Regional Consumer & Sensory Insight APAC Current Job and location: dsm-firmenich, Singapore Previous Job: Sensory Manager at McCormick (TH), General Manager at CPF (TH) Full name: Silvia Murillo Graduation Date: May 2025 Current Job Title: Senior Sensory Scientist - Innovation Current Job and location: The Hershey Company, Pennsylvania
Leading the Way: SNFS Senior India Bethley Takes National Role
India Bethley, a senior in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences (SNFS) Dietetics program, has been elected National Region 4 Undergraduate President for MANRRS--Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences. This prestigious leadership role places Bethley at the forefront of student advocacy across multiple states, where she will represent undergraduate voices, raise awareness of opportunities in agricultural and natural resource fields, and help organize impactful programming for student development. Her election reflects both her dedication to inclusive leadership and her commitment to advancing diversity in STEM-related disciplines. Region 4 includes a broad swath of the southern United States, and Bethley's role will involve collaboration with students, faculty, and professionals to foster engagement and growth within the MANRRS community. As a student leader, she will also contribute to national initiatives that support underrepresented groups in agriculture and related sciences. Bethley's achievement is a testament to her hard work, vision, and the support of mentors and peers who have championed her journey. The SNFS department and LSU community are proud to celebrate her success and look forward to the positive impact she will make in this role. Congratulations, India!
Ph.D. Student Tharindu Trishan Dapana Durage Earns Multiple National Honors in 2025
Tharindu Trishan Dapana Durage, a first-year Ph.D. student in Nutrition and Food Sciences, is making waves in the field of gut microbiome research. Working under the mentorship of Dr. Ezgi Ozcan in the MinD Gut Lab, his research focuses on gut microbiome-brain interactions in neurodegenerative diseases. In just the first half of 2025, Durage earned an impressive array of accolades: • First Place in the Phi Tau Sigma Research Competition for graduate students and postdoctoral members • Second Place in the IFT InFoodrafic: A Global Infographic Competition • Second Place in the IFT Carbohydrate Division Hackathon • Third Place in the IFT Graduate Student Oral Competition (Aquatic Food Products Division) at IFT FIRST 2025 As team captain, Durage also led LSU entries in two major product development competitions: • The IFT MARS Product Development Competition • The IFT Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Product Development Competition Both teams advanced to the final stage, earning two travel grants. His innovation was featured live on Fox32 Good Day Chicago during IFT FIRST 2025. Durage's academic excellence and leadership have also been recognized through several prestigious scholarships and awards, including: • IFT Feeding Tomorrow IFTSA Travel Scholarship • Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Love of Learning Award • Ruth Patrick, PhD Human Nutrition and Food Sciences Scholarship (2025-2026) • Larry and Barbara Chachere Endowed Scholarship (2025-2026) • Veralto Scholarship for Excellence in STEM by oSTEM • Point Access Scholarship from the Point Foundation, awarded for academic excellence, leadership potential, and impact in the LGBTQ+ community Durage's achievements reflect his dedication to advancing nutrition science and his commitment to leadership and innovation. The School of Nutrition and Food Sciences is proud to celebrate his success.
LSU PhD Student Pratiksha Shrestha Named Finalist in Prestigious IFTSA Research Video Competition
Pratiksha Shrestha, a PhD student in the LSU School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, has been recognized as one of the top three finalists in the 2025 IFTSA Research Video Competition, hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and sponsored by Campden BRI, a global leader in food research and innovation. Pratiksha's video showcased her research in Dr. Kharel's Food Safety and Microbiology Lab, where she is developing antibacterial nanocomposite films to mitigate post-process contamination in packaged, ready-to-eat low-moisture foods. Her work emphasizes the critical role of food safety in protecting public health and demonstrates the real-world impact of innovative food science. This recognition highlights Pratiksha's dedication to advancing food safety through cutting-edge materials science and her ability to communicate complex research in an accessible and compelling format.
International Conference: Co-Products
Dr. Giovanna M. Aita, adjunct professor (and former PhD graduate) in the LSU School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, attended the ISSCT Pre-Congress and XXXIII Centennial Congress held in Cali, Colombia, from August 21-28. The International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ISSCT) is a global association of scientists, technologists, managers, institutions, and companies dedicated to advancing the cane sugar industry and its co-products. As Chair of the Co-Products Section, Dr. Aita delivered a presentation titled "Polyphenols-derived nanoparticles: antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties." A microbiologist by training, she is at the forefront of efforts to replace petroleum-based fuels and chemicals with sustainable alternatives derived from biomass. Her research addresses both technical and economic challenges while prioritizing environmental sustainability. Dr. Aita has led pioneering efforts in the bioconversion of agricultural and woody residues, as well as low-value process by-products, into platform chemicals, nutritional supplements, and antimicrobial biomaterials. Her areas of expertise include biomass pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, antimicrobials, and nanomaterials.
LSU Undergraduate Research Fair
The School of Nutrition and Food Sciences team recently welcomed incoming LSU freshmen students to the 2025 Undergraduate Research Fair. This event was attended by our school's faculty, current students and incoming freshmen as a way to showcase undergraduate research that took place.
Evelyn Watts: Living the Louisiana Land-Grant Mission
Dr. Evelyn Watts, Seafood Extension Specialist at LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant, leads efforts to help small-scale seafood businesses thrive. Through the Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab, she and the lab team provide training, equipment access, and market development support. Their work focuses on creating both innovative seafood products and consumer demand, strengthening local economies and empowering fishermen.