We are proud to announce the following students in their award of a Center for Undergraduate Research Fellowship:

• Crosby, Kathleen (Food Science & Human Nutrition), Omega-3 Fortified Blueberry Fruit Leather. Denise Skonberg, advisor
• Daigle, Kristyn (Biochemistry), Improving Extractability of Allergenic Soy Protein Residues in processed foods. Balunkeswar Nayak, advisor
• Garcia, Rafael (Biology & Ecology), Analysis of Potential Mycotoxins in Contaminated Maple Syrup. Seanna Annis, advisor
• Hinkle, Emily (Food Science & Human Nutrition), Cooking and the varietal effects on potato invitro bile acid binding capacity. Mary Ellen Camire, advisor
• Zhang, Xinruo (Food Science & Human Nutrition), Stability of pytochemicals in blueberries with respect to different blanching methods and storage. Balunkeswar Nayak, advisor

The Office of the President grants this award to encourage faculty supervised, undergraduate research.  The award in the amount of $1, 000 for the student and up to an additional $1,000 for additional funding has been granted to several students in the department of Food Science and Human Nutrition or under advisement of faculty in this department. Congratulations!

Great article about the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition in the Portland Press Herald! Read it at http://www.pressherald.com/news/enrollments-growing_2012-09-26.html

Professor Alfred Bushway retires after 34 years of service to the university and the people of Maine.

We wish Dr. Bushway much happiness in his well-deserved retirement. He will continue to aid the Department in co-teaching FSN 502 this fall.  A celebration of his career will be held Wednesday, August 29.

Invitation to Dr Al Bushway’s retirement dinner

Dr. Angela Myracle (Ph.D. Purdue University 2010) joins the Department in September 2012 to conduct research on the health benefits of phytochemicals. In the fall she will teach FSN 410 Human Nutrition and Metabolism.

Dr. Balunksewar (Balu) Nayak (Ph.D. Washington State University 2011) joins the Department at the same time as an assistant professor of food processing. Dr. Nayak will take over the role of food processing authority from Dr. Alfred Bushway and he will also teach FSN 330 Introduction to Food Science in the fall.

The College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture is forming a new School of Food and Agriculture that will include the departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Plant and Soil Sciences. Planning
meetings for the merger have begun and will continue through the fall.

Our Department, together with Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Anthropology, the College of Business, and University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering a new 18-credit minor in Sustainable Food Systems. For more information on the minor and its requirements, please visit
http://umaine.edu/pse/minor-in-sustainable-food-systems/