Alireza Abbaspourrad
Yongkeun Joh Associate Professor of Food Chemistry and Ingredient Technology, Food Science at Cornell UniversityThe mission of the Abbaspourrad Group is to advance knowledge and educate members at the interface of chemistry, engineering, and biology that will best serve the most pressing global challenges. The lab is committed to generating, disseminating, and preserving knowledge and to working with others to employ bio-derived soft materials addressing challenges associated with the food-environment-health nexus. We are dedicated to stimulating curiosity and providing our members with an education that combines rigorous academic study and the excitement of discovery toward sustainability. We seek to develop in each member the ability and passion for working wisely, creatively, and effectively, contributing to practical solutions tackling global challenges.
Kristiana Alexander
Director of Knowledge and Insights at Dairy Management Inc.Kristiana Alexander is the Vice President of Consumer Insights & Innovation for Dairy Management Inc. (DMI). In this role, Kristiana provides consumer insights and innovation support for select DMI strategic partners, both domestic and international. She also focuses on food and beverage trends, bringing continuous monitoring and a deep understanding of global trends, and leveraging this work to design consumer-focused new product innovation.
Jayendra Amamcharla
Director, Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center of University of MinnesotaDr. Jayendra (Jay) Amamcharla obtained his B.S. (Dairying) in 1998 from Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, India and M.S. (Dairy Engineering) in 2001 from National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), India. Dr. Amamcharla received his Ph.D. (Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering) in 2008 from North Dakota State University. Subsequently, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (2008-2012) at the Dairy Science Department, South Dakota State University. In July 2012, Dr. Amamcharla joined the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University as an Assistant Professor with teaching and research responsibilities. His teaching responsibilities include Physical Methods of Food Analysis (FDSCI 728) and Research and Development of Food Products (FDSCI 740). His research focuses on the development and validation of rapid and nondestructive sensing technologies for quality and safety of dairy and food products. Dr. Amamcharla recently joined the Univesity of Minnesota and currently serves as the director for the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center.
Kimberlee Burrington
VP of Technical Development at American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI)- Global Market Outlook
- Student Research Competition | Sponsored by Dairy Management Inc
- Student Competition Awards | Sponsored by Dairy Management Inc
- "Make it with Dairy" End User Panel
- Dairy Health & Wellness
- Dairy Health & Wellness (General Session)
- Dairy Ingredients Track: Functionality & Applications
- Dairy Health & Wellness (General Session)
KJ Burrington is the Vice President of Technical Development at ADPI, having joined the staff as a director in January 2021. Prior to her joining the ADPI staff, KJ served as the Ingredient Applications Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research (CDR). She has over 30 years of experience in product development including her past positions at Ridgeview Industries, the Keebler Company, and as a consultant to the baking industry.
In her previous position at CDR, she provided technical support for U.S. dairy processors and end users on dairy ingredient functionality and applications. She also provided technical expertise for food companies internationally through visits and seminars in conjunction with the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) to countries such as Mexico, Latin America, China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. KJ has also been an instructor/presenter in various ADPI events and activities.
KJ holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also an IFT Certified Food Scientist. She has also served on the ADPI Center of Excellence since its inception in 2012.
Mike Ciresi
Senior Dairy Scientist at Dairy Management Inc.Mike Ciresi is a Senior Dairy Scientist at Dairy Management Inc. He has 10+ years of experience in product development and innovation. Mike has served as a consultant to major restaurant and retail brands to expand their dairy platforms and product offerings.
Ciresi specializes in bringing new food and beverage experiences to life for consumers. His relentless creativity is inspired by the ever-changing global food and beverage trends as well as new and emerging technologies. He has a passion for creating solutions that provide opportunities for innovation.
Ciresi has a proven track record of developing and launching award-winning products that meet the needs of consumers. His ultimate goal is to continually delight consumers by developing delicious food and beverage products that are experiential and memorable.
Ciresi received his B.S. In Microbiology from The Ohio State University and his M.S. in Nutrition Sciences from the University of Cincinnati.
Stephanie Clark
Academic Engagement at American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI)After earning a B.S. (Animal Science), and M.S. and Ph.D. (Food Science) from Cornell University, Stephanie Clark started her professional career in the Department of Food Science at Washington State University (WSU) in 1998. She transferred to the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University (ISU) in 2009. Dr. Clark recently retired from ISU (2023).
At WSU and ISU, Dr. Clark taught courses related to dairy foods, sensory evaluation of foods, and professional skills (scientific writing and speaking). Her research broadly ranged from cow to consumer, including dairy animal science; dairy food chemistry, microbiology, processing and sensory evaluation; as well as consumer insights related to dairy science. One of Dr. Clark’s most profound accomplishments was re-establishment of the ISU Creamery (2020) after a 50-year hiatus. Additionally, her dedication ensured publication of the second (2009) and third editions (2023) of The Sensory Evaluation of Dairy Products. She has been invited to speak or provide expertise in dairy foods throughout the U.S., as well as Armenia, China, India, Kosovo, and Mexico.
Dr. Clark is currently a consultant to the dairy industry, runs a business that provides professional development services to food scientists, and serves as an affiliate faculty member in the department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at New Mexico State University. She recently joined the ADPI team (2024) as the Manager of Academic Engagement.
Nana Farkye
Professor Emeritus of Dairy Science at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoNana Farkye, PhD received his BSc (Hons.) in Biochemistry & Nutrition from the University of Ghana and earned his MS and PhD in Food Science & Nutrition from Utah State University, Logan, UT. He is currently a consultant to the dairy industry and a professor emeritus of Dairy Science at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Nana taught undergraduate and graduate level courses in dairy chemistry, milk processing, and cheese and fermented dairy foods during his tenure at Cal Poly. He supervised and advised undergraduate senior projects, graduate student thesis projects and postdoctoral scientists from grants received from industry, trade groups and associations, and government agencies.
Nana has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, including book chapters and encyclopedia articles in areas of his academic interests including dairy enzymology, dairy processing, fermented dairy foods, specialty cheese manufacture and technology, cheese ripening, use of starters to effect flavor development in dairy foods and dairy foods safety. He has served as a judge at the American Cheese Society cheese contest, U.S. Championship Cheese Contest and World Championship Cheese Contest. Nana also frequently volunteers for USAID-funded international assignments in cheese and dairy foods technology transfer around the globe. In addition, Nana serves as a member of ADPI's Center of Excellence.
Farhad Farnia PhD
Co-founder and CEO of Ecofilter TekAfter his PhD at the Université de Sherbrooke (Canada), he co-founded Ecofilter Tek. He is co-invented Charge-Switch Tech. and its application in filtration industry. With deep understanding of industry thanks to his previous experience as Production Manager and R&D Manager, he designed a unique business model for Ecofilter Tek to enter the filtration market with collaboration with stakeholders. He is leading the team of Ecofilter Tek to introduce the disruptive technology "Charge-Switching Technology" in filtration industry.
Jarryd Ryan Featherman
Research Specialist at University of WisconsinNick Gardner
Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs at U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC)
Zafir Gaygadzhiev
Sr. Manager, Global R&D at ICL Food SpecialtiesZafir Gaygadzhiev is currently leading the global R&D group for dairy and dairy alternatives at ICL Food Specialties, a global leader in the production of functional phosphate systems. His team is partnering with customers globally to assist with their needs for stabilizing dairy and plant-based applications. Prior to ICL, Zafir has worked at multinational companies like Reckitt and Mead Johnson Nutrition developing innovative and science-based nutritional products. Zafir has also served as the R&D head of Gay Lea Foods, an Ontario-based dairy co-operative.
Zafir graduated from the University of Guelph with a PhD in Food Science. He is also a Project Manager Professional (PMP).
Rani Govindasamy Lucey
Senior Scientist at University of WisconsinRani Govindasamy Lucey is a Distinguished Scientist with the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined the center in 1999 and since then she has been working in the Cheese Research Program area on a wide range of research and industrial projects. She serves as the co-coordinator for CDR’s Cheese Research Program Area. She was recipient of the College of Agricultural Sciences (CALS) Academic Staff Award for Excellence in Research in 2017. She graduated from National University of Singapore with an Honors BS degree in Biochemistry and a PhD. in Food Technology. Prior to coming to US, she worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Fonterra Research Institute. Her research focus areas are mostly on cheese, such as, improving yield and functionality, use of membrane processing, impact of high-pressure processing and approaches to extend the performance shelf-life. She is involved with the activities of the American Dairy Science Association, currently serving on the Board as a Director.
Miquela Hanselman
Director, Regulatory Affairs of National Milk Producers FederationMiquela Hanselman is the Director of regulatory affairs for the National Milk Producers
Federation where she works on a range of topics including food safety, nutrition, animal health
and public health. In addition to her regulatory roles, she works as part of the National Dairy
FARM team, overseeing the biosecurity program and updating the program’s antibiotic
stewardship components. Miquela received her Master of Public Health with a concentration in
Food Systems and her Bachelor of Science from Cornell University. She is an upstate New York
native and enjoys returning to help on her family’s dairy farm.
Rodrigo Ibanez
Associate Scientist, Center for Dairy Research at University of WisconsinRodrigo A. Ibáñez holds a Ph. D. in Food Science and Technology from University College Cork – National University of Ireland. He currently works as an Associate Scientist in the Cheese Research Group from the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying topics related to cheese defects, impact of cheese components in human health and use of dairy ingredients to improve cheese quality. Additionally, Rodrigo supports teaching activities in CDR short courses, including those offered in Spanish.
Iswandi Jarto
Research Engineering Manager at Hilmar Cheese CompanyIswandi Jarto, originally from Indonesia, is a Chemical Engineer with M.Sc. in Food Science from University of Wisconsin Madison under the supervision of Dr. John Lucey in 2009. His graduate work at the time focused around the area of whey defatting and milk microfiltration. For the past 15 years, he has been a part of Hilmar Cheese Company in Research and Development/Technical Service capacity developing products and process technologies related to milk, cheese, whey, lactose, and functional dairy ingredients.
Siva Kaliappan
Nutek Natural IngredientsSiva Annanmar is a seasoned professional specializing in innovation, business development, and commercialization. He is deeply passionate about coaching individuals, fostering entrepreneurial thinking, driving co-creation, and implementing viable strategies. With over 20 years of experience in the food industry, Siva has guided products from concept to commercialization. Currently, he leads innovation, quality, and safety at NuTek Natural Ingredients and has held leadership roles at renowned global companies such as PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Dairy Management Inc.
Siva holds degrees in Design Methodology (focusing on design thinking and entrepreneurship), Food Science, and Dairy Technology.
Rohit Kapoor
VP, Product Research at Dairy Management IncAs Vice President of Product Research at Dairy Management Inc., Rohit leads National Dairy Council research programs in important areas such as milk powders, whey and milk protein ingredients and dairy co-products at major Universities to drive dairy innovation and sales on behalf of America’s dairy farmers.
Rohit has 15 years of dairy foods R&D experience in industry and academia combined. During his tenure, Rohit worked at various leading dairy and food companies such as Nestlé USA, Bongards MN, and Kerry Americas where he provided R&D leadership towards cheese and dairy ingredient-focused innovation.
Rohit received his B.S. in Dairy Technology from National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science with an emphasis on dairy science and technology from University of Minnesota.
Stavros Kavouras
Assistant Dean and Professor, College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University- Dairy Health & Wellness
- Dairy Health & Wellness (General Session)
- Dairy Health & Wellness (General Session)
Dr. Kavouras is a Professor and Assistant Dean of graduate education for the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. He is the founding director of the Hydration Science Lab, which studies how water intake impacts health and performance.
Dr. Kavouras is one of the top 2% of the world's most cited scientists for 5 years in a row, the author of more than 170 peer review articles, cited more than 11,500 times (h-index 56), and has given lectures in 31 countries. His current research focuses on:
-hydration and glucose regulation
-fluid composition for optimizing hydration
-children’s hydration and obesity
He is the Editor-in-chief of the Hydration section for Nutrients, a section editor of the European Journal of Nutrition, and associate editor of Frontiers in Nutrition. Professor Kavouras is a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the European College of Sports Science. He is also an elected member of the American Society of Nutrition, the Obesity Society, and the American Physiological Society.
Anil Kommineni
Technical Program Director, R&I of DanoneDr. Kommineni is the Sr. Research and Innovation Manager for Yogurt BU at Danone North America. His expertise is in the areas of Dairy foods development and commercialization. Experience in dairy ingredient process and product developments, filtration technologies, and condensing and spray drying. He obtained his BS from India, and MS and Ph.D. in Dairy Manufacturing from South Dakota State University. At Danone North America he is responsible for developing both dairy and Dairy alternative yogurt and high protein cultured products.
Grace Lewis
Assistant Professor of Food Science at University of Wisconsin - River FallsGrace earned her B.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science from the Pennsylvania State University. Her dissertation research focused on the use of high-pressure jet technology to modify dairy protein functionality for use in clean-label food products. In her new role as an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and University of Wisconsin – Madison Dairy Innovation Hub Affiliate, she continues to work on enhancing dairy protein and milkfat functionality through novel processing interventions including high pressure, processing aids, and others. She also has research projects on dairy byproduct utilization. Her research objectives target improved human health, with applications for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.
John Lucey
Center for Dairy Research at University of WisconsinJohn has a Ph.D in Food Science and over 20 years of research experience. He previously worked in Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. As CDR Director he provides leadership to CDR staff to help CDR move forward and live up to its reputation as a world-class research center focused on applications, outreach and education. He is also a professor in the Food Science department and conducts research on the functionality of dairy foods. He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles and 20 book chapters.
Owen McDougal
Professor/Chair Chemistry at Boise State UniversityDr. McDougal is a natural products chemist with 26 years of academic experience. He has served as the President of the Boise State University Faculty Senate from 2009-2011, chair of the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry from 2016-2023, Director for the Food and Dairy Innovation Center since 2021, and principal investigator for the National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator Track J, Phase 2 program in food and nutrition security.
Dr. McDougal was recruited into the BUILD Dairy program in 2017 by co-founders Eric Bastian and Don McMahon to engage Boise State University as an academic partner in training students for careers in the dairy industry. Seeing the incredible potential to bring chemistry and other disciplines not generally engaged in dairy science research, like computer science, McDougal engaged fully in network activities, fostering strong partnerships with industry leaders. He leveraged this professional network, securing funds from the state of Idaho in 2021, to establish the Food and Dairy Innovation Center focused on addressing industry-priority projects through technical skill training for students in real-world projects of impact to food and dairy processors.
McDougal’s lab uses analytical instrumentation to extract, separate, quantitate, qualitative, and assess the structure and bioactivity of analytes from plant, food, and dairy sources. In his role as the PI for the NSF Convergence Accelerator program, McDougal leads a team of exceptional individuals that constitute the Dairy NutriSols team.
Hari Meletharayil
VP Product Research at DMIAs Vice President of Product Research at Dairy Management Inc., Hari leads various product research programs in cheese and dairy beverages. Hari also coordinates activities across the different dairy centers and application labs that are a part of the nationally coordinated network of technical centers to drive dairy innovation and sales on behalf of America’s dairy farmers.
Hari has more than 16 years of experience in academia and industry, most recently at PepsiCo leading beverage innovation efforts. He also has experiences with Nestle and the National Dairy Development Board in India.
Hari received his B.S. in dairy technology followed by his M.S in Dairy chemistry from National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India. He has a Ph.D. in dairy manufacturing from South Dakota State University.
Gulustan Ozturk
Assistant Professor at UW-Madison- Dairy Health & Wellness
- Dairy Health & Wellness (General Session)
- Dairy Health & Wellness (General Session)
Gulustan is an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her work focuses on discovering unique health-promoting compounds in milk and dairy streams and bringing them into practice and is supported by the UW Dairy Innovation Hub.
Gulustan was born and grew up in Turkey. She got her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in food engineering from Ankara University in Turkey. During her master's, she developed edible films to extend ground beef's shelf life. Then, she moved to the US and completed her Ph.D. in food science with a designated emphasis in biotechnology from the University of California, Davis. During her Ph.D., her research focused on understanding the molecular mechanism used by the foodborne pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica to colonize humans and cause disease. Her curiosity about natural health-promoting compounds led her to continue her postdoctoral training at UC Davis, where she began developing human and bovine milk-based antimicrobials and prebiotics that led to industrial applications supporting healthy microbial communities.
Tom Parent
Product Development Manager at Century Foods InternationalTom Parent is a Product Development Manager at Century Foods International, with over 25 years of experience in product development including High Acid Ready to Drink Beverages, Imitation and Pasteurized Process Cheese, and Powder Drink Mixes.
Christopher Polster
Senior Application Engineer at Siemens Industry SoftwareChris is a process modelling expert with 15 years of experience working with the pharmaceutical, chemicals, food and beverage, and consumer products industries to develop physics-based modelling solutions. He currently represents the Food & Beverage Industry Strategy team within Siemens Industry Software, actively working with customers across dairy, bakery, and consumer goods to deliver operational excellence and process sustainability.
Chris received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University – West Lafayette in 2009, with research focused on heterogeneous catalysis and device microfabrication. A common thread between his graduate research and his career is the focus on using fundamental principles to predict and optimize process performance.
Andy Powers
VP - Technical Services at American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI)Andy brings over 30 years of commercial, scientific, and technical (QA/Regulatory/Food Safety) experience to ADPI where he is Vice President of Technical Services and serves on ADPI's Center of Excellence. Prior to ADPI, Andy most recently worked for Newton Enterprises as VP & Senior Consultant. He has also held positions at Hoogwegt U.S./Lone Star Dairy, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Akorn Pharmaceuticals, and Biosys Biotech, Inc. It should be noted that during his tenure at Hoogwegt US/Lone Star Dairies, Andy served on ADPI’s Technical and Standards Committees.
Andy is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds both a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology, and a Master of Business Administration. He is a current member of the American Chemical Society, and the American Society for Quality. In addition, he is a Certified Lead Auditor & Practitioner – Safe Quality Food(SQF) Institute; Certified Lead Auditor – HACCP & ISO 9000; and a member of Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society.
Andy and his family reside in Queen Creek, Arizona.
Prafulla Salunke
Assistant Professor at South Dakota State UniversityPrafulla Salunke is an Assistant Professor of Dairy Manufacturing at the Dairy and Food Science Department, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD. He is a seasoned dairy professional, teacher, researcher, and leader with over 21 years of experience in the dairy industry. Additionally, work as the Midwest Dairy Food Research Centre (MDFRC) Associate Director and as an Advisor and Executive Secretary to the North Central Cheese Industry Association (NCCIA). Act as principal investigator for the Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing (IDIP), SDSU, Brookings, SD, and carries out student research and research for outside companies. He has been highly trained in dairy operations, research, and management areas and has developed many new products and processes over the years. Currently advising 3 Doctoral, 6 Master’s, and 1 undergraduate student. The primary research focuses on new dairy-based ingredient development, the use of enzymes (crosslinking, hydrolytic, and modifying), and food-grade ingredients to change the functionality of milk proteins, various kinds of cheese, new processes, and product development. He has peer-reviewed articles for various journals and has published many articles. Conducts short courses for farmers and cheese companies and is involved with the activities of ADSA and IFT.
Prateek Sharma
Assistant Professor at Utah State UniversityDr. Prateek Sharma is an Assistant Professor of Dairy Technology in Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science at Utah State University. He is affiliated with Western Dairy Center through BUILD dairy program at Utah State University. Prateek has completed a Ph.D. degree in Food Technology from Riddet Institute, Massey University, New Zealand in collaboration with Fonterra Research and Development Centre on a project on cheese process rheology. Dr. Sharma is an experienced dairy foods Scientist with more than 14 years of research experience in commercial and institutional R&D sectors. Dr. Sharma has a strong research interest in the material properties of the foods, especially, mechanical, rheological, physical, and chemical properties of dairy foods. He worked in multinational (Ireland, New Zealand and India) environments on number of product portfolios such as cheese, whey ingredients, UHT products and liquid emulsions. At Utah State University, he has diverse research portfolio with focus upon understanding structure-function relationships in cheese and dairy powders, wear behavior, and use of advanced rheological techniques in dairy foods. Dr. Sharma is recipient of prestigious awards including ADSA Foundation Scholar Award, Marie-Curie post-doctoral fellowship and Erasmus Mundus scholarship from European Commission, and William C. Winder and Rebecca Steward Winder Professorship Award 2022. Dr. Sharma is currently serving as a Chair for IFT Dairy Foods Division for year 2022-23.
Diarmuid Sheehan
Research Officer at TeagascDiarmuid (JJ) Sheehan is a Principal Research Officer based at the Teagasc Food Research Centre Moorepark, Ireland and is an adjunct professor to University College Cork. He specialises in cheese and dairy research and his current research programme is focused on areas including sustainability, structure and health, functionality, solute diffusivity and challenges associated with processing seasonal milk supplies. He was awarded the 2022 International Dairy Foods Association Research Award in Dairy Foods Processing and chaired the International Dairy Federations Standing Committee on Dairy Science and Technology between 2019 and 2024.
Johan Ubbink
Ph.D., Professor and Head of Department at University of MinnesotaDr. Johan B. Ubbink is Professor and Head of the Food Science and Nutrition Department at the University of Minnesota. He was trained as a physical and polymer chemist at the University of Leiden (The Netherlands) and he obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands). He has worked for over 15 years in R&D positions in the food industry, including 11 years at the Nestlé Research Center (Lausanne, Switzerland). Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Dr. Ubbink was associated with the California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) and the ETH Zurich (Switzerland). He was Research Assistant at the University of Bristol (UK), visiting scientist at Moscow State University (Russia) and he has taught as visiting professor at the School of Food Engineering, University of Campinas (Brazil).
Praveen Upreti
NestlePraveen Upreti currently serves as a Science & Technology Manager at the Nestlé R&D Center in Solon, Ohio. His career in Nestlé started in 2010, as a Dairy Ingredient Specialist for Nestlé USA, which progressed into a global role of Corporate R&D Cheese Advisor. Prior to Nestlé, Upreti worked for 4 years with Rich Products Corporation (Buffalo, NY) as a Scientist – New Technologies.
Upreti holds a Ph.D. in Food Science (Minor: Chemistry) from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN; Masters in Dairy Science from South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD; and Bachelors in Dairy Technology from National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India.
In his current role, Upreti is actively involved in scouting, developing and deploying dairy technologies to further Nestlé’s vision to be a leader in Nutrition, Health & Wellness.
Ashwini Vashisht
Global SQA lead- micro at Mars WrigleyAshwini Kumar Vashisht is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in the high-risk food industry. Holding a Master of Science in Food Safety from North Dakota State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology, Ashwini has demonstrated expertise in Food Safety & Quality management, laboratory operations, staff training, policy development, and regulatory compliance. His leadership roles at industry-leading firms like Mars Wrigley Confectionery and The Hershey Company involved spearheading initiatives to enhance supplier quality, mitigate microbiological risks, and drive continuous improvement in food safety & quality programs.
With a proven ability to develop and implement effective strategies, Ashwini excels in managing corporate food safety operations, conducting risk assessments, and ensuring compliance with global standards. His dedication to excellence and extensive hands-on experience make him a valuable asset in navigating the complexities of the high-risk food industry, ensuring consumer safety and satisfaction.
Tong Wang
Professor at The University of TennesseeProfessor Tong (Toni) Wang has been an applied chemist since her training in a pharmacy school and a few Ag colleges’ food chemistry programs. During her 25-year’s faculty research and teaching, she has used fundamental chemistry and processing to improve food quality and create applications of biobased materials in food, feed, and energy. Some examples of her recent research are developing scalable processes for phospholipid recovery from dairy processing waste streams, creating and evaluating anti-freezing peptides, modifying domestic vegetable oils to create alternatives of natural waxes, and insect biorefinery for feed, soil and aviation fuel uses. Her research has been supported by $12 million funds that led to more than 200 peer-reviewed publications by about 70 graduate students and visiting scientists. Her work has been recognized by many awards, such as the American Oil Chemists’ Society’s (AOCS) Alton E. Bailey Award for Outstanding Research and Exceptional Service, Fellow of AOCS, and she carries the highest academic title of Institute Professor at the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture.
Haotian Zheng
assistant professor at NC State UniversityDr. Haotian Zheng is a tenure-track assistant professor in Food Chemistry at North Carolina State University (NC State). He directs the Food Rheology Laboratory and affiliates to Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center at the university. Dr. Zheng’s research interests include developing novel dairy ingredients, improving food ingredient functionality, food structure design for improved stability, textural attributes, and health benefits of processed foods, and solving real life problems in the food industry. He also teaches Food Chemistry and Food Ingredient Functionality related courses at NC State. Prior to NC State, Dr. Zheng gained professional research experiences from both industry and academia including Fonterra Research Center (New Zealand), Lincoln University (New Zealand), Riddet Institute (New Zealand), and Cal Poly. Currently, Zheng lab hosts 3 PhD students, 2 MS students, and 2 research associates. Sponsors of Dr. Zheng’s research program include but not limited to USDA-NIFA, USDA-ARS, National Dairy Council, California Dairy Research Foundation, Dairy West, North Carolina dairy producers association, Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center, Novozymes.