News: Students and Student Awards

Ujjalpreet Dhatt and Aadeya Arora participated in the Institute of Food Technologists Carbohydrate Hackathon. The hackathon was based on sugar reduction in baked foods focused on technical aspects to reduce added sugar that solve for not only sweet flavor, but also mouthfeel, texture, and moisture issues that occur when sugar is removed. Our proposed idea included the incorporation of the sourdough technique using Leuconostoc citreum TR116 (mannitol production for sweetness) and the addition of tagatose & allulose (for functionality). Based on previous studies, a 100% reduction of sucrose is possible with the combination of these two solutions, and potentially reduce caloric content up to approximately 66% as well.

Mahima Jain was chosen as one of UGA's Emerging Leaders - Class of 2022/23. She reports, "This program taught me how to push myself to be the greatest leader I can be as a professional and amongst other graduate students. The program prepared me to transition into a workplace with a diverse workforce, career chances, and ever-growing responsibilities. Through this course, I gained personal insights about my working style in addition to understanding my professional goals and leadership approach. Together with 12 other graduate students from various departments, we took a fall retreat in the beautiful town of Dillard, Georgia. Thanks to our personality tests and our coach that helped us acquire information about our leadership preferences through numerous interactive sessions. I finished the program having made new friends and learning crucial things about myself and my leadership potential."

Revati Narwankar married on December 14, 2022 to her fiance and best friend. They had an extraordinary wedding in Mumbai thanks to all the hard work and blessings from their families.

Amrit Pal received Food Safety Auditing Scholarship and Education Travel Grant in Fall 2022. This scholarship was sponsored by the FMI foundation and given to students enrolled in food and agricultural science majors who have a true interest in the field of accredited food safety auditing. Amrit also received CAES World Food Prize Travel Award to attend 2022 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue.

Azin Farmanfarmaee was selected for a fellowship in the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Research Participation Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.