FDSN Seminar Series

The Department of Food Science and Nutrition hosts a number of virtual events through its Seminar Series and its Virtual Food Industry Friday series.

The FDSN Seminar Series features guest lectures by invited speakers that broaden understanding and knowledge of various scientific topics and original research in food science and nutrition. Speakers include experts from academia, federal government agencies, and the food industry. These seminars are held every Thursday at 12:45 p.m. Central Time.

Our Virtual Food Industry Friday events showcase food industry professionals, board members, and alumni who are available to meet with students, providing career path insights to the broad and important field of food, science, and technology. Speakers represent a wide range of experience and roles in the food industry such as quality, product development, packaging, regulations, research and development, and more, providing a broad perspective on the food industry. Virtual Food Industry Friday events are held every third Friday of the month during the spring and fall semester from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. CST. The open seminar forum lasts approximately 45 minutes with a 10-15 minute Q&A session included.

Spring 2024 Seminars

DateTitleSpeakerGoogle Link
Feb 1Food Science/an R&D OverviewDuey FimreiteWatch the Video
 
Feb 8Fate, transport, and bioaccumulation of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environmentDavid Lampert Watch the Video
Feb 15Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Goji Berries and Eye HealthRobert M. Hackman Watch the Video
Feb 22A Crash Course in Technical Writing: How to Transform Yourself Into A Media “Industry Expert” for Digital Content Audarshia TownsendWatch the Video
Feb 29Launching Careers: Navigating Transitions with Effective Career Development and Networking Strategies Kalyani NarayananWatch the Video

March 7The Why of Food SafetyMitzi BaumWatch the Video
March 21Intro to the Realm of Regulations for Food LabelingCaitlin DiederichWatch the Video
March 28Demystifying Electron Beam Food Pasteurization: Unraveling Misunderstandings Suresh D. Pillai Join Zoom Meeting
ID: 3123989873
April 4Human Factor in Food Safety Research: Decode the Decision-Making in Food HandlingBetty Feng IN-PERSON
ROBERT PRITZKER SCIENCE BUILDING
AUDITORIUM, ROOM 111
April 11Product Development and innovation in Dairy Pratistha BanerjeeJoin Zoom Meeting
ID: 3123989873
April 18A Food Safety Perspective on Cold Brew CoffeeCatherine RolfeJoin Zoom Meeting
ID: 3123989873
April 25“Colors 101”—Deep dive into the world of natural color pigments, technologies to deliver natural color pigments in F&B mediums, things to consider before using color in product development cycleCharithra Rai IN-PERSON
ROBERT PRITZKER SCIENCE BUILDING
AUDITORIUM, ROOM 111

Fall 2023 Seminars

DateTitleSpeakerGoogle Link
Sept 21Overview of B2B Industry and Role of Technical Service Scientists in Growing the B2B BusinessNeeraj KamathWatch the Video
Sept 28Innovations and Opportunities in Grain Science to Address Public Health ChallengesRam Ramakrishna, PhDWatch the Video
Oct 5Introduction to Brewing – Beer Fermentation ProcessDevanshu MehtaJoin Zoom Meeting
ID: 3123989873
Oct 12Analyzing Transferred Nanomaterials in Foods and Beverages Under Simulated Storage ConditionsLaxmi AdhikariJoin Zoom Meeting
ID: 3123989873
Oct 19Legal Issues for Food and Beverage Start-UpsSean SwidlerWatch the Video
Oct 26The Technical Path to Sales in the Food IndustryJames SkidmoreWatch the Video
Nov 9Approach to Solution and Ingredient Development in Diverse Food ApplicationsRagya Kapoor and Ravi Kiran TadapaneniWatch the Video
Nov 16The Safety of Flavor Ingredients, Using Sound Science to Confront ChemophobiaArthur CurranWatch the Video
Nov 30Aronia Berry Bioactives: From Field to FunctionBradley W. Bolling, PhDWatch the Video

Spring 2023 Seminars

DateTitleSpeakerGoogle Link
Feb 2Food Science: An R&D Overview

Duey​ Fimreite

South Chicago Packing LLC

Watch the Video
Feb 9Capabilities of Ultraviolet Light Technologies for Food and Grain ProcessingTatiana Koutchma 
Feb 16Career Progression and DevelopmentIsha ChadhaWatch the Video
Feb 23A Salty Alternative: The Case for Seaweeds and Sea PlantsSara Marshall Baker 
Mar 2Outside In, An Entrepreneurial JourneyShwetha ShrivatsaWatch the Video
Mar 9The Expanding Area of Health Benefits of Brassica Vegetables

Anqi Zhao

 

Watch the Video

 

Mar 23

Application of Machine Learning in Microbiological Research

 

Renmao TianWatch the Video
Mar 30Omic Approaches to Coffee and Health Research

Marilyn C Cornelis

 

Watch the Video
Apr 6Characterization and Bioactivity of Small Peptides Following Ingestion of Dry Edible BeansBikram Upadhyaya 
Apr 13Genetic Analysis of Traits in Food Crops That Affect the Human Gut Microbiome—a New Approach to Drive Crop Breeding Programs Toward Human HealthAndrew K. Benson, Ph.D. Watch the Video
Apr 20Approximating the Needle in the Haystack: Using Simulation Models to Improve Food Safety ControlsClaire ZoellnerWatch the Video
Apr 27Bacteriophage-Based Biocontrol of Salmonella: A One-health ApproachThomas BrennerWatch the Video

Fall 2022 Seminars

DateTitleSpeakerGoogle Link
Sept 15Controlling Enteric Pathogens on Wheat GrainTeresa BergholzWatch the Video
Sept 22An Introduction to Kosher and Halal Food Laws

Joe Mac Regenstein

 

Watch the Video
Sept 29Optimizing Protein in a Carbohydrate WorldDonald LaymanWatch the Video
Oct 6Managing Food Safety Along the Supply ChainSandhya Krishnankutty 
Oct 13How Can Ultrasound Make Food Sound?Hao FengWatch the Video
Oct 20Food Safety Needs in the Egg IndustryUrvi ShahWatch the Video
Oct 27Anti-inflammatory Interactions of Gallotannins with the Intestinal MicrobiomeSusanne U. TalcottWatch the Video
Nov 3Legal Issues for Food and Beverage StartupsSean SwidlerWatch the Video
Nov 10Use of Next-Generation Sequencing Methods for Surveillance and to Study Bacterial AdaptationSéamus FanningWatch the Video
Nov 17Nutrition in the News: Science Fact or Science FictionMelissa Joy Dobbins 
Dec 1Craft Distilling–Combining History and Science Watch the Video

Spring 2022 Seminars

DateTitleSpeakerGoogle Link
Jan 20Nutrition and Immune Resilience: A Clinical PerspectiveChelsea Preiss
Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and Clinical Research Associate
Center for Nutrition Research at Illinois Institute of Technology
Watch the Video
Jan 27Interlaboratory Comparison of SARS-CoV2 Molecular Detection Assays in Use by U.S. Veterinary Diagnostic LaboratoriesKaiping Deng
Biologist, Staff Fellow
FDA/CFSAN/OFS/DFPST
 
Feb 3Disruption by the Pandemic: Future Proofing the Food IndustryKantha Shelke
Principal, Corvus Blue | Sr. Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University
 
Feb 10OPEN  
Feb 17The Continued Search for Suitable Surrogates for Clostridium BotulinumKristin Schill
Associate Scientist @ University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Food Research Institute (FRI)

Watch the Video

Feb 24Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Blackberry Phenolic and Volatile ExtractsDr. Luke R. Howard
Department of Food Science at the University of Arkansas since 1997 (Associate Research Professor 1997-2002, Professor 2002-present

 

Feb 25Building Career Capital in the Food Industry: How to Stand Out from the Rest

Kantha Shelke, principal at Corvus Blue 

Matthew Botos, CEO of ConnectFood

Watch the Video

Mar 3

Leading with Heart – A Career from Illinois Institute of Technology to Impossible Foods

Ravi Tadapaneni

Product Development & Commercialization

Impossible Foods

 
Mar 10The USDA Pesticide Monitoring Program for Foods Consumed in the United StatesShanker Reddy Ph.D.
USDA, AMS, S&T, MPD, PDP

Watch the Video

Mar 23Building Career Capital in the Food Industry: The Three L's: Listen, Learn, Leverage

Kantha Shelke, principal at Corvus Blue 

Matthew Botos, CEO of ConnectFood

Watch the Video
Mar 24Topic to Be Announced

Dr. Bhaskar Janve, QA manager at the Honest Kitchen

 
Mar 25Research & Development and Food Safety at Hormel FoodsKevin Myers, Senior Vice President of R&D, Hormel Foods 
Mar 31Cocoa Flavanols - The Journey from Flavor Inhibitor to Potent Nutraceutical and Beyond

John Hammerstone

 

Watch the Video

Apr 7Emerging Pathogens and Pathogens of Emerging ConcernPurnendu C. Vasavada, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin- River Falls
 
Apr 14

Sadie Shake: An Entrepreneurs Journey to Bring Ground-breaking Nutrition to Children in Schools

Margaret Hyde
Sadie Shake
 
Apr 21Innovation ProcessDr. Valeria Acquarone
Tate & Lyle
 
Apr 28Experimental, modeling, and genomics-approaches to studying and characterizing risks associated with foodborne pathogensRuixi Chen PhD Candidate,
Wiedmann Lab - Cornell University
 
Apr 29Overview of B2B industry and role of Technical Service Scientist in growing the B2B business

Neeraj Kamath

Sr. Technical Service Scientist Dairy Category and Certified Food Scientist, Tate & Lyle

Watch the Video

Fall 2021 Seminars

DateTopicSpeakerWeb Link
Sept 9Sugar Reduction in Food ApplicationsEric Shinsato - IngredionWatch the Video
Sept 16The Evolution of Bacterial Symbionts and MicrobiomesProfessor Patrick Keeling, University of British ColumbiaWatch the Video
Sept 23All About Stevia Leaf SweetenerFernando Martinez - IngredionWatch the Video
Sept 24Food Safety and Quality from Concept to Commercialization at Vital Farms

Liang Bennett (BCHM ’15, M.S. FST ’16), Vital Farms

Watch the Video
Sept 30Academia is an Exciting Career!

Cheryl Rock, Ph.D. California State University - Long Beach  

Watch the Video
Oct 7Overview of Sensory Analysis of FoodsDr. Charles Sims - University of FloridaWatch the Video
Oct 14Existing and Emerging Detection Methods for Botulinum ToxinCatherine Rolfe - FDA 
Oct 15A Food Safety Leader's Perspective on Risk and Risk Management in a Complex WorldDavid Clifford - Nestle USAWatch the Video
Oct 21Technological Advances in Processing and Packaging That Will Reduce Carbon Emissions

Chuck Sizer - Pilot Aseptic, LLC 

Watch the Video
Oct 28The Exploration of Anti-Obesity Effects of Potential Probiotics on C57BL/6 Mouse ModelKequan Zhou - Wayne State University 
Nov 4Nutrition and Immune Resilience: A Clinical Perspective

Chelsea Preiss - Center of Nutrition Research @IIT 

 
Nov 11The Pennsylvania Genome Trakr Consortium Advances Understanding of Salmonella Transmission, Antibiotic Resistance, and Bugs in My Food

Edward Dudley - PSU 

Watch the Video
Nov 18The Migration of Engineered Nanomaterials Out of Nanotechnology-Enabled Polymers and into FoodsTim Duncan - FDA 
Nov. 19Creating a Bigger Table: Impactful Philanthropy in the Food IndustryJohn Shapiro, Partner, Complex Litigation Practice Group, Freeborn and Peters LLP 
Dec 2Inferring Protein Function by Structural Homology — A Case Example with MicrosporidiaJean-Francois Pombert, IIT and Academic Editor 

 

Spring 2021 Seminars

DateTopicSpeakerWeb Link
Feb 4Data Analytics and Why Modelling MattersDr. Clare Thorp, Ph.D., Creme GlobalWatch the Seminar Recording
Feb 11OPEN  
Feb 18Deciding What to Eat: A Cognitive Neuroscience ApproachAkram Bakjour, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of ChicagoWatch the Seminar Recording
Feb 19INDUSTRY: Overview of Wine Making Processes and Project Management CycleUdit Mankad, Corporate Project Engineer at Constellation Brands, Inc.Watch the Seminar Recording
Feb 25Development of a Genomic Framework for Quality Assessment of Live Microbial SupplementsCarmen Tartera, Ph.D., FDAWatch the Seminar Recording
Mar 4Conscious Eating: How to Become Healthy and Blissful in 21 daysDr. Huan Xia, Founder and CEO, LucOasis Inc.Watch the Seminar Recording
Mar 11What We Learned from Recent United States Listeriosis OutbreaksDr. Yi Chen, Microbiologist, FDA CFSANWatch the Seminar Recording
Mar 18Protective Effects and Mechanisms of Muscadine Grapes or Wine on Gut InflammationDr. Liwei Gu, University of Florida 
March 19INDUSTRY: Biotechnology, Taste, Nutrition, and Food Security: Perspectives in Industrial Life SciencesScott Hagedorn, Ph.D., SRH Consulting LLC, Science, Innovation, Risk Management  
Mar 25Simpler Better Fruit Preparation for Yogurt ApplicationDr. Jie Sun, Principal Scientist, NTS (Nutrition and Technology Solutions) General Mills 
Apr 1Statistical Methods, Tools & Concepts for Scientific ResearchDr. Jingyun Yang, Assistant Professor, Rush University Medical Center 
Apr 8NO SEMINAR – COVID STUDY DAY  
Apr 15Byproduct and Waste Protein as a Building Block for Polymer Applications in the Food and Non-food IndustriesNandika BandaraWatch the Seminar Recording
Apr 16INDUSTRYFood Safety & Quality Influence Across Business Functions and StrategiesKurt Deibel, VP Food Safety & Quality — Americas at H.J. Heinz Company  
Apr 22How Vascular Endothelial Cells Regulate Transendothelial Migration: Intravital Microscopic Studies in Real TimeDr. William Muller, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine 
Apr 29X-rays: Sources, Techniques, and Applications in the Food IndustryAli Khounsary, Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology 
May 6Metabolically Activated Macrophages in Obesity and Insulin ResistanceDr. Becker - UOC