Research Areas

The Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Sciences department is committed to providing students with opportunities to get involved in research. Our faculty are excellent research mentors and welcome opportunities for students to get involved in the work they do.

Current Research Opportunities
Our faculty are often looking for students to help with research!

Why should you get involved in research?

  • Improve your critical thinking and analytical skills
  • Discover new career paths
  • Strengthen your resume
  • Build relationships with faculty and peers who are also participating in research
  • Receive opportunities to speak and publish on your work
  • Increase your chances of getting accepted into graduate and professional health programs

What kind of research happens in the NDFS department?

Student researchers in our department participate in research on topics related to food, nutrition, diet, and health.

Food Science

Our food science faculty conduct research in areas including the physical and chemical characterization of foods and food materials such as chocolate, dairy, and meat products. Food science research areas include dairy microbiology, dairy processing and technology, dairy proteins, meat science, food engineering, and food chemistry/biochemistry. Food science faculty collaborate with nutrition science faculty to study the relationship between the food matrix and the gut microbiome and markers of inflammation in animal models as well as humans.

Students conducting research in food science learn laboratory techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, microscopy, texture analysis, rheology, tribology, high-intensity ultrasound, ELISA, time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction, PCR techniques and next generation sequencing, turbidimetry, and sensory evaluation.

Opportunities include learning how to make and test the properties of dairy products and chocolate in our fully functional dairy and chocolate production labs, measuring material properties of foods using cutting edge technologies, developing new technologies and processes to improve the nutritional and functional performance of foods. Additionally, our faculty conduct feeding trials in animal models as well as with humans to test their metabolic response to different diets and food structures.

To learn more about research opportunities currently available in this area please contact Bob Ward, director of our food science program: robert.ward@usu.edu

Faculty with active research programs in the area of food science

Directory
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Faculty
NDFS
Food_Science
Research_Faculty
Luis Bastarrachea

Luis Bastarrachea

Assistant Professor | Food Science

435-797-4182

luis.bastarrachea@usu.edu

Faculty
NDFS
Directors
Directory
Research_Faculty
CAAS
Food_Science
Silvana Martini

Silvana Martini

Professor | Food Science | Director of Aggie Chocolate Factory

435-797-8136

silvana.martini@usu.edu

CAAS
NDFS
Directory
Food_Science
Faculty
Research_Faculty
Sulaiman Matarneh

Sulaiman Matarneh

Associate Professor | Meat Science

435-797-2114

sulaiman.matarneh@usu.edu

Faculty
Research_Faculty
Taylor Oberg
NDFS
Directory
CAAS
Food_Science
Taylor Oberg

Taylor Oberg

Assistant Professor | Food Science

435-797-0569

taylor.oberg@usu.edu

Directory
Faculty
CAAS
Research_Faculty
Prateek Sharma
NDFS
Food_Science
Prateek Sharma

Prateek Sharma

Assistant Professor | Food Science

435-797-0791

prateek.sharma@usu.edu

Research_Faculty
Faculty
NDFS
Food_Science
Directory
CAAS
Research_Faculty
NDFS
Food_Science
CAAS
Faculty
Directors
Directory
Robert E. Ward

Robert E. Ward

Associate Professor | Director of Food Science Program

435-797-2153

robert.ward@usu.edu

Nutrition Science and Dietetics

Our nutrition science and dietetics faculty conduct research to understand how foods and nutrients impact health, disease, and human performance, and what factors influence human choices and behaviors related to food.

Students conducting research in nutrition science learn how to conduct qualitative and observational studies and experimental trials. They learn laboratory techniques such as cell culture, biochemical analyses, and histopathology, how to create and implement surveys, and how to analyze the data collected to answer research questions.

Faculty are currently involved in research in the following areas: diet and the gut microbiome related to chronic disease risk, sustainable agriculture practices and nutrient quality of foods, educational and behavioral interventions that influence food choices, and food security and safety in at-risk populations.

To learn more about research opportunities currently available in this area, please contact Korry Hintze, director of our nutrition science program: korry.hintze@usu.edu

Faculty
CAAS
Nutrition_Science_Dietetics
NDFS
Research_Faculty
Directory
Abiodun Atoloye

Abiodun Atoloye

Assistant Professor | Nutrition Science

435-797-1586

abiodun.atoloye@usu.edu

Research_Faculty
Directors
CAAS
Nutrition_Science_Dietetics
Faculty
NDFS
Directory
Carrie Durward

Carrie Durward

Associate Professor | Director of MS and PhD Graduate Program | Extension Nutrition Specialist

(435) 797-5843

carrie.durward@usu.edu

CAAS
Faculty
Research_Faculty
Nutrition_Science_Dietetics
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NDFS
Directors
Korry Hintze

Korry Hintze

Associate Professor | Director of Nutrition Science Program

435-797-2124

korry.hintze@usu.edu

Faculty
NDFS
CAAS
Research_Faculty
Directory
Nutrition_Science_Dietetics
Katie Kraus

Katie Kraus

Assistant Professor | Dietetics

435-797-5530

katie.brown@usu.edu

Directory
Research_Faculty
NDFS_Faculty
CAAS
Nutrition_Science_Dietetics
Michael Lefevre

Michael Lefevre

Professor | Nutrition Science | Director of Center for Human Nutrition Studies

435-797-3821

michael.lefevre@usu.edu

Research_Faculty
Nutrition_Science_Dietetics
Directory
NDFS
CAAS
Faculty
Stephan  Van Vliet

Stephan Van Vliet

Assistant Professor | Nutrition Science

435-797-5369

stephan.vanvliet@usu.edu

Admin
Nutrition_Science_Dietetics
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CAAS
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NDFS_Admin

Dairy Food Science with the Western Dairy Center

The Western Dairy Center (WDC) is a nexus for the development and security of dairy food science across the Western United States. Using a network of universities, faculty, and students, the WDC is designed to foster a collaborative environment where academia and industry seamlessly converge.

BUILD Dairy Program: Bridging Academia and Industry for Strategic Advancements: Central to our initiatives is the BUILD Dairy program--an initiative to train dairy students in skilled research that will prepare them for the dairy industry. The program is strategically designed to establish robust linkages that share research, resources, and improve the dairy industry. Students and their mentors conduct research that supports industry, and the industry is provided a pool of eligible students for their hiring needs.

Strategic Collaborations and Research Focus: BUILD Dairy, under the auspices of the Western Dairy Center, strategically convenes university and faculty expertise from across the Western United States. We focus our research efforts on dairy microbiology, dairy processing and technology, and dairy proteins. This commitment ensures the relevance and impact of our research endeavors, contributing to the growth and sustainability of the dairy industry. 

Student-Centric Excellence: The establishment of the BUILD Dairy program shifted the dairy research from faculty lead and student support to student lead and faculty supported research. This shift better prepares our students for the industry. More than that, this infusion of resources from government, university, and industry supporters provide critical backing for food science faculty members to flourishing, which in turn supports our students to have a thriving learning environment. 

Past WDC Publications

Interested in WDC research opportunities?
Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get course credit for participating in undergraduate research?
Yes, you can sign up for internship credit and get credit for participating in undergraduate research.

Will I get paid for participating in undergraduate research?
Some undergraduate research opportunities are paid hourly positions, others are volunteer. The pay is determined by the faculty who is sponsoring the position.