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.
Faculty Labs
Food Science
Bob Ward
Luis Bastarrachea
Prateek Sharma
Taylor Oberg
Joana Pico
Nam Park
Dietetics & Nutrition
Korry Hintze
Stephan van Vliet
Abiodun Atoloye
Getrude Mphwanthe
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:
Robert E. Ward
Associate Professor | Director of Food Science Program
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
Carrie Durward
Associate Professor | Director of MS and PhD Graduate Programs | Extension Nutrition Specialist
Korry Hintze
Associate Professor | Director of Nutrition Science Program
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.
Interested in WDC research opportunities?
Learn More
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