Position Title: Associate Professor, Alfred Chair in Dairy Education
Department: Dairy Science
Area of Research: Manufacture of cheese and dairy-based ingredients
What motivates you about your chosen field?
I am amazed by the uniqueness of milk. Milk is the only product in nature that has a protein system that was designed to provide calcium and phosphorus in a form that meets our nutritional needs. This protein system also gives dairy products such as Mozzarella cheese its stringy texture. As I learn more about the unique functional and nutritional properties of milk, I continually make new discoveries that can be used to improve the quality and manufacturing processes used to make dairy products. It is highly motivating to make a discovery that can be used by the dairy industry to improve the quality or nutritional properties of an existing product or develop a new product.
Why did you choose to conduct your research at SDSU?
The Dairy Science Department at SDSU is nationally recognized for its expertise in the manufacture of dairy products. It is one of only two Dairy Science Departments in the United States that offers degrees in Dairy Production and Dairy Manufacturing. Additionally, I was given the opportunity to participate in the renovation and updating of the Dairy Processing facilities at South Dakota State University. The combination of the commitment of SDSU to the Dairy Science Department and the new Davis Dairy Plant at SDSU provide me the opportunity to conduct research that I couldn’t do at any other University.
What roles do your colleagues and student research assistants play in the work you do?
The manufacture of dairy products requires expertise in several fields, including microbiology and engineering. In my research I collaborate with other faculty members who have expertise that supplements my own expertise. Using this approach we can accomplish research objectives that would be impossible to individually achieve. Students and research associates are critical for my research program. They bring energy and enthusiasm and I thoroughly enjoy the passion and perspective students have for problem solving.
What have been some of your greatest research accomplishments while at State?
My research group developed testing methods that are used by dairy plants to improve the flavor of milk and the quality of cheese. We have also developed reduced-fat and reduced-sodium process cheese that is used in school lunch programs and protein-based dairy ingredients that are used in a variety of products including sports nutrition and meal replacement beverages.
What do you enjoy most about SDSU?
The most enjoyable aspect of SDSU is the camaraderie I have with my colleagues, staff, and students.
What piece of advice would you give new students?
Take advantage of all of the opportunities you have at SDSU and consider being a dairy science major. The Dairy Science Department has 100 percent employment of our graduates and offers numerous scholarships. Most importantly, you will get to make and eat ice cream anytime you want!