Michigan State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Dr. Felicia Wu will be presenting "Anatomy of a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) Determination" at the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS) on June 25, 2026. FSHN is back for another summer full of featuring faculty and student conference presentations, so keep an eye out for more!

This year's 2026 International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Educational Summit, presented by The Food Away From Home Association, took place on May 15 at the University Club in Chicago! A select number of FSHN undergraduate and graduate students were invited to attend this event, as well as the prestigious Silver Plate Induction Dinner and the Gold & Silver Plate Awards on May 16. Students spent their time networking with top industry leaders and peers from other Universities. Go Green!

Congratulations to Annmarie Murphy, FSHN Nutritional Science and Lymann Briggs student, who placed first in the Nutrition and Food Science category at the 2026 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF). Her poster presentation was titled "Maternal Early-Pregnancy Diet Quality and Markers of Reproductive System Development in Newborn Babies." Annmarie works in the lab of Dr. Rita Strakovsky. Congratulations, Annmarie!

At the Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (MiAND) annual conference, FSHN's very own Human Nutrition PhD student, Kiersten Korber, won first place in the poster presentation award competition for her research poster, "Forever Chemicals in the First Feeds: Infant PFAS Exposure through Diet and Associations with Gut Microbiota in a Michigan Cohort." Fantastic job, Kiersten!

Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

At this year's Research Forum, held during the annual FSHN Spring Awards Ceremony, Food Science PhD student, Tamil Selvan Arul Arasan, was the first place graduate poster presenter winner for his research poster "Biocontrol Potential of Native Sprout-associated Pantoea agglomerans for Reducing Salmonella During Alfalfa Sprouting." And tying for second place were Human Nutrition PhD students, Kiersten Korber and Shiyi Xie. Congratulations, Tamil, Kiersten, and Shiyi for all your hard work!

Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Aislinn Callahan-Brandt, the FSHN Graduate Program Coordinator, received the CANR Early Achievement Award at the annual CANR Faculty & Staff Awards Ceremony on May 6, 2026. This honor is awarded to a support staff member who has joined CANR within the past five years, is a dedicated team player, and has made outstanding contributions in their role. Congratulations, Aislinn! We greatly appreciate all you do.

Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Congratulations to FSHN Food Science doctoral student, Natoavina Faliarizao, on his recent publication, "Microbial Safety of Legumes—A Review: Bacterial Contamination, Foodborne Outbreaks, and Traditional and Innovative Mitigation Strategies" in the Legume Science journal. The article is co-authored with his FSHN advisors, Dr. Teresa Bergholz and Dr. Kirk Dolan.
The article is available online: https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70108

Mary Geoghegan, an FSHN Food Science undergraduate student, presented her research poster on "Analyzing the Potential of Anthocyanins Derived from Black Beans as a Natural Dye in Noodles" at the University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) on April 17, 2026. We are excited to announce that Mary was the second place award winner in her presentation category. Congratulations, Mary!

Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Congratulations to FSHN Food Science doctoral student, Hazel Zeng, and former Food Science masters student, De'Anthony Morris, on their recent publication "Environmental monitoring for Listeria species in controlled atmosphere apple storage facilities" in the Letters in Applied Microbiology journal. The article is co-authored with FSHN advisor Dr. Teresa Bergholz.
The article is available online: https://loom.ly/_uPGBV4

Such a fruitful semester!🤩

Thank you all for being part of the FSHN GSO this spring semester. It was a busy yet rewarding time, filled with connection, sharing, and the building of meaningful friendships. ✨

We would also like to congratulate those who graduated this semester. Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance have truly paid off. Wishing you all the best and continued success in everything that comes next!🎓🎉

Go 💚