Pramudya in Food Science Wins National Pangborn Sensory Science Ph.D. Scholarship

Fred Miller

Ragita Pramudya, a doctoral student in food science, works with associate professor Han-Seok Seo in the Sensory Science Center.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ragita Pramudya, a food science graduate student in U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, has been awarded the national Rose Marie Pangborn Sensory Science Scholarship for 2020-21.

Pramudya is a doctoral student working with associate professor Han-Seok Seo in the Department of Food Science.

The scholarship is $15,000 and for a Ph.D. student who intends to teach and conduct research in sensory science at the university level. Planned or on-going dissertation research must be on a sensory topic under the guidance of a sensory scientist. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of academic record, intended research in human sensory science, commitment to a career in teaching sensory science and support by letters of recommendation.

"This is the highest recognition for students in the field of sensory and consumer sciences," said Seo, who is also director of the department's Sensory Science Center. "This is a marvelous achievement for Ragita and our program, and we're extremely proud of her."

Pramudya, who is from Indonesia, earned her bachelor's degree in food science from the University of Wisconsin and her master's degree in food science with a focus on sensory and consumer science from the U of A.

Since 2018, she has focused on her doctoral research on cross-modal interaction between hand-feel touch and chemosensory cues.

"I am extremely honored and grateful to have been selected in a field full of so many other passionate researchers," said Pramudya. "I hope to use the funds from this scholarship to positively contribute to sensory science, and ultimately better the understanding of human sensory perception in food and beverage applications."

Pramudya previously won the Rick Bell Memorial Travel Scholarship Award at the 2019 Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium in Edinburgh, Scotland. She also placed third in the Rose Marie Pangborn Graduate Student Oral Competition at the annual national meeting of Institute of Food Technologist in 2018.

The scholarship, awarded through the Sensory Science Scholarship Fund, is in honor of the memory of professor Rose Marie Pangborn, who initiated the scholarship fund to encourage the education of sensory scientists intending to pursue academic careers.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2.7 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.