Three U of A Ph.D. students in food science earned spots as finalists in the annual Phi Tau Sigma Research Competition, with Arda Tuhanioglu placing second in the national contest.

Tuhanioglu, a Ph.D. student; Safoura Ahmadzadeh, a Ph.D. post-doctoral researcher; and Sumanjot Kaur, a Ph.D. student, all advanced to the finals.

The competition was open to Phi Tau Sigma students and post-doctoral researchers who presented research at a food science and technology professional meeting or conference from Nov. 1, 2022, to Oct. 31, 2023.

Tuhanioglu's presentation was "Enhancing the flavor of white whole sorghum flour using supercritical carbon dioxide."

Ahmadzadeh's presentation was "Encapsulation of lutein into dual-layered starch-ethyl cellulose gels using 3-D food printing."

Kaur's presentation was "Converting rice processing byproducts into high-value bioactive compounds and nanoporous materials using supercritical carbon dioxide."

All three finalists are in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. They work under the guidance of assistant professor Ali Ubeyitogullari, who is a member of the faculty in the college, and a researcher and scientist with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

Phi Tau Sigma, established in 1953, is the national honor society for food science and technology.

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: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.