U of A Food Scientists Ubeyitogullari and Kaur Earn AOCS Research Awards

The American Oil Chemists' Society recently recognized two food science researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station for contributions to science in their field.

Ali Ubeyitogullari, an assistant professor of food engineering, was presented with the society's Health and Nutrition Division New Investigator Research Award, and Sumanjot Kaur, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Food Science, received the Thomas H. Smouse Memorial Fellowship.

Oils and fats are essential components of many foods, and improving their health and functionality is at the heart of Ubeyitogullari's innovative work to incorporate nutrition and 3D food printing.

A member of the American Oil Chemists' Society for 10 years, Ubeyitogullari earned his Ph.D. in food science and technology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018. He then conducted postdoctoral research at Cornell University before becoming a faculty member in the Departments of Food Science and Biological and Agricultural Engineering for the experiment station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

His research focuses on improving the bioavailability of bioactive compounds using supercritical carbon dioxide technology, as well as nanoscale science and engineering and 3D food printing.

Ubeyitogullari's research team, known as the Food Engineering for Health Lab, focuses on enhancing human health and wellness through sustainable, innovative food processing technologies. The Department of Food Science is part of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, and the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering is part of the College of Engineering at the U of A.

The Health and Nutrition Division New Investigator Research Award recognizes early-career scientists who are making significant research contributions on the health or nutrition of fats or oils. It comes with a plaque, a $1,000 honorarium and the opportunity to present an award lecture at the AOCS Annual Meeting.

Kaur's Thomas H. Smouse Memorial Fellowship

Kaur, a Ph.D. food engineering student in the Department of Food Science, received the AOCS Thomas H. Smouse Memorial Fellowship, which includes a $10,000 honorarium. Kaur's research looks at ways to enhance human health and improve sustainability in food systems. For example, she has investigated the use of supercritical carbon dioxide to convert rice byproducts like rice husks and defatted bran into high-value bioactive compounds like phenolic compounds and nanoporous aerogel. 

Kaur earned her undergraduate degree in food technology from Punjab Agricultural University in India before pursuing a master's in food science at the U of A.

The AOCS fellowship adds to a growing list of honors she's earned in recent years, including a Royal Society of Chemistry Outstanding Early Career Research Award in Sustainable Food Technology.

AOCS awards the Thomas H. Smouse Memorial Fellowship to graduate students doing research in fats, oils, proteins, surfactants and related materials to recognize and support outstanding student researchers. In addition to the $10,000 honorarium, the award also provides up to $5,000 in research and travel allowances.

The award was established in memory of Smouse, a longtime member and active volunteer in AOCS, including serving as president in 1983. The Archer Daniels Midland Foundation, AOCS Foundation, AOCS and the family and friends of Smouse established and assisted in this fellowship's funding.

About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture's mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation's historic land grant education system. 

The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses. 

Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.