Faculty News

Eric Decker. Sabbatical with the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, New Zealand, focusing on oxidation issues in fish oil and green-lipped mussel oil supplements. Gave a plenary lecture at the 5th International Symposium on Lipid Oxidation and Antioxidants in Bologna, Italy.

Lili He. Appointed Chair of IAFP Food Chemical Hazards and Food Allergens Professional Development Group. Hosted two sessions at the 2024 IAFP conference in CA. Her students presented at various conferences including PVMS, IFT, and IAFP. Directed the Raman, IR, and XRF core facility, providing services to campus users and industrial companies.

David Julian McClements. Ranked as the most highly cited food scientist and the 22nd chemist in the world by Research.com. Published over 100 papers and edited "Biodegradable and Edible Food Packaging." Interviewed by CBS, Korean TV, and US radio on food-related topics. Quoted in numerous publications like New Scientist, National Geographic, and Fortune magazine. Worked with non-profits to secure funding for alternative protein research.

Matthew Moore. Awarded the UMass Eric A. Decker Scholar title and received tenure and promotion. Appointed to the Editorial Board of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Helped organize the New England IFT Expo, with his lab members playing key roles. His students presented at various conferences including PVMS, UMass Undergraduate Research Conference, ASM, and IAFP. On the organizing committee for the 2025 World Society for Virology conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Jiakai Lu. Appointed adjunct faculty in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering at UMass. Joined the Editorial Board of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition and Food and Bioproducts Processing. Gave seminars on computational simulation and machine learning at various events. His students presented at IAFP, ASABE, and CoFE.

Hang Xiao. Recognized as a highly cited researcher by Clarivate for six consecutive years. Appointed Associate Editor of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Awarded a USDA grant to study fermented chickpeas and peas. Gave research talks on food components and gut microbiota at international conferences.

Alissa Nolden. Co-chair of the 16th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium. Invited speaker at several conferences, including UMass Chef Culinary Conference and New England IFT Expo. Hosted the UMass Alumni event at IFT. Participated in panels and gave talks on sustainable food. Her students presented at AChemS, IFT, SSIB, EuroSense, and SSP.

Peiyi Shen. Appointed Chief Undergraduate Advisor. Established semiweekly advising drop-in hours and created a formal undergraduate research program. Organized social events for networking. Advised over 30 incoming food science students. Taught "Food Preservation" during summer and winter sessions through UWW, attracting over 30 students each semester.