The Department of Food Science at UMass Amherst offers the following graduate student fellowships:

  • Minority Fellowship
  • Salmon Fellowship
  • Charm Fellowship
  • Alumni Fellowship

A graduate student fellowship will allow potential graduate students to pursue a PhD in Food Science at UMass. Recipients will be selected by faculty using application information. Students do not apply for these fellowships. The Minority Fellowship requires U.S. citizenship.

The Department of Food Science at UMass is the major academic center for Food Science in New England and the only research-oriented department of Food Science in Massachusetts. The Department of Food Science at UMass is committed to and has achieved excellence and international prominence in research, scholarship, and teaching. The department has 16 faculty members who participate in teaching, outreach, and research in the areas of food chemistry and physics, food processing, food microbiology, food biotechnology, and health and wellness.

Food Science Department Highlights

  • UMass is the oldest Food Science department within the U.S.
  • UMass is one of the top-ranked Food Science departments both nationally and internationally.
  • UMass has a number of the most highly cited researchers in the world.
  • UMass is highly successful at securing research grants from both government agencies and industrial sponsors.
  • Food Science is consistently one of the top-ranked departments for student satisfaction in the UMass Graduating Senior Survey, which is based on quality of teaching, advising, career preparation, etc.
  • The department has a successful Strategic Research Alliance with numerous food companies, which plays a key role in identifying future needs in the food industry for undergraduate and graduate training programs as well as providing unique research opportunities.
  • UMass has established a successful Food Policy Alliance with numerous food industry members.

Exciting Research Projects in Food Science at UMass

  • Nanotechnology and structural design principles are being used to improve food quality, safety, and healthiness.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids and nutraceuticals are being encapsulated to improve the stability and efficacy of functional foods.
  • Bioactive food components to fight cancer and chronic diseases are being identified and tested.
  • The genetic basis of taste reception is being elucidated.
  • Factors impacting the structure of the gut microbiome are being investigated.
  • Food-based strategies for obesity and osteoporosis prevention are being developed.
  • Plant-based foods with improved health and sustainability are being created.
  • Novel strategies to control and prevent food viruses are being developed.
  • The genetic determinants of microbial biofilm production on food processing surfaces are being identified.

 

Updated September 5, 2019