Laboratory Alumni

Mona Abdelgaid

Hometown: Mansoura, Egypt

MSU Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 2019

FPDL involvement: Analyzed the texture and particle size of a locally made pancake mix. Researched the shelf life of a locally made hummus.

Awards related to FPDL research: She was selected by the faculty and deans in the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering as one of 40 MSU seniors to receive the 2019 Award for Excellence

Update:Mona is a PhD candidate at the Chemical Engineering department, University of Pittsburgh. Her expected graduation is Spring, 2024.

Edwin Allan

Background: Edwin developed his passion for improving value-added agriculture as a youth in his hometown of Damolgu, Ghana, where crop farming is the main occupation.

Education: Edwin earned a PhD (Individual Interdisciplinary) at MSU in 2023. Previously, he attained his M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems at MSU and his B.S. in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Ghana.

FPDL Involvement: PhD work: Researching the culinary and nutritional quality of Montanan vs. Washington lentils and chickpeas and experimenting with extrusion processing of Montana lentils and chickpeas. Master's work: Edwin led the development of a culturally-sensitive peanut product for smallholder farmers in Kaffrine, Senegal.

FPDL-related Awards:

Outstanding Graduate of the College of Education, Health and Human Development-Montana State University, 2023 fall semester
Outstanding Graduate Student in Sustainable Food Systems, Montana State University, 2020 spring semester
Montana State University’s graduate award in Scholarship Excellence – 2020 spring semester
Judges’ Choice Award in Montana State University $50K venture competition
First Place in the Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Competition (DSDC), Institute of Food Technologists 2020 conference
Published works

Eric Allen

Hometown: Burlington, Vermont, USA

MSU Education: Senior in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems (expected graduation - Fall 2022).

FPDL Involvement: Worked on MPP lentil powder program

Riyadh Alturaif

Hometown: Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia

MSU Education: Pursuing a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (expected graduation - Spring 2023)

FPDL Involvement: Assisted with Bison Cracker project and Lentil Dip project.

Rachel Baranek

Hometown: Helena, Montana, USA

MSU Education: B.S. in Nutrition Sciences

FPDL Involvement: Worked on the Cold-hardy Berry Smoothie Blend project

Grace Beck

Hometown: Oswego, Illinois, USA

Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering

FPDL Involvement: Assisted with the cold-hardy berry, cricket protein hydrolysate, and bison cracker projects. Worked with Montana Pollution Prevention to assess the Food Extrusion Unit and propose more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Update: Fermentation Process Operator with Meati in Denver, Colorado

Havilah Burton

Background: Havilah grew up in Montana and later spent 15 years in WA being a military spouse and raising her children before college

MSU Education: B.S. in Hospitality Management, option Restaurant Management: Farm-to-Table, 2021

FPDL involvement: developing products and ideas around food sovereignty for tribal peoples.

Update: Havilah is living and working on the Flathead Reservation

Elif Cebi

Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey

MSU Education: M.S. in Bioengineering, 2019

FPDL involvement: Assisted with the project “Lower Glycemic Crackers Development by Using Montana Lentils”

Update: Clinical Research Associate with PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific

Génesis Yosebeth Chávez Reyes

Hometown: Chinandega, Nicaragua

MSU Education: M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems, 2022

FPDL Involvement: Co-developed a culturally-appropriate food product in alliance with the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation & Lake CO. The product features highlight the cultural heritage of the Native Americans by incorporating underutilized locally produce food ingredients, including bison meat, serviceberry (saskatoon berry) and Indian ricegrass.

Awards related to FPDL research: MSU College of Education, Health & Human Development's Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion mini-grant, 2022; NUTR 496 Product Pitch Video Competition, Spring 2020; finalist in the MSU College of Education, Health and Human Development’s 3-Minute Thesis Competition, Spring 2020.

Everett Choi

Hometown: Bellevue, Washington, USA

Education: Senior in Chemical Engineering, graduation date 2023

FPDL involvement: Helped to develop and refine Senegalese recipes with team PATH; worked with Pulse Project team to increase Montanans’ consumption of lentils

Genna Devitt

Hometown: Columbia Falls, Montana, USA

Education: B.S. in Nutrition Science focused on Dietetics, 2022

FPDL involvement: Lab administrative assistant. Research project on developing a Decolonized, Indigenized, and International Food Enterprise Certificate at MSU.

Update: Moving to Rochester, Minnesota in June 2023 after accepting a position as a project coordinator for the Kitchen Coalition program associated with Channel One Food Bank.

Shelby Duncan

Hometown: Lewistown, Montana, USA

Education: B.S. in Food and Nutrition (dietetics option), 2022

FPDL Involvement: Assisted KayAnn Miller with research on the interconnectedness of dietary intake and mental health among the Indigenous communities of Montana.

Elle Dyrdahl

Hometown: West Linn, Oregon, USA

MSU Education: B.S. in Health and Human Development

FPDL involvement: Assisted with research on nutrition of Indigenous communities in Montana and its impact on depression and anxiety

Update: Continuing to expand knowledge in nutrition and mental health in physical therapy school.

Sumedha Garg

Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand

MSU Education: M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems

FPDL Involvement: Researched the value-added product and market development of cold-hardy berries with the aim to support Montana farmers to diversify their income streams and promote crop biodiversity in a land where a monoculture climate seems to dominate.

Awards related to FPDL research:

2022: Outstanding Graduating Graduate student award from College of EHHD; First Runner-Up for the 3-Minute Thesis in College of Education, Health and Human Development; Semi-Finalist for the Big Idea Challenge with Launchpad at MSU, awarded $500
2021: Blackstone Launchpad Fellowship (awarded $5,000); Institute of Food Technology Finalist for the Graduate Research Video Competition and 3-Minute Thesis in College of Education, Health and Human Development

Bailey Green

Hometown: Snohomish, WA, USA

MSU Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 2020

FPDL involvement: Assisted with the lentil cracker projects—both the in vitro research of total starch content and glycemic index and the textural analysis of the crackers

Update: Food Engineering Graduate Student with Lactalis France, graduation date 2023; beginning Nov., 2023: Continuous Improvement Engineer with Stonyfield Organic Yogurt

Mattie Griswold

Hometown: Stanley, Idaho, USA

MSU Education: M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems, 2022

FPDL Involvement: Assisted with research on how value-added food processing is associated with food sovereignty in Tribal communities in Montana. Coordinated communications for multiple collaborative food sovereignty projects between MSU and the Flathead Indian Reservation.

Roman Hagge

Hometown: Everett, Washington, USA

MSU Education: B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2020

FPDL involvement: Chickpea enriched pasta project

Update: Chem Lab Technician with Hytek Finishes Co.

Carly Hart

Hometown: Missoula, Montana, USA

MSU Education: B.S. in Dietetics and Nutrition, completed Montana Dietetic Internship, 2019

FPDL involvement: Assisted with the project “Lowering Glycemic Index Cracker Development Using Montana Lentils” specializing in the consistency of production and baking of crackers

Update: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at Camelback Nutrition & Wellness in Missoula, Montana

Katy Hilburn

Hometown: Boise, Idaho, USA

MSU Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 2021

FPDL involvement: Texture and Consumer Preference of different grains and grain size in Cream of the West’s 7-Grain Pancake Mix, Gaps in Intellectual Property Management in Tribal-University Agricultural Collaborations

Awards related to FPDL research: Montana State University Vice President for Research Scholarship, IRAEA Undergraduate Research Scholarship

Update: Process Engineer at bp’s Whiting, Indiana refinery

Spencer Johnson

Hometown: Kalispell, Montana, USA

MSU Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Honors, 2020

FPDL involvement: Initial survey and experiment creation lead for Lentil cracker project

Update: Supply Chain Process Engineer at Novozymes in Raleigh, North Carolina

Hannah Kempf

Hometown: Bozeman, MT

Education: Senior year student pursuing a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.

FPDL Involvement: Member of team PATH. Focused on researching the nutritive effects of fermentation on the African baobab fruit.

Anna Kramer

Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Education: Pursuing a B.S. in Chemical Engineering

FPDL Involvement: Assisted in the development of crackers using Indigenous ingredients.

Sharon Li

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois, USA

MSU Education: M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems, 2020

FPDL involvement: Developed lentil crackers made from Montana wheat and lentils; studied the texture, consumer acceptance and marketability

Awards related to FPDL research: Sharon and her peers placed 2^nd in the IFTSA & MARS Product Development Competition and 1^st place in IFT’s Food Science in Action video competition; 1^st place in the Sensory and Consumer Sciences Division Graduate Student Poster Competition at IFT20

Update: Sharon is an Associate Food Scientist at Mizkan, Chicago, Illinois

Grace Nichols

Hometown: Chugiak, Alaska, USA

Education: B.S. in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems, 2022

FPDL Involvement: Worked on the PEAK Protein project

Update: Specialty Crop Business Development Program Manager at Ravalli County Economic Development Authority

Simone Paul

Hometown: Estes Park, Colorado, USA

MSU Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 2020

FPDL involvement: Led the project to improve the textural stability of Gluten-Free Prairie Granola

Update: Nuclear Engineer at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Nicolette Paulus

Hometown: Hood River, Oregon, USA

MSU Education: Bachelor's in Food and Nutrition: Dietetics Option, 2022

FPDL Involvement: Worked on fresh market potential and value-added opportunities for cold hardy berries in the Northern Rockies

Ravi Kumar Pirati

Hometown: Tenali, Andhra Pradesh, India

Education: M.S in Chemical Engineering from MSU

FPDL Involvement: Developed recipes for extruded lentil texturized vegetable protein, extruded lentil snack puffs, and extruded lentil pasta from lentil starch and protein concentrate using a twin screw pilot scale extruder.

Update: Extrusion Engineer at Balchem Corporation, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Emily Raber

Hometown: Kingston, Washington, USA

MSU Education: B.S. Food and Nutrition - Dietetics, 2021

FPDL involvement: Assisted in the Development of a Peanut Product for Senegal Smallholder Women Farmers project. Textural analysis and nutrition analysis of the peanut product. Also involved in the GI of potatoes.

Awards related to FPDL research: Her team took 1st place at the International Food Technologist's Annual Event & Expo; Judges' Pick in the MSU College of Business & Entreneurship $50K Venture Competition.

Update: Dietetic Intern at University of Massachusetts Amherst

Kim Scanlon

Hometown: Santa Barbara, California, USA

Education: M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems, 2022

FPDL Involvement: Developed value-added food products containing lentil concentrates that supported community-based environmental, social, and economic welfare

Olivia Schwintek

Hometown: White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Education: B.S. in Sustainable Food Systems and Dietetics, 2023

FPDL Involvement: Member of the PATH team.

Awards related to FPDL research: Her team was a finalist in the MSU Venture 50k Competition in spring 2021.

Edward Shaw

Hometown: Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

Education: B.S. in Sustainable Food Systems (Agroecology focus), 2022

FPDL Involvement: Developed and implemented a farm to school program in Senegal as a part of Team PATH.

Awards related to FPDL research: Team finalists at 50k MSU Venture competition; received 2020 outreach and engagement SEED grant.

Olivia Smith

Hometown: Dover, New Hampshire, USA

MSU Education: B.S. in Nutrition Science, 2021

FPDL involvement: Assisted with texture analysis of lentil crackers under Sharon Li

Update: Qualitative Research Analyst at Mayo Clinic

Rebecca Soulé

Hometown: Bellevue, Washington

Education: B.S. in Hospitality Restaurant Management: Farm-to-Table, MSU, 2023; Associate of Applied Science with Honors in Culinary Arts from Gallatin College, MSU, 2020.

FPDL Involvement: Assisted with graduate student projects offering her expertise in culinary arts, recipe development, and food storytelling.

Update: Rebecca is currently the FPDL's Culinary Manager and R&D Chef

Sage Stevens

Hometown: Green Mountain Falls, Colorado, USA

Education: Dual B.S. Degrees in Organismal Biology and Microbiology: Environmental Health, 2022

FPDL Involvement: Member of Team PATH; focused on women's roles in West African Food Systems

Awards related to FPDL research: Presidential Emerging Scholar

Update: Research assistant at the Center for Vaccine and Virology Research at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Sage is part of the Tuberculosis vaccine research group, where they are working to develop a TB mRNA vaccine.

Mehmet Turker

Hometown: Adana, Turkey

MSU Education: M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems, 2019; B.S. in Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering

FPDL involvement: The Effects of Lentil Flour and Pre-roasting treatment on the Consumer Acceptance, Texture and Microstructure Properties of Developed Crackers

Awards related to FPDL research: IFT19 Product Development Division Graduate Student Poster Competition – 2nd Place
Montana State University Undergraduate Scholars Program (USP) Research Grant

Update: Food Research Associate at New Age Meats, San Francisco, California

Jade Turner