Faculty

Wan-Yuan Kuo headshot

Dr. Wan-Yuan Kuo, Director

Personal Website

Contact: (406) 994-3259 | [email protected] | Reid Hall 347, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717

Graduate Researchers

Edwin Allan headshot

Edwin Allan

Contact: [email protected]
Résumé (PDF)

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 received his M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems and is currently a doctoral student at MSU. He received 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. 

Awards:

  • 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

Other Interests: Playing basketball, reading novels, and playing word games.


Chidimma Ifeh profile photo

Chidimma Ifeh

Contact: [email protected], LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/chidimma-ifeh

Hometown: Anambra, Nigeria

Education: Chidimma is currently enrolled in MSU's Sustainable Food Systems master's program. She earned a B.S. in Food Science and Technology from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

FPDL Involvement: Machine learning; PATH program fermentation research; and supporting the Lab's service and outreach projects.

Awards: 

2023

  • MSU 3-Minute Thesis, 1st place
  • MSU College of EHHD Student Conference Travel Grant
  • MSU College of EHHD 3-Minute Thesis, 1st Place 
  • MSU Graduate School Graduate Professional Advancement Grant
  • MSU 75K Venture, semi-finalist
  • Mars Wrigley - Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Research Grant
  • MSU College of EHHD Travel Grant

2022

  • 2022 MSU College of EHHD Travel Grant

Other interests: Watching sport games, exercising, reading, playing music, and volunteering.


Ravi Pirati headshot

Ravi Kumar Pirati

Contact: [email protected]

Hometown: Tenali, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Education: Pursuing a master's in Chemical Engineering

FPDL Involvement: Developing 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.

Other Interests: Hiking, playing Badminton and cricket, watching movies and listening to music.

 

Undergraduate Researchers

Lynn Weeks

Education: Pursuing a B.S. in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics option

FPDL involvement: Assisting the PATH project with development of a fermented beverage

Staff

Rebecca Richter profile photo

Rebecca Richter, Media Manager & Program Coordinator

Contact: [email protected]

A former resident of Montana for 20 years, Rebecca is now a digital nomad seeking warm weather and beautiful hiking spots with her 1992 Toyota motorhome. Rebecca has a B.S. in Archaeology from University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and an M.S. in Plant Biology from Arizona State University. She served in the U.S. Peace Corps in West Africa, managed a non-profit organization in Missoula, Montana, and worked for the National Audubon Society for many years. Rebecca is passionate about living and teaching about the whole food plant based lifestyle for health and sustainability.


Sophia Seffrood profile photo

Sophia Seffrood, Extrusion Program Manager

Contact: [email protected]

Sophia is a 2022 graduate of Montana State University with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a cum laude Honors Baccalaureate. She grew up on a dairy farm in Summit, South Dakota and interned two summers at Valley Queen Cheese Factory. A goal for her career is to work cooperatively with food processors to decrease energy, labor, and food waste. She enjoys the Bozeman outdoors, traveling, and dreams of having a big garage to work on personal projects.

Certifications: FSPCA Preventative Controls Qualified Individual

Learn more about our Food Extrusion Unit


Rebecca Soule profile photo

Rebecca Soulé, Culinary Manager and R&D Chef

Contact: [email protected]