DEPARTMENT BRIEFS
Food Science and Technology - Protecting Public Health and Enhancing Food Quality
Whether it is a workshop for the food or pharmaceutical industry, a graduate or undergraduate course, or a research project, the Department of Food Science and Technology has focused its programs on protecting public heath and enhancing food quality.
Currently, faculty members are principal investigators on foodsafety grants exploring new processing technologies to control Listeria monocytogenes in frankfurters, to eliminate Hepatitis A and E and Norwalk virus in oysters, to eliminate E. coli O157:H7 in fresh juices, and to control Salmonella on tomatoes. To enhance the quality of different food products, our food scientists have projects to develop new packaging technologies, to improve the flavor characteristics of wine, and to improve the quality and marketability of Virginia Angus beef.
One newly funded project is to assistant the egg industry. Sean O'Keefe is developing a new chemical reagent test-strip procedure to determine the amount of egg yolk contamination in processed egg white. You might ask why is egg yolk contamination in egg white important? Just ask a baker who has tried in vain to make a meringue or an angel food cake.
The most frequent question asked of a food scientist is what does a food scientist do? Imagine going through the doors of your favorite grocery store only to find no food on the shelves. We are the chemists, microbiologists, biochemists, and engineers who assist a diverse industry that develops new products from agricultural commodities to market to consumers. We invite you to visit us in the red brick building on the corner of Duck Pond Drive and Washington Street to see and experience the exciting things happening in food science.
Boyle Named Head of Agricultural and Applied Economics
Professor Kevin J. Boyle has been named head of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. He most recently served as Distinguished Maine Professor and Chair of the Department of Resource Economics and Policy at the University of Maine. He was also the director of the Center for Tourism Research and Outreach, a cooperating professor of wildlife ecology, and professor of ecology and environmental sciences.
"The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics plays an important role in assisting Virginia's communities and the agriculture industry in sustaining and developing a viable economy," said Sharron Quisenberry, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "Dr. Boyle brings to Virginia Tech invaluable leadership experience and knowledge that will help his department become an even more valuable asset. We are fortunate to have someone with his abilities to lead this department."
In commenting on his plans, Boyle said, "My goal is to return the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics to its standing as one of the top ten agricultural economics programs in the country. The department has an excellent cohort of faculty to build on and an exciting opportunity to add new faculty members over the next year to help strengthen the department's programs."
Boyle has received numerous honors and was named Maine U.S. professor of the year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in 2004.
A native of Presque Isle, Maine, Boyle received his bachelor's degree from the University of Maine, master's degree from Oregon State University, and Ph.D. in agricultural economics from University of Wisconsin at Madison.