Progress 11/15/10 to 11/14/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The most significant accomplishment of this project was the broad training of the candidates in multiple sectors concerned with food safety. Rotations through laboratories at the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the FDA provided different perspectives and approaches to food safety issues. Rotations through four laboratories at Rutgers provided in depth technical training in the physiology of L. monocytogenes, the use of bacteriocins to inhibit foodborne pathogens, control of E. coli O157:H7, and quantitative risk analysis. PARTICIPANTS: PI Montville was the primary contact and advisor for all of the students. Two conducted their thesis research in the Montville Laboratory. Co-PI Matthews was primarily responsible for recruiting students and facilitating their entry into the Rutgers system. Jennifer Merle is completing her Masters Degree prior to taking a position in industry. Danielle Voss is continuing the pursuit of her doctorate and has identified other sources of support. Shanta Adeeb resigned from the program due to academic issues and poor health forced the departure of Suzzanna Rosario. The USFDA CFSAN and Grocery Manufacturers Association were partners for the duration of the project. Rutgers' Center for Advanced Food Technology played an important role by providing financial support for project supplies and equipment. Professors Ludescher, Karwe, Chikindas and Shaffner contributed significant technical assistance over the life of the project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The USDA National Needs Fellows underwent significant changes in both perspective and knowledge. Traditional doctoral training has something of an "ivory tower" academic approach. But these fellows now understand the regulatory and industrial perspectives that impact food safety. Similarly, rotation through a variety of laboratories gave the fellows a broad range of experimental techniques, as opposed to the very narrowly focused one of traditional one-lab dissertation research. Finally, none of the fellows had previously considered pursuing advanced degrees; this project developed human potential by encouraging them to do so.
Publications
- Montville, T., Ludescher R, and Karwe, M. 2009. Understanding spore destruction to enhance nonthermal processing, Annual Report, The Center for Advanced Food Technology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
- Montville, T., Ludescher R, Karwe, M., Voss., D. and Merle, J. 2010. Understanding spore destruction to enhance nonthermal processing, Annual Report, The Center for Advanced Food Technology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
- Montville, T., Ludescher R, Karwe, M., Voss., D. and Merle, J. 2011. Understanding spore destruction to enhance nonthermal processing, Annual Report, The Center for Advanced Food Technology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
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Progress 11/15/09 to 11/14/10
Outputs
The third fellow to be funded on this project completed her first year of course work. She conducted lab rotations through four Rutgers University laboratories, and spent her summer gaining federal and industrial experience at the FDA CFSAN and Grocery Manufacturer's Association in Washington D.C. She has returned to Rutgers to work full time on her dissertation research. PRODUCTS: The products of this research are the successful recruitment of two new fellows to replace earlier ones who left due to personal problems. Additional University support was obtained for one of these students. OUTCOMES: One student has completed rotation both within the University and in Washington D.C. The attractiveness of the program also convinced another student to leave her industrial career track and pursue the Ph.D. Preliminary results from the fellows' research has led to supplemental industrial funding. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Dissemination activities include presentations to intramural laboratory groups and two presentations to the industrial members of the Center for Advanced Food Technology. FUTURE INITIATIVES: A future initiative of this project is to obtain industrial or governemt funding to continue the research past this project's end date.
Impacts
The impacts of the project to date include attracting an undergraduate to continue her education at the doctoral level, providing another fellow with an experiential understanding of the differences among academic, federal, and industrial research, and also familiarizing the FDA and GMA with the National Needs Fellowship Program.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 11/15/08 to 11/14/09
Outputs
A second minority student was successfuly recruited into the program but had to leave due to medical issues. A third student has been recruited and started her doctoral studies this Fall. PRODUCTS: To date two students have entered the program but left due to personal reasons. A third fellow has started this semester. OUTCOMES: Becasue students are still in the early stages of their program, here are no outcomes from this round of funding. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: There is at the moment nothing to disseminate. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future initiatives include recruiting new students, improving retention, and strengthening our relationships with collaborators in the FDA, USDA, and GMA.
Impacts
This project has impacted the National Needs Fellows by moving them into a doctoral track pipe line which would have otherwise been beyond their reach.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 11/15/07 to 11/14/08
Outputs
The project is still in the recruitment phase and has one minority applicant pending. This fellow would be a replacement for one who left due to personal issues. Recruitment efforts continue through the IFT's Food Microbiology Division Newsletter and the Departmental admissions officer. PRODUCTS: The products are in the recruiting side where we have made limited progress. On student from a HBC left the program, and another is being recruited to take her place. OUTCOMES: A previous Fellow (Dr. Jennifer McEntire) is now a staff scientist at the Institute of Food Technologist's Washington Office and is considered 'a poster child' for the National Needs Fellowship Program. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: There is at them moment nothing to disseminate. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future initiatives include increased recruiting by reaching out to other graduate programs, improved retention of new students, and visits by new students to FDA, USDA, and/or FPA.
Impacts
The initial fellow in this project energized our graduate student population and increased their appreciation of diversity in doctoral candidates.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 11/15/06 to 11/14/07
Outputs
Announcements and advertisements for the Fellowships were widely circulated via listserves to all members of the Institute of Food Technologists and American Society for Microbiology Food Microbiology Divisions, e-mails followed up by letters to all 1890 institutions, ads in Microbe (magazine of the American Society for Microbiology) and Food Technology (IFT's magazine), and on the department's web page. One candidate has been successfully recruited thus far. A student who obtained her M.S. at Tuskegee, she has high GPA, high GRE, and star potential. We declined applications from several less-qualified students, feeling that it would be inappropriate to settle for holders of these fellowships. The search for a second candidate continues.
PRODUCTS: One student has been placed on stipend. One laboratory rotation has been completed. A mentoring relationship has been developed.
OUTCOMES: One student has been successfully recruited and is becoming acquainted with the research culture of a large university by virtue of having completed her first laboratory rotation.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Activities to to publicize the program will continue until a successful candidate is identified. The methods that were used to recruit the first fellow will be continued, augmented by the word-of-mouth efforts of the first fellow to recruit a second one.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: In addition to continued recruitment efforts, the Fellow will rotate through another three laboratories. During the summer, she will rotate through a government and industrial research facility.
Impacts
Undergraduate students are gaining altered prospectives from seeing an African-American woman in a leadership and lecturing role. Other courses and discussions are benefiting by having the outside view from another cultural community.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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