Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Twenty (20) students (10 graduate students and 10 undergraduate students) Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided opportunities through [1]Summerresearch externships- Two (2) students participated of a RISE-sponsored summer research externship experience during 2018 at the USDA Northeast Area Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD working on food safety projects.[2]Attending two international Food Safety meetings- Ten (10) RISE awardees attended the Food Safety Summit 2018 (Rosemont, IL; May 7-10, 2018) and ten (10) attended the International Association for Food Protection Meeting (Salt Lake City, UT; July 8-11, 2018).[3]Fellowship- One (1) RISE graduate fellow continued receiving support for a Masters degree in Food Science and Technology at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez.[4]Research publications- Three(3) students had the experience of publishing their RISE-USDA sponsored research results in peer-reviewed journals.[5]Undergraduate research experiences workshop- RISE awardees collaborated in a workshop at the UPR-Mayagüez School of Agriculture that aimed to promote research experiences in Agriculture and related disciplines at the USDA-ARS Beltsville, MD station.This was co-sponsored by another USDA-supported sponsored project (Encouraging Careers in Food Security and Safety Award No: 2016-38422-25541). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been shared with the UPR-Mayagüez community through the project website and e-mail messages sent to the whole university community.Also, several peer-reviewed papers were published showcasing research done by community members sponsored by RISE. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A group of 20 students were RISE awardees during this period and participated of several experiential learning and research opportunities focused on Food Safety.These included [1] attending one of two different International Food Safety Meetings held in the USA, [2] engaging in summer research externships at the Beltsville, MD USDA - Agricultural Research Station (ARS) and [3] communicating research findings through peer-reviewed scientific publications.One (1) student that was awarded last year a RISE sponsored graduate fellowship for a M.S. degree in Food Science and Technology, continued to receive support conducive to degree completion.Five (5) RISE participants completed their degrees at UPR-Mayagüez and transitioned to advanced graduate studies in Food Science and Food Safety or jobs in government and food companies.These experiences allowed students to explore career opportunities, develop communication skills, and further explore different professional opportunities in Food Science and Technology and Food Safety.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Berrios-Rodriguez, A., Olanya, O., Annous, B., Cassidy. J., Orellana, L, Niemira, B. 2017. Survival of Salmonella Typhimurium on soybean sprouts following treatments with gaseous chlorine dioxide and biocontrol Pseudomonas bacteria. Food Sci. Biotechnol. 26(2): 513-520.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Alicea, C., Annous, B, Mendez, D., Burke, A., Orellana L. 2018. Evaluation of Hot Water, Gaseous Chlorine Dioxide, and Chlorine Treatments in Combination with an Edible Coating for Enhancing Safety, Quality, and Shelf Life of Fresh-Cut Cantaloupes. J Food Prot. 81(4):534-541
- Type:
Books
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Orellana, L, Plaza, M., P�rez, F., Cede�o, Y., Perales, O. 2017. Chapter Non-thermal Methods for Food Preservation on Microbial Control and Food Preservation Theory and Practice. Editors: Juneja, V., Dwivedi, H., Sofos, J. Springer-Verlag New York. pp 299-326.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Yeh, H., Vargas Serrano, K., Silvestry Acosta, A., Buhr, R.J. 2016. Production of recombinant Salmonella flagellar protein, FlgK, and its uses in detection of anti-Salmonella antibodies in chickens by automated capillary immunoassay. J. Microbiol. Methods. 122:27-32 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2016.01.007
|
Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Sixty five (65) students (15 graduate and 50 undergraduate) and 5 K-12 educators. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During its five years of activities, the project provided training and professional development opportunities in the following ways: [1] Recruitment of students with interest in FST academic programs and careers.Participants were led through a series of activities that allowed them to develop career interests and transition to graduate education or job opportunities in Agriculture, Science and Technology.[2] Summer research workshop that offered students as well as K-12 educators a unique opportunity to learn about FST fields and applications through talks, field work and laboratory activities. [3] Summer research experiences in FST at different USDA-ARS.These experiential learning activities were central to the success of the project by offering participants opportunities to perform cutting-edge research under the guidance of top-notch USDA scientists, while developing awareness of different career paths available in FST. [4] Etiquette and professional development workshops aimed at preparing students for their off-campus summer research experiences and any other foreseeable academic or professional experiences.Three research projects yielded publications in peer-reviewed journals.[5] Presentations of research activities in an international scientific conference (IFT) and attendance to world-class food safety conferences. [6] Participation in professional development conferences that offered unique opportunities for Latinos in agriculture fields. [7] A project-sponsored graduate fellowship in FST. [8] An academic food studies travel course was offered for the first time at UPRM.This course offered participants the opportunity to explore first-hand FST activities in a foreign destination (Italy) through visits and discussions that highlighted different factors that shape the food industry of a region or a country in the World.All activities aimed to foster an academically challenging environment that propelled participants to complete their academic programs and pursue careers in FST. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were shared through a project website, TV program interviews and written articles.Also, three scientific articles were published acknowledging the contributions of this NIFA-sponsored project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A total of 65 Hispanic students (45 females and 20 males) participated of RISE activities as program scholars.These RISE scholars were offered academic and experiential learning opportunities that lead them to complete higher education degrees in Agriculture, Science and Technology fields and continue developing professional careers in these fields.Through a series of seminars, workshops, summer research externships, scientific conferences and a food focused foreign travel course, students were lead to explore different opportunities in Food Safety, Food Science and manufacturing.At the end of the project, 15 participants completed an undergraduate degree and 6 completed a masters degree.Six (6) project participants continued their academic training towards doctoral degrees, 18 joined the workforce (six (6) were hired by the USDA and 15 were hired in non-USDA jobs).Five (5) K-12 educators participated of a Food Science and Technology (FST) summer workshop that geared them with information needed to incorporate FST activities in their classrooms, as a strategy to bolster FST interest in younger audiences.In addition, RISE helped contributed to UPRM's building capacity through acquisitions of state-of-the-art laboratory equipment that improves laboratory activities, research and teaching-learning outcomes.
Publications
|
Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Twenty-one students (21); 16 graduate students and 5 undergraduate students Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided opportunities in two different ways: [1] Food travel course; Twenty-one (21) students participated of the experimental course focused on food travel. This course provided for an in-depth study of different social, economic, historic and geo-political factors that have shaped the food environment of a destination (region or country of the World). Focusing on different cities and regions of Italy, students dwelled into the rich food production traditions and techniques of these regions and developed the knowledge necessary to examine, question and compare the food production activities they would encounter through a 10-day visit to these areas. [2] Experiential learning/Foreign travel; During July 2017 students visited different regions and cities of Italy for a series of food production activities. Beyond the cultural enrichment offered by any foreign travel experience, students were offered a food-focused activity program that took them from cultivation of traditional commodities to artisan and industrial manufacturing sites. Students were asked to analyze these food production enterprises taking into account different food science and technology disciplines while comparing the processing strategies with those performed in mainland USA and its territories. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been shared in different ways: [1] RISE has a project website that allows to publish project events to both the UPR community and the external communities. [2] The Project Direct and awardees were interviewed for a UPR-Mayagüez TV show called "Foro Colegial." Through two interviews, the project objectives and activities were showcased to the University community and the Western districts of Puerto Rico where the program is broadcasted through a local TV station. [3] Two articles about the RISE project and the Foreign Travel experience appeared in the UPR-Mayagüez website. These were both geared towards disseminating information for the local university community. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The RISE project is scheduling a series of experiential learning activities for the next year that will include food production site visits in Western USA and assistance to a Food Science and Technology meeting such as the Institute of Food Technology (IFT).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Twenty-one (21) RISE project awardees had an international experiential learning opportunity (travel study to Italy) that focused on learning about different aspects of food production (food harvesting, raw material selection and procurement, artisan and industrial processing and commercialization). Students prepared for this learning experience by means of a formal "Food Travel Course" of recent creation at UPR-Mayagüez. This compulsory course allowed RISE awardees to develop destination knowledge and the critical thinking skills necessary to analyze and contrast food production at the destination with the food industry in the USA and its territories.
Publications
|
Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Twenty (20) students (10 graduate students and 10 undergraduate students) Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided opportunities in three different forms: [1] Research experiences - Twenty (20) students participated of a RISE-sponsored summer research experience during the summer of 2015. Participants worked in different USDA-ARS' under the guidance of USDA researchers in a variety of food science and technology related projects. Results from nine (9) projects will be showcased the IFT 2016 food science congress. During the summer of 2016, seven (7) students are on internship at the Northeast Area Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD working on different food safety related projects. Two (2) graduate students have had their summer internship projects become their master thesis projects. [2] Students had the opportunity to attend professional development conferences - Five (5) RISE participants attended the 5th Annual Latinos in Agriculture Leaders Conference (Grapevine, TX; Oct 16-18, 2015) and six (6) were awarded the opportunity to attend the Career Preparation Institute as part of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education meeting (Costa Mesa, CA, Mar 10-12, 2016). [3] Fellowship - RISE awarded a graduate fellowship that will support a student through its M.S. in Food Science and Technology at the University of Puerto Rico -Mayagüez. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been shared with the UPR-Mayagüez community through the project website. Also, several e-mail messages advertising RISE project activities have been sent to the whole university community. Results were also communicated to stakeholders through a meeting with the Advisory Committee (August 2015). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?RISE will work in a partnership to develop a study abroad program in food science and technology geared towards offering experiential learning opportunities in food science and agriculture to the local community. Also, in line with this international agriculture objective, RISE is collaborating with the Office of Graduate Studies and the Deanship of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez to organize different activities, such as site visits that will allow promoting graduate studies in agriculture and food science and technology. The PD and Co-PD will offer to RISE participants the Food Safety Preventive Control Alliance (FSPCA) course in an effort to provide participants with first-hand knowledge about the regulations that must be complied with as part of the upcoming Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Twenty (20) RISE participants went through summer research externship experiences at different USDA - Agricultural Research Stations during the summer of 2015. All participants that answered a program evaluation questionnaire (n=15) selected the summer research externship as the program experience they considered the most valuable in terms of academic and professional skills development. Six (6) of these students offered presentations of their experiences to external committee members during August 2015. All summer research externship participants were encouraged to present research paper abstracts for evaluation of an international scientific conference. Sixty-two percent (5/8 = 62%) of the undergraduate participants and ninety-one percent (10/11=91%) of graduate participants submitted research paper abstracts for IFT 2016. Of these, all (100%) undergraduate student abstracts were accepted, while 40% of graduate student abstracts were accepted. Furthermore, two (2) of these abstracts submitted by undergraduate students were selected as finalists for the IFT 2016 poster paper competition. This experience served in the development of scientific communication skills as well as an opportunity to experience the scientific learning and networking environment that an international scientific meeting provides. Seven (7) students engaged in a summer off-campus research experience (summer 2016) in different food safety projects under the guidance of scientists at the Northeast Area Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD. These experiences served to enhance student awareness of career opportunities available in food science and food safety while providing invaluable professional experiences in a government research setting. Also, several participants had the opportunity to attend a professional scientific meeting that allowed them to better focus their career paths and network as they interacted with seasoned professionals. One (1) student was awarded a RISE sponsored graduate fellowship for a M.S. degree in Food Science and Technology.
Publications
|
Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this period was 20 student-participants (10 undergraduate students, 10 graduate students). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The main opportunities for training and professional development have been provided though two main activities. First, RISE participants attended a series of Academic-Professional Skills improvement workshops. These workshops aimed to prepare students for their off-campus summer research experience and any other future academic and professional experiences they might have. In second place, all RISE participants had a summer off-campus research experience. These research activities allowed them to participate of current research projects at different USDA-ARS sites and explore first-hand what it is to conduct scientific research in the food science and technology fields. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?RISE has in place a website (http://riseuprm.com/) through which important RISE program information is shared with its community. Dr. Ángel O. Custodio presented a poster during the NACTA (North American College and Teachers of Agriculture) Conference celebrated at the University of Georgia - Athens, during June 16-20, 2015. This presentation focused on the results and achievements of the first two years. Also, a meeting with the Advisory Committee was held on the 15th of August 2015 to communicate the results achieved during the first two years and receive feedback from stakeholder. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?RISE participants will submit abstracts to different scientific organizations with the goal of obtaining invitations to present their research work in a national or international scientific meeting. Attending and presenting their work at scientific meetings will allow students to polish their communication skills and to network with other scientists. The RISE project will continue to offer a series of academic-professional skill improvement workshops for students and innovative teaching workshops for science and agriculture faculty.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
RISE student-participants were prepared during Academic Year 2014-2015 for a summer experiential learning externship. Nineteen (19) students (one student is no longer part of the project due to graduation, the space will be fulfill by September 2015) engaged in a summer off-campus research experience where they fully engaged in different food science and technology projects under the guidance of scientists at different USDA - Agricultural Research Stations. For many student-participants this was their first exposure to research-intensive environments and research activities outside their local university environment. These experiences served to enhance student awareness in terms of career opportunities available for individuals with food science and technology backgrounds. Participants highlighted through exit questionnaires and oral presentations the positive impact that these workshops and summer experiential learning externships had in their career paths. Most indicated they are aiming to continue graduate training in a field of food science and technology thanks to the experiences they have had as RISE participants.
Publications
|
Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for this period includes: 10 undergraduate students, 10 graduate students and 5 K-12 educators. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The main opportunities for training and professional development have been provided though the summer workshop. The workshop challenged graduate students to study, design and teach different Food Science and Technology modules, an experience that is somewhat different from the well-structured Teaching Assistant responsibilities some of them have experienced before. Moreover, these graduate students had to write manuals for the specific activities they had designed. These manuals were part of the materials offered to all summer workshop participants. Undergraduate and K-12 educators participating of the summer workshop were exposed to Food Science and Technology modules covering four different fields (Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, Fermentation and Food Sensory Analysis). Each module provided participants with hands-on experiences that allowed for (1) learning basic food science concepts, (2) working with experimental design strategies and (3) gathering and analyzing data from different instruments and procedures. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? So far the results have not been shared with the communities of interest. This project has concluded its first year of activities. However, it has in place a website through which important RISE program activities and information is shared. The website was visited more than 120 times between March 18 and July 31, 2014. A poster and an oral presentation were offered by Dr. María L. Plaza (Co-PD) during the NACTA (North American College and Teachers of Agriculture) Conference celebrated at the Montana State University?in Bozeman, Montana during?June 25-28, 2014. These presentations in a national conference offered the project some visibility beyond the area where the activities take place. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? During the second reporting period the PD and Co-PDs will start arranging the Off-campus learning experiences for all RISE participants. First the will expand the network of collaborating professors and/or institutions with ties to this project and later they will place awardees in research facilities that will host them for a summer. During these Off-campus learning experiences each student will conduct research with an external research team with the goal of further increasing their knowledge and interest in a field of Food Science and Technology. During the second year of the project, RISE awardees will also participate of a series of Academic skill improvement workshops. The RISE project staff is also organizing a series of Innovative Teaching workshops for faculty. These workshops are geared towards helping novice and seasoned faculty alike learn skills that allow them to better prepare for classes, enhance their lecture delivery, learn about new teaching assistive technologies and improve their student advising skills. This year will continue to have project evaluation activities that will allow for the assessment of the project’s performance and impact. Also, RISE’s Advisory Committee will have its first meetings.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The spring semester of Academic year 2013-2014, the project director offered orientation talks at seven different settings and dates to inform both undergraduate and graduate students of the project objectives and the opportunities available for students accepted into the RISE program. One of the main goals of these orientations was to invite students to apply for this program. A total of 105 students were contacted through these talks; many more received information through a campus-wide electronic newsletter, bulletin board flyers and word-of-mouth. After a thorough scrutiny of formal applications, 10 undergraduate students (7 females, 3 males) and 10 graduate students (7 females, 3 males) were accepted into the program. These students have started their participation in program meetings and workshops. Awardees represent 2 different UPR campuses (Mayagüez and Aguadilla). Graduate students are enrolled in the Food Science and Technology program and are working towards their M.S., while undergraduate students have diverse academic backgrounds and represent 5 different science bachelor programs at the UPR system. At the beginning of the RISE program activities, a project website (http://uprm.edu/cita/rise/) was created. This website functions as a primary information source where visitors can access project information such as past events, project objectives and awardee/participant profiles. Besides the project recruitment efforts, the other main event for this first year was a summer workshop. This one-week event (June 2-6, 2014) offered participants a unique opportunity to learn about different Food Science and Technology fields at the state-of-the-art environment provided by UPR Mayagüez’ Food Science and Technology Building. Participating graduate students, under the supervision of Food Science and Technology faculty, were in charge of designing, delivering and supervising all laboratory and field experiences offered during this week. Workshop participants had a unique opportunity to learn about Food Science and Technology though talks, fieldwork and laboratory activities that highlighted four different food science fields. The summer workshop audience was composed of 15 participants divided in two groups: 10 undergraduate RISE awardees and 5 K-12 educators. The involvement of these educators serves as a stepping stone towards the project goal of helping K-12 educators offer their students information regarding food science and technology careers as they incorporate the knowledge acquired during the summer workshop in their classrooms and courses.
Publications
|
|