Food Science Earns USDA Funding

Kanika Bhargava, Ph.D., associate professor in the UCO Human Environmental Sciences Department, is working to improve the learning environment for nutrition, food science and dietetics students at Central. Her efforts now have garnered support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as it awarded Bhargava a $149,000 grant.

Titled “Enhancing Food Science Capacity through Transformative Learning Experiences in Education and Research,” the grant will be used to upgrade laboratory equipment, incorporate research experiments into program curriculum and investigate new food science technology. With the latest in food science equipment and increased funding for food safety research, students will have the opportunity to learn in a more transformative, hands-on environment.

A collaboration between the UCO College of Education and Professional Studies and the UCO Department of Biology, the project aims to train more professionals in nutrition, food science and dietetics to meet the current and future needs of the nation’s food and agriculture workforce.