Above: FScN Faculty and Staff (2000)

FScN Emeritus Faculty Member Publishes New Book

(8/14/08) Emeritus faculty member, Ed Zottola, is known around the Department of Food Science and Nutrition for his research in food microbiology, but that's just his day job. At night, he's an avid storyteller to his granddaughters and author of a new book. No, it's not about food safety. It's about Willie Walleye, Bernie Bass, and Max the Monster Muskie... and that's no fish tale.

 Zottola, a longtime fisherman who currently lives on Lake Vermilion, based his new book Willie Walleye Underwater Adventures (Singing River Publications) on the stories he has shared with his granddaughters and on a lifetime of his own fishing adventures. According to Zottola, "It's for people who are eight or 80. There's a little bit of everything in there. And if the fish do what I think they do, (anglers) will understand."

Willie Walleye spins tales of cleaning cans on the lake bottom, how fish steal lures, and even a fish prom. Many of the book's stories teach the lesson that when fish work together, they are able to solve problems. Not a bad lesson in the fishing boat, or here in our department labs and classrooms.

 If you would like to learn more about Willie Walleye Underwater Adventures or order a copy, visit www.williewalleye.com. If you would like a signed copy, contact Ed Zottola directly (Geri Skogen has his current contact info).

Congratulations on the new book, Ed. Thanks for sharing your fish tales with us!

Nutrition Grads - World Class Athletes

(8/13/08) Rasa Troup (formerly Michnovaite) will be competing in the Beijing Olympics in steeplechase for Lithuania. Rasa received an MS in nutrition a few years ago, working with Susan Raatz and Myron Gross. Learn more: Gold (and maroon) in Beijing.

Emily Brown graduated with a BS in nutrition from UMN and is currently an MPH nutrition student. She was a top contender for the U.S. Olympic team in both the steeple and the 5k but suffered a stress fracture 3 weeks before the trials and was unable to make a serious go of it. Evidently she had been running fabulously this spring. Learn more: The Road to Beijing: Emily Brown; Steeplechaser Emily Brown; Team USA Minnesota (Emily Brown's bio).

Product Development Team Wins 3rd Place

(6/30/08) The U of M Product Development Team won 3rd place at the National Product Development Competition held in New Orleans, LA. Read more... 

(Congratulations to Dr. Carrie Earthman

(5/19/08) Dr. Earthman was the winner of the 2007-08 CFANS Distinguished Teaching Award: Non-tenured.

Congratulations to Our U of M FScN Club Members

(5/17/08) FScN club members are in the top six finalists for the 2007-2008 Institute of Food Technologists Student Association's (IFTSA) "Chapter of the Year" (COY) Competition. They will have a table-top display for the IFTSA Welcome Assembly during the annual meeting and prior to the College Bowl competition. Learn more about IFTSA...

FScN Seniors Present Buffalo Meat Jerky

(5/11/08) Brandon Barse, Per Batdorf, Lisa Butler, Ryan Katzfey, and Laura Meyer presented Senior Capstone Project, Buffalo Meat Jerky, to faculty and other students of FScN 4342. Read more...

Dr. Gary Reineccius Named  Head of FScN

(4/24/08) Renowned flavor expert and longtime faculty member Gary Reineccius has been named head of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition. Read more...

FScN Students Participate in 2008 Undergraduate Research Symposium

(4/18/08) Tim Blasius, Brian Blonigen, and Jackie Koch participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and presented their results at the 2008 Undergraduate Research Symposium. Read more...

Update from the Food Science and Nutrition Club

(Apr 08) Congratulations to the University of Minnesota Product Development Team who again made it to the National IFT PDT Competition! Their product is called PB & J Ediballs and this year the annual meeting will take place in New Orleans.

$1.17 Million Pledged to Fight Obesity, Cancer and Foodborne Disease

(3/4/2008) Three projects focused on food safety and identifying food components that could prevent obesity and cancer...  read more

Accounting Updates - March 2008

* Account Numbers as you Know Them Will Change
As of July 1st, account numbers will change! And, from now on, the new account strings will appear on your summary reports off to the side. Anyone interested in learning more about the Chart of Accounts can visit http://www.finsys.umn.edu/COA.html.

More information about the new Financial System may be found online at:  www.finsys.umn.edu.

* Training for U-Stores Purchasing
The Enterprise Financial System project has received input from a number of faculty members and lab staff concerning the amount of training required of them to make U-Stores purchases in the new financial system. Feedback from users of the financial system is important to the project and is always taken into consideration when making decisions. Based on this input, Training Services will develop an online tutorial condensing the 'Chart of Accounts' and 'Create Requisitions' courses. An online assessment will be required upon completion of the tutorial.

The tutorial will be available to individuals, such as faculty, lab staff, and administrative staff, who purchase only through U-Stores and have no other responsibilities within the financial system. Access to other parts of the financial system will be restricted. Qualifying faculty and staff should closely review 'Purchasing from U-Stores'.

We anticipate the time commitment for the tutorial to be between 1 and 2 hours. Registration will occur through the Training Services website by May 1, and classes will be available May 15.

2nd Annual CFANS Alumni Society Food Industry Network Social Held in February

Sixty food industry professionals, food science and nutrition graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni participated in the 2nd Annual U of M CFANS Alumni Society Food Industry Network Social (FINS) on February 21, 2008. Participants had the opportunity to network with other food industry professionals while visiting the Department of Food Science and Nutrition on the St. Paul Campus. The FINS events included:

• Career Exploration and Networking (St. Paul Career Center and Aerotek)
• Pilot Plant Tour
• Presentation on Chocolate - Dr. Gary A. Reineccius, Food Science and Nutrition Faculty
• Presentation on Astringency of Whey Protein Beverages - Catherine Lee, Food Science and Nutrition Student

View photos from the FINS event (PowerPoint Show)

FANS Late Holiday Hawaiian "Warmer" Weather Lunch

The Departments of Food Science and Nutrition, and Animal Science (Division of FANS - Food Animal Nutrition Sciences) gathered together on February 18, 2008 for a Hawaiian "Warmer" Weather Lunch as a late holiday celebration. Pete Nelson from the Meat Lab prepared Hawaiian pork and chicken. Several tropical side dishes were offered and, of course, Hawaiian punch was served.

View photos from the Holiday Hawaiian Lunch (PowerPoint Show)

$1 Million Grant Awarded to Drs. Chen and Bernlohr

Congratulations to Xiaoli Chen, General Mills Chair in Genomics for Healthful Foods and Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, and co-investigator, David Bernlohr, Professor and Head of BMBB, received a National Institutes of Health R01 ~$1 million grant to study the role of a new adipokine in inflammation and metabolic regulation for 5 years. (Feb 2008)