Welcome new AOCS Members!

Please join me in welcoming our 115 newest members. They contribute to a growing AOCS community which includes 75% industrial researchers, and 25% from government and academia. As you read about our new members below, and check out the list of names and affiliations in the Premium Content Library on inform|connect, you will begin to see how global a community we truly are. More than 42% of our membership is from outside the USA representing more than 80 countries from around the globe. 

Access the new members list, including names, affiliations and countries (requires AOCS member login)

Have you renewed your membership? Visit your profile on inform|connect, if you do not have the Member ribbon, your membership has lapsed. 

September

In September we gained 23 new members, five of whom were students. These members are based in the USA, Turkey, England and Canada and represent companies like ADM, National Research Council, California Olive Oil Council and Green Keratin Ltd. along with academic institutions like the University of Manitoba and the University of Florida. 

October

In October, we gained 23 new members, four of whom were students. These members are based in the USA, Brazil, Ethiopia, Israel, England, India, New Zealand and Columbia and represent companies like BASF and Syngenta and academic institutions like the University of Guelph, Colorado State University and the Ohio State University.

November

In November, we gained 31 new members, six of whom were students. These new members are based in the USA, Canada, Germany, China, Singapore, Hongkong and Italy and represent companies like Conagra Foods, Myande Group Ltd. and Richardson Oilseed and academic institutions like Aix-Marseille University and Virginia Tech University.

December

In December, we gained 38 new members, three of whom were students. These new members are based in Sweden, Czech Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and beyond. These individuals represent companies like Colgate-Palmolive, Glencore Agriculture and Viterra Canola Processing along with academic institutions like the University of Leeds, the University of Navarro and Miami University.

Our Plant Protein Science and Technology Forum and the Soybean 360 symposium helped bring AOCS to the attention of many of these new members. We also have our recruiters to thank for inviting several of these new community members into the AOCS family.

AOCS looks forward to all our members are set to accomplish in 2021 and are excited that these new members will be a part of that journey. AOCS wants to hear about all you are doing, publishing and achieving this year to put into our new Member Minutes blog series. Feel free to submit your news to this form.

If you have questions over the status of your membership, contact the Membership team at membership@aocs.org.

Call for Committee Members: Protein analysis uniform methods subcommittee

Plant based proteins are taking center stage in every category of foods. The industry needs agreed and well validated methods for assessing protein content and functionality for food applications but there is a surprising lack of standardization in this area.

AOCS is calling for researchers with experience in this field to serve on the protein analysis subcommittee of the AOCS Uniform Methods Committee. 

Subcommittee members will consider proposed methods and determine if they are of sufficient precision and utility. International collaborative trials will be conducted for methods that receive initial acceptance by the Subcommittee and will inform their decisions as methods progress towards acceptance as official AOCS methods for use in commercial transactions and quality assessments worldwide.

Check out this video for general information about the process for establishing a new official method or recommended practice of the AOCS

Check out our website for more details.

Contact Scott Bloomer, for more information about the protein analysis uniform methods subcommittee. Thank you for your interest and willingness to consider serving in this important role.

Scott Bloomer, Ph.D.
Director, Technical Services
American Oil Chemists’ Society
2710 Boulder Drive, Urbana, IL 61802 USA
Phone: +1-217-693-4830 
scott.bloomer@aocs.org

Midweek Mixer: Habits and rituals

Join us for a panelist-facilitated conversation on professional and personal habits that could help you advance your research and work. Everything from the importance of tools to stay up-to-date on the latest research to how to maintain a balance between work and personal life to the need for a cup of tea are fair game for this conversation.

Our panelists will share their long-standing and newly-developed habits with you. The goal is also for attendees to share their habits – who knows your practice may be adopted by a fellow attendee.

AOCS Midweek Mixers provide an excellent opportunity for networking and learning with your peers.

This Midweek Mixer will occur on February 3 at 4 p.m. CST (UTC–06/Chicago, USA). Registration is free for all, including those who are not AOCS members! 

Learn about past and upcoming Midweek Mixers!

Meet the panelists

Yang Lan is a post-doctoral research fellow in North Dakota State University. He received his doctoral degree at last year in cereal and food science program from North Dakota State University. Yang has published 11 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and received 11 awards from IFT and AOCS, such as AOCS honored student award. His major research interest is pulse protein modification targeting improving plant protein functionality via physicochemical methods, like complex coacervation, protein phosphorylation, and solid dispersion technologies. He is currently the AOCS Student Common Interest Group Education and Career Development Liaison.

Nandika Bandara is an Assistant Professor & Canada Research Chair in Food Protein and Bioproducts at the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba. He is a certified food scientist (CFS) and material scientist with interdisciplinary research experience in food protein chemistry and technology, macromolecular chemistry, nanotechnology, biomimetics and biobased/renewable polymer applications bioproducts and biomaterials. In addition to his current role as Canada Research Chair, he serves as an Associate Editor for Food Chemistry Journal (Elsevier) and as Chair Designate for the Food Chemistry Division in the Institute of Food Technologist (IFT).

Abbey Thiel is a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Food Science Department. This past June she earned her PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison by studying the effect of different ingredients on the fat networks within ice cream and whipped toppings. In her free time, Abbey enjoys creating content for her blog and YouTube Channel, which both focus on educating the public about food science.

Lilian Were is a professor in Chapman University’s Food Science Program. Her lab group is currently examining the role of chlorogenic acid-amino acid interactions and their relationship to color, flavor, and nutritional quality.  In a separate project, they are studying mushroom’s preservative effects in ground beef.  She is the 2020 past chair of the Institute of Food Technologists Muscle Foods Division. In 2021, she is co-organizer of the Southern California Food Industry conference and incoming chair of the Southern California Institute of the Food Technologists.

Mattew Fhaner earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Michigan State University and then spent 10 months in a post-doctoral position working at the United States Department of Agriculture - ARS in Peoria, IL under the guidance of Dr. HongSik Hwang. He is currently an Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry and the primarily undergraduate institution of University of Michigan - Flint where his primary teaching duties include a two-semester analytical chemistry series and acting as the Curriculum Coordinator for the general chemistry laboratory series.

Nana Baah Appiah-Nkansah is a technical service scientist with Novozymes North America. For the past 2 years, Nana has enjoyed visiting vegetable processing and grain processing plants, getting to know customers, and helping them solve problems and make improvements. He has also played leading roles in process development and applications for oils and fats. Nana obtained his Bachelors in Ghana, Masters in Japan, and doctorate in Biological & Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University.

Ronald Marquez is a postdoctoral scholar at the Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Sciences from the Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela. His research has focused on physicochemical formulation of surfactant-oil-water systems, including their characterization through interfacial rheology techniques. He has been a researcher at FIRP Laboratory for more than 14 years, receiving the best original paper award in the Journal of Surfactants and Detergents in 2018. He is a member of AOCS and TAPPI. Nowadays he is working on a project to transform textile waste into bio-based building blocks, which will help to upcycle textile waste into value-added products.

Hongbing Fan is a Ph.D. candidate under the supervision of Dr. Jianping Wu in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Alberta in Canada. His research interests include functional foods and bioactive peptides. Prior to joining the University of Alberta, he did his M.Sc. research on food preservation, specifically aquatic products, at China Agricultural University. His primary research interests are Protein Chemistry and Function Foods. Hongbing joined AOCS in 2018 and has since worked closely with the AOCS community. Currently, he volunteers as the Chair of the Student Common Interest Group and the student representative in the Canadian Section of AOCS.

Stéphanie Marty-Terrade studied food science and engineering at the National School of Chemistry and Physics (France). She then joined Professor Alejandro Marangoni’s lab at the University of Guelph (Canada) to complete a Ph.D. on "Oil Migration in Confectionery Applications". In 2007, she joined Nestle Research in Germany and is currently a Lipid Expert at Nestlé Research in York (UK) where she is responsible for confectionery lipids and palm oil for the whole Nestlé group. With 17 years of experience, Stephanie has expertise that covers application of lipids in diverse product categories and a strong knowledge of material science, lipid technology and lipid nutrition. Stéphanie has also developed a strong scientific reputation outside Nestlé with regular invitations to speak at international conferences or give guest lectures and the publication of 20 papers including seven peer-reviewed papers, three patents and one book chapter.

Clare Flakelar is a chemistry lecturer at Australian Catholic University (ACU), Brisbane, Australia. Clare currently lectures in chemistry and biochemistry and coordinates the placement units offered to biomedical science students. She graduated with a Ph.D. from Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga Australia in 2017, carrying out research on lipid-soluble bioactive components in canola oil. As an early-career researcher, Clare is currently involved in lipid research with a mass spectrometry research group at QUT, Brisbane. She has been part of the Australasian Section of AOCS leadership committee since 2016.

Register to reserve your spot to network and connect with your hosts and gain insights into what habits and rituals you can adopt to help you succeed. This event will occur on February 3 at 4 p.m. CST (UTC–06/Chicago, USA). 

Celebrating World Pulses Day, February 10, 2021

Exploring the past, present, and future of pulses and pulse ingredients in the global food marketplace on World Pulses Day, Wed, Feb 10, 2021 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST

Globally recognized technical and industry experts Dr. Janitha Wanasundara, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Dr. Mehmet C. Tulbek, the director of AGT Foods Research & Development Centre in Saskatoon, Canada, will highlight pulse quality, processing technologies, ingredient and product innovation, nutrition, and future innovation trends in this timely webinar. The event will be chaired by Dr. Phil Kerr, chief technology officer of Prairie AquaTech and hosted by AOCS, a leading international professional organization in this arena and organizer of the 2021 Plant Protein Science and Technology Forum. 

Pulses are global superfoods rich in proteins, dietary fiber, and minerals with several functional properties. Over the last three decades, the consumption of pulses and pulse ingredients significantly increased due to the changing demographics, interest in plant-forward foods, growing allergen sensitivity and awareness, increased vegan and sustainable diets vs. traditional diets, and interest in non-GMO, natural, and clean label products. 

As a bonus, registrants for this free webinar will also receive free access to the 2020 Plant Protein Science and Technology Forum presentations until February 19, 2021.  View the 2020 Forum website for presentation summaries.

Sign up for this exciting, free, webinar

Presenters:

Dr. Mehmet Caglar Tulbek is the Director of AGT Foods Research & Development Centre in Saskatoon, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in cereal, pulse, and oilseed processing and utilization technologies. Mehmet completed his B.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering with emphasis in Food Science and Technology at Ankara University, and his M.Sc. in Food Engineering at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey. He then moved to the United States to pursue his Ph.D. in Cereal Science at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. Before joining AGT Foods, Mehmet worked at Northern Crops Institute as Crop Quality Specialist and then as Technical Director. At NCI, he led the development of technical, educational, and international outreach programs for pulse, oilseed, and specialty crops. Mehmet is a sought-after presenter at global industry and academic gatherings, and has authored numerous journal articles, book chapters, and proceedings. 

See our interview with Dr. Mehmet Caglar Tulbek 

Dr. Janitha Wanasundara is a Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She is the principal investigator in plant protein research at Saskatoon Research and Development. Her research interests include developing enhanced utilization strategies for oilseeds and pulses grown in Canadian prairies through understanding their seed proteins’ chemistry and structure. She has contributed over 75 scientific publications and book chapters and one patent on protein and co-product fractionation of Brassica oilseeds. She also co-edited the book Sustainable Protein Sources published by Academic Press in 2017. 

See our interview with Dr. Janitha Wanasundar

Dr. Phil Kerr is Chief Technology Officer of Prairie AquaTech. Prairie AquaTech discovers, develops and commercializes value added solutions for global aquaculture. Prior to joining Prairie AquaTech in July 2019, Phil was Sr. Director of Grain and Food Science Research and Development of Indigo Agriculture. Phil has also served in multiple leadership roles with DuPont Agricultural Products, Solae LLC, and DuPont Nutrition and Health. His experience ranges from creating new ingredients with enhanced, holistic quality attributes to the formation and management of strategic private / public relationships that enabled them and brought them to global commercial status. Phil serves as the Vice President of the Protein Highway Initiative, a network for facilitating cross-border collaboration for plant protein-based innovation and commercialization from the US Midwest/Great Plains and the Canadian Prairies. He is an active member of the IFT and the AOCS, where he also serves as the Vice President of its Governing Board’s Executive Committee.

See our interview with Dr. Phil Kerr 

Q&A: Presenting your poster at the AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo

The AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo is still open for poster submissions. The deadline for submissions is February 15.

With our interactive and easy to use online system attendees can listen to your recorded description while they explore your poster. Share your results and innovations with researchers from around the world. Submit your abstract today.

How will my poster be displayed?

We recorded the start of one poster presentation from the 2020 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo as an example: 

(if you are intrigued to learn more about Julian's work check out his webinar below)

As your recording is playing your attendees will be able to move around your poster. They can zoom into areas of interest to study your results in detail – just like they would at an ‘in person’ poster event. 

Your poster will be available for attendees throughout the meeting – from May 3 – May 14.  On-demand access will be then be available to all attendees through June 30, 2021. And AOCS members receive extended access to posters and oral presentations through April 2022.

My abstract was accepted. Do you have any suggestions on how to create my poster?

Congratulations! We have created a ePoster template which you could use as a starting point for your poster. You do not need to use this template, or PowerPoint. Once you have completed the poster – using which ever program/tools you select - you should save it as a single page, one side only, pdf file. 

Download the ePoster template (pptx)

I have prepared my poster. How do I upload it to the meeting website and record my presentation?

You will receive login information and a link with your acceptance notice on February 19. 

Watch for this video detailed instructions and a demonstration from AOCS staff:

Watch this video for additional information provided by the cadmium platform provider:

View Video

Is there a deadline for meeting registration?

Yes, you must register for the meeting by April 19.

What happens after the meeting?

Your poster will be available for attendees to view after the meeting. On-demand access will be then be available to all attendees through June 30, 2021. And AOCS members receive extended access to posters and oral presentations through April 2022.

All researchers whose work is accepted for poster presentation at the 2021 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo are also automatically accepted into the AOCS Webinar program which runs year-round. 

Here is an example of a webinar given by a 2020 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo poster presenter after last year’s meeting.

Further Questions?

If you have questions about presenting at the AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, please contact AOCS staff:

Email: meetings@aocs.org

Telephone: +1 217-693-4831