Each year in early May, our department holds an annual retreat to increase collaborations, spark new ideas and bond as a team. Last week we met in Kannapolis, NC, alongside our colleagues from the Plants for Human Health Institute at the North Carolina Research Campus. Since our faculty and staff are located in many different points across the state, it is very exciting when so many of us are able to gather in one place. Thank you to our friends at PHHI and NCRC for being such gracious hosts!
Congratulations to the Spring 2026 FBNS Graduates! This marks the end of a memorable chapter and the beginning of the next. We look forward to seeing you continue to excel in the future. All the best as your journeys continue, and remember that you will always have a home with FBNS!
Please help us in celebrating the following faculty for their successful promotion through the reappointment, promotion, and tenure (RPT) process effective July 1:
Dr. Alex Chouljenko will be promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with tenure.
Dr. Lynette Johnston will be promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with tenure.
Dr. Marvin Moncada (located at PHHI in Kannapolis) will be promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with tenure.
Dr. Fernanda Santos will be promoted from Assistant Teaching Professor to Associate Teaching Professor.
Dr. Minliang Yang was reappointed to a second term as Assistant Professor.
All of these folks have worked hard for these milestones and their efforts make our department stronger every day. Congratulations on your achievements!
We can’t wait to see you in Chicago this July for IFT First 2026! Come visit our booth at #1622 on the expo floor, and join us for our annual networking social. This year’s social will be on Monday, July 13th from 6pm - 9pm at the Chicago Athletic Association Game Room (12 South Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603). Students, faculty, alumni and industry partners are invited to join us for good food, catching up and fun. Tickets are required for attendance, and can be purchased at the link in our bio.
Please make sure to let us know you are planning to attend by Friday, June 26th. See you there!
Join us in congratulating two of our faculty who were recently recognized for their outstanding work in teaching at the 2026 CALS Awards for Excellence. The Awards for Excellence recognize CALS community members who go above and beyond to bring our land-grant mission to life through their teaching, research and extension.
Dr. Nicola Singletary was recognized with the Outstanding Teacher Award
Dr. Fernanda Santos was recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Instructor Award
These two have gone the extra mile to enhance their students' experiences. Their efforts make a degree from FBNS a worthwhile investment and a memorable experience. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Singletary and Dr. Santos on well-deserved recognition and thanking them for their excellence in teaching!
April is always a packed month for FBNS- check out some of this month’s recent highlights:
⭐ We hosted another successful meeting of our Industry Partners Advisory Council (IPAC). Representatives from partner companies joined us to hear updates on cutting edge research from NC State faculty and students, engage in peer-to-peer networking and provide industry insights to departmental leadership. If you are interested in getting involved with our growing group of nationwide companies, shoot us a message!
📣 Our annual FBNS Awards banquet celebrated the year's student successes including those who have served in leadership roles, received scholarships or earned recognition in competitions and research presentations. Thank you to our Awards Committee members, chair Kara Allen, and student organization officer teams for making the event a success.
📖 A number of our graduate students presented their research at the university-wide 2026 Graduate Student Research Symposium. Food Science masters student Seung Hyun Yoo received 2nd place in the Agricultural Sciences division and will receive a cash prize. Seung Hyun is a masters student in the Yang lab whose research focuses on Nutritional Life Cycle Assessment.
🫛 FBNS community members were very involved with the 2026 Alternative Protein Symposium hosted by the Alt Protein Project at NC State, The Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein and the Good Food Institute. Dr. Minliang Yang and PhD student Ajinkya Arun Atkare served on the organizing team, and multiple students received awards during the poster session. Award winners were:
🏅 Best Lightning Talk - Esdras Argote
🏅 Best Poster - Seung Hyun Yoo
🏅 People’s Choice Award - Kaira Sidhwa
🏆 Our College Bowl team traveled to the University of Maryland-College Park to compete in the Central Atlantic Regional Competition, bringing home first place in a double-elimination bracket style tournament. With the win, the team has secured a bid to the national contest at IFT First in Chicago this July.
Join us in celebrating these folks on their hard work and accomplishments. We are so proud to see FBNS community members excelling in many different pursuits!
On this day in history, Mrs. Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson visited our department!
During a March 30th, 1963 tour of the College of Agriculture, Lady Bird- then Second Lady of the United States- made a stop in Polk Hall to tour the Department of Food Science.
Lady Bird would become First Lady later that same year, and the Department of Food Science would go on to move to Schaub Hall and be renamed to the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences in 1968 and 2007, respectively.
Lady Bird is remembered as one of the most influential First Ladies of all time, earning both the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work in national conservation and beautification.
Even sixty-three years later, she still may be our department’s most famous visitor! #WomensHistoryMonth
Today’s the day, Wolfpack!
We hope you’ll consider giving to FBNS today for NC State Day of Giving. Support from donors makes all kinds of initiatives possible for our department- including hosting lectures, putting on alumni programming, supporting student travel and competition teams, and more. Join us in #GivingPack at the link in our bio, or by participating in one of the bonus challenges. Make your mark in helping our students, faculty and staff think and do to the highest degree!
Give here: https://dayofgiving.ncsu.edu/campaigns/food-bioprocessing-and-nutrition-sciences-enrichment-fund
Food Safety is not just technical knowledge, it demands critical thinking, clear communication, collaboration and fast, informed judgment. Our Food Safety Education and Training team saw a need for more opportunities for students to prepare for careers in food Safety and Quality Assurance.
Compromised, an escape room style food safety challenge, was created for students to put these skills into practice. In it's inaugural year, Compromised saw 18 students complete the challenge.
Thank you to collaborators FoodReady and Intoxicated by Riddles for bringing this concept to life. Also, Safe Quality Foods Institute, NSF International. ASI, US Department of Defense, NCDA, and EAGLE Certification Group engaged in a networking event after students completed the escape room challenge.
"Compromised!?" is reimagining how we develop the next generation of food safety leaders - contact Dr. Clint Stevenson to get involved with future events!
Click here to see more: /watch?v=ob27K4vVAyA
It is almost time for Food Science Club’s annual Wine and Cheese charity gala! Join us on Saturday, March 28th from 6 pm to 8 pm at the City of Raleigh Museum to enjoy fantastic flavors while supporting a worthy cause. All proceeds benefit Wine to Water, a non-profit that promotes clean and sustainable drinking water. Wehope to see you there! Book your tickets here: /e/food-science-club-at-north-carolina-state-annual-wine-and-cheese-gala-tickets-1983458618120?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
We are hiring! FBNS is searching for an Assistant/Associate Professor in food fermentation and bioprocessing sciences. A PhD in Food Science, Bioprocessing, Chemical Engineering, Microbiology or related is required. This role carries an 80% teaching, 20% research split. Would you or anyone you know be interested in joining our team? Learn more about the role and apply at the link in our bio to come run with the Pack! #Hiring
Have you ever wanted to be a food scientist? Here’s your chance to try your hand- we are looking for students to participate in a citizen science project. All you need is a fridge, a phone, and a few minutes a day to help us collect crucial data.
The data you collect will help us understand the link between fridge habits, food disposal, and foodborne illness. Your contribution will help researchers develop real-world solutions that could improve public health and save countless pounds of food from the landfill right here on campus.
Join Fridge Factor, the 2026 Spring Pack Science Challenge, and help us unlock the secrets of a safer, more sustainable food system. When you complete the data collection period and return supplies, you will receive a cup of Howling Cow ice cream. Be among the first to return your supplies and also receive a Pack Science Challenge t-shirt. Help us make a difference!
Learn more and sign up to participate at the link in our bio.
