As part of
AAABRG’s Learning and Development series, this discussion sheds light on the
challenges and triumphs faced by African, African American, and Black science of
food academics at Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), historically Black
colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and predominantly white institutions (PWIs). A panel of African, African American, and Black
science of food academics with diverse insights share their personal
experiences working in academia, and discuss the role institutions play in
supporting African, African American, and Black science of food academics.
Speaker Information
Cheryl Rock, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Food Science, California State University,
Long Beach
Dr. Rock has been in academia since 2014. She received her
bachelor's degree (B. Sc.) in Food Science and Technology with a minor in
Chemistry from the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical (A & M) University.
In 2007, she continued with her Master's degree (M. Sc.) at the same university
specializing in Nutritional Biochemistry and Carcinogenesis. In 2012, she
obtained her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the University of Florida (UF),
where she specialized in Food Engineering and Processing, primarily Power
Ultrasound (PU) and Pulsed Ultraviolet Light (PUV) technologies. Her research
experiences and interests include dietary intervention in reducing and
preventing non – communicable disease such as Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes and
Cardiovascular Disease, Ethnomedicine and Food Metaphysics.
Fun facts about Dr. Rock is that she served as a Judge in the
Institute of Food Technologist Disney Student Product Development competition in
Chicago, USA and she facilitates a short-term study abroad course in Barbados
each year "Distilling and Brewing Technology in Barbados", where students from
California State University - Long Beach has joined her to engage in some of the
cultural activities. Lastly, she is the Author of 3 books: Frankenfood: Fact or
Science Fiction; Scientific Writing: Tools and Techniques and The Bagua Plate:
An Integrative and Practical Approach to Health and Wellness. She has been an
Active member of IFT member for 18 years where she serves as the (1) Faculty
Advisor for the CSULB Food Science Chapter in the Pacific Southwest region; (2)
Learning and Development Chair in the African American, African and Black
Resource Group and (3) Member of the IFT Academic Advisory
Committee.
Shannon M. Coleman, Ph.D. Associate Professor/Extension Specialist, Food Safety and Consumer
Production, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Shannon Coleman received her bachelor's and master's degree in Food
Science and Technology from Alabama A&M University. She received her
doctoral degree in Animal Science from Colorado State University. Coleman
currently serves as an Associate Professor and State Extension Specialist in the
Food Science and Human Nutrition department at Iowa State University. Coleman's
Extension and Outreach work includes developing and disseminating food safety
curricula and resources for emerging, very small, and small food manufacturers
in Iowa. Using various evaluation theories, her research evaluates food
manufacturers' attitudes, intentions, and behaviors towards following food
safety practices. In addition, Coleman has expanded her outreach and research to
fill gaps in improving food safety and the local food system from farm to table,
including developing curriculum and resources for youth, adults, and
gardeners.
Melvin
Pascall, Ph.D. Professor
in the Department of Food Science and
Technology,The Ohio
State University
Dr. Melvin
Pascall is a professor at The Ohio State University. His research and areas of
expertise include food packaging with emphasis on integrity, modified
atmospheric packaging, nano technology and plastics, migration/scalping, edible
packaging, packaging material sanitization, and food safety. Dr. Pascall’s
career has included research and outreach on a global scale through his work
with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United
State Department of Agriculture (USDA). He has also formed collaborative
partnerships with several researchers and universities located around the world.
In 2022, he received IFT’s International Food Security Award in Honor of Bor S.
Luh. He was also selected as an IFT Fellow in 2020, which is bestowed upon an
IFT member by their peers to recognize exemplary professionalism in the science
of food profession.
Dr.
Leonard L. Williams, Ph.D. Professor
of Food Safety and Microbiology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State
University
Dr. Leonard L.
Williams is the Director and Professor of Food Safety and Microbiology at North
Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Center for Excellence in
Post-Harvest Technologies (CEPHT) located on the North Carolina Research Campus
(NCRC) in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He has served as a mentor and adviser to
over 50 graduate, 13 undergraduate and high school research students and
supervised five post-doctoral scholars. His research areas include incidence of
food-borne pathogens in fruits and vegetables using molecular, immunological and
epidemiological approaches, novel nano-biomaterials for inactivation of
Norovirus and other food borne pathogens, methods to determine antimicrobial
resistance profiles of multiple microorganisms from food, clinical, and
veterinary sources, alleviating several peanut allergens commonly found in
varieties of peanuts and peanut-based products, and genetic diversity of gut
microbiota and its role on antimicrobial resistance.
IFT’s AAABRG’s Learning and Development Series presents: African, African American, and Black Experiences in Food Science Academia - On-Demand Webcast
1 Presentation
0 Sections