NDSU cereal science doctoral student Yang Lan was selected to receive a graduate scholarship and travel award by the Minnesota Section of the Institute of Food Technologists.

The organization annually awards scholarships to food science students who excel in volunteer service, leadership, academic achievement and professional development. An awards dinner that was planned in April will be rescheduled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Lan is originally from China, where he earned his bachelor’ and master’s degrees in food science. His doctoral research topic is “Fabrication of Pea Protein Isolate-Polysaccharide Complexes for Improving Protein Functionality.” The goals of his research are to modify pulse proteins using physiochemical methods and to assess structurally modified pulse proteins for improving functionality and flavor profiles.

He is advised by Jiajia Rao, assistant professor in food chemistry and ingredient technology.

The Minnesota Section of the Institute of Food Technologists is a regional association, covering Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, northern Iowa and northwestern Wisconsin. It has more than 1,000 members.

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