Food, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences

As part of ensuring student success, the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) offers its students numerous opportunities to connect in meaningful ways with industry professionals. Those interactions come through a variety of programs, from CAFNR-sponsored experiences to degree-specific trips. For example, the Biochemistry Industry Tour included multiple meetings with professionals across the St. Louis area.

Feb. 13, 2023

Endless Educational Opportunities

As part of ensuring student success, the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) offers its students numerous opportunities to connect in meaningful ways with industry professionals. Those interactions come through a variety of programs, from CAFNR-sponsored experiences to degree-specific trips. Recently, CAFNR students met with a variety of professionals through the Agribusiness Career Connections Program, Dickinson Scholars Program and Biochemistry Industry Tour. The Agribusiness Career Connection program is designed to connect CAFNR undergraduates to various agribusinesses located throughout the Midwest. Students hear from businesses and organizations, with a focus on possible internships or future job opportunities. The…
Memphis Bancroft is in the accelerated master’s program within the food science and nutrition degree program, which allows student’s to complete both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in just five years. Bancroft is a senior, which means she is close to finishing her undergraduate degree while getting a jumpstart on her master’s degree.

Jan. 30, 2023

Finding the Perfect Degree

When Memphis Bancroft made the decision to pursue a food science and nutrition degree at the University of Missouri she didn’t realize the real-world application of what she was studying would be so immediate. When Bancroft chose the degree program her mother was on a very restrictive diet due to a colon cancer diagnosis. “With the effects of surgery we had to find food that fit the bill and wouldn’t cause more issues,” Bancroft said. “Her diet was really tough – she really couldn’t have much fiber, protein or dairy. I was taking what I was learning in the classroom…
A capstone course within the food science and nutrition degree program, the Food Product Development (F_S 4970) class allows students to integrate the various disciplines of food science to create new food products. This semester, students were tasked with creating a Kansas City-style barbeque sauce, which is typically sweeter in nature. That food product focus wasn’t random – Sonja Derboven, licensing director at the University of Missouri, asked Andrew Clarke, an associate professor, if there would be an interest in having the students take on such a project before the semester began, with the goal of potentially taking one sauce to market in the future.

Dec. 17, 2022

A Tasty Experience

Food science and nutrition students spent the fall semester developing a variety of barbeque sauce flavors.
A white woman with long, brunette hair smiles while wearing a blue lab coat. Behind her are various medical equipment in a research laboratory.

Dec. 15, 2022

Making Connections

Exercise and physiology faculty use strong collaboration at MU to learn more about body systems.
Photo of Pavel Somavat

Dec. 9, 2022

Get to Know Pavel Somavat

Somavat is an assistant professor in both food science and biomedical, biological and chemical engineering.
Column Awards displayed on the table

Nov. 16, 2022

An Exceptional Evening

CAFNR honors six of the college’s outstanding alumni at the 2022 Column Awards.

Oct. 18, 2022

CAFNR Research Symposium Poster Winners Announced

More than 90 posters were showcased at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources' first in-person Research Symposium.
Stephan Sommer smiling.

Sep. 29, 2022

Stephan Sommer

Physical stability and shelf-life on wine Microbial communities and interactions in fermentations Additives and technical treatment options in wine Sustainable winery waste and wastewater treatment options Value added products from winery waste Educational background Ph.D., Microbiology, University of Mainz, Germany…
Jason Zhang’s food science journey began in China at Jiangnan University, one of the top food science universities in the country. His first trip to the United States came after earning his undergraduate degree, when he was accepted as a graduate student at the University of Missouri. Zhang, who grew up in southern China, and his wife, Sha, first stepped onto the Columbia campus in 2011 as they both began the pursuit of their PhDs in food science. Photo courtesy of Jason Zhang.

Sep. 28, 2022

An Entrepreneurial Desire

Jason Zhang's interest in food science led him to the University of Missouri.
Christian Fenton grew up in Columbia and said she chose the nutrition and exercise physiology degree program at the University of Missouri because of its focus on the influences of nutrition and physical activity on human health and disease. She said that with state-of-the-art facilities, there are multiple opportunities to see firsthand how exercise and healthy eating can affect an individual’s personal health, which also includes tooth health. She has already been accepted into the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry through the Reserved Admissions Program. Photo courtesy of Christian Fenton.

Sep. 22, 2022

Preparing for the dental field

Nutrition and exercise physiology (NEP), biochemistry offer students a pathway to careers in the medical field, including dentistry.