Oscar Bomgaars is one of five students across the U.S. awarded the American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI) Educational Scholarship in 2026. He’s also the first University of Missouri student to receive the scholarship. 

“It just feels really good to be recognized for the work that I’m doing,” Bomgaars said.  

Bomgaars is a junior majoring in food science and nutrition and conducts research that focuses on dairy.  

“I like the idea of working on a project and looking to solve problems,” he said.  

Working under Bongkosh (Jeab) Vardhanabhuti, an associate professor of food science, Bomgaars’ research applies to the product development industry. 

“There are a thousand different food products out there, like Doritos for example,” he said. “Someone had to work on what the flavor’s going to be, how they’re going to formulate the actual chip.” 

Bomgaars explained how that process spans across almost every food item on shelves today.  

“There are teams working on each of those individual aspects of a food item,” he said. “They’re trying to optimize those different properties to get the perfect amount of crispiness or flavor.” 

Developing details about dairy proteins 

The research Bomgaars focuses on surrounds dairy proteins.  

“We’re not necessarily working on products that are going to market, but we’re doing a lot of the fundamental research that can then get implemented in products,” he said.  

Bomgaars explained that his team is identifying how certain proteins behave in certain conditions.  

“Depending on the acidity of a solution or the temperature that it might get processed in, different proteins will behave differently given different conditions,” he said.  

During his time in the lab, Bomgaars said Vardhanabhuti’s guidance has been key to his success in research so far.  

“Dr. V has really given me a lot of freedom to explore the things I want,” he said. “She does a really good job at pushing students to the edge of their abilities.” 

It was also Vardhanabhuti who encouraged Bomgaars to apply for the ADPI scholarship. He said the support he’s received from both her and the scholarship opportunity have helped him fight the feelings of imposter syndrome.  

“As an undergrad, I’m always kind of worried that maybe the research I’m doing isn’t as significant,” Bomgaars said. “But it feels validating that they think the work I’m doing is important enough for the dairy industry to fund me.” 

Learning and leading in and out of the lab 

As an upperclassman, Bomgaars now has the opportunity to be a mentor to younger students in the lab.  

“I’m excited to work more with the freshmen I’ve been working with and get to see them really start applying what they’ve learned to their own projects,” he said.  

He said the lab staff has grown considerably over the past couple of years, which makes the environment more fun to work in.  

“Hopefully that’ll also lead to more publications coming out of our lab,” Bomgaars said.  

Bomgaars credits his research experience to shaping the knowledge he has today. 

“This is by far the most impactful part of my college experience,” he said. “It’s provided a consistent and continuous learning experience that goes beyond just one class.” 

Learning what he has in the lab has also made Bomgaars’ academic experience easier.  

“I think I’m doing a lot better in all of my classes because I understand some of the very basic mechanisms that I work with in the lab,” he said. 

Getting involved in research has been fundamental in shaping who Bomgaars is today. It’s an experience he said everyone should take part in if they can. 

“It’s an incredible learning experience for everything in your field,” he said. “It’s really rewarding.”