Dojin Ryu has been named director of the Division of Food, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences (FNES) in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (NEP) in CAFNR and the School of Medicine, effective Aug. 1, 2023.
Ryu joins the University of Missouri from the Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences at the University of Idaho, where he serves as a professor. He is a 1992 graduate of the University of Missouri with a master’s in Food Science and Human Nutrition. Ryu received his Ph.D. in Food Science with an emphasis in Environmental Toxicology from University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“It is my goal to show the world how we, FNES, can lead the future of public health and wellness with synergistic collaboration,” Ryu said.
He has served as interim director of the Bi-State School of Food Science, a program between two land-grant universities, Washington State University and University of Idaho. In this position, Ryu navigated two distinctly different institutions.
Ryu’s research focuses on microbial food safety, chemical food safety and toxicology. He has secured 20 consecutive years of funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture for his research program. As a strong advocate for the land-grant mission, a hallmark of his work has been the translation of his research findings through both academic and extension networks.
“Dr. Ryu has spent his scientific career improving food safety and benefitting public health. He has built a strong network of collaboration, often taking multi- and cross-disciplinary approaches to solve problems. We are thrilled to have him join our college, where our singular goal is to ‘create a healthy world,’” said CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher R. Daubert. “In addition, he is adept at building transdisciplinary teams and committed to student success. He has the right experience to help Food Science, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology grow together and achieve excellence.”
Today, FNES incorporates programs in the disciplines of Food Science, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. The NEP program is administered jointly between CAFNR and the Mizzou School of Medicine. As such, Ryu will have his primary academic and tenure home in FNES in CAFNR (75%), with a secondary appointment in NEP in the School of Medicine (25%).
“Dr. Ryu is an internationally recognized expert in food safety research who has spent decades leading interdisciplinary teams conducting important federally funded research,” said Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and School of Medicine Dean Richard J. Barohn. “His work experience embodies the joint mission of the School of Medicine and MU Health Care ‘To save and improve lives—through exemplary education, research and patient care,’ and we are thrilled for him to join our team.”
Ryu serves as scientific editor of the Journal of Food Science, Toxicology section; is on the editorial board for the Journal of Food Protection; and has been part of the Science Board and the Food Advisory Committee for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Board of Trustees for the International Food Information Council. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, and two book chapters. Ryu is a member of the American Chemical Society, AACC International (formerly American Association of Cereal Chemists), AOAC International (formerly Association of Official Analytical Chemists), and the Institute of Food Technologists, to which he was recently elected as Fellow.