Our Team

Dr. Feng is an associate professor of food science at Purdue University. Feng’s research program explores cultural, social, and environmental factors that affect food safety behaviors. The goal of Dr. Feng’s research program is to identify barriers to understanding food safety issues and evaluate strategies that empower stakeholders to make science-based decisions. By using both qualitative and quantitative research methods and working with farmers, food workers, and consumers, Dr. Feng’s work can increase the knowledge of different sectors of the food supply chain: which include consumers, food processors, retailers and the policymakers.

My name is Han and I'm currently a Ph.D. student in Dr. Feng’s lab. I graduated from Purdue University with both my BCs and MSc in Food Science. I joined Dr. Feng's lab in my junior year as an undergraduate research assistant and continued as an MS student. During my master, my projects were to understand the barriers and needs of farmers in food safety and develop food safety education program for this niche population. Currently, I am pursuing my Ph.D. degree and my research interests are food safety culture assessment and cross-culture food safety education.

My name is Elma and I hold a master's degree (MPhil) in Food Science from the University of Ghana. My research interests include consumer food safety education, food security, food, and nutrition policy, and survey research methods. I joined Dr. Feng's lab this summer as an intern and worked on some consumer food safety educational programs, as well as writing good scientific papers. I will start my Ph.D. this spring'23, working to develop a virtual food safety education program for small scale food processors.

My name is Zachary Berglund, I graduated from Purdue ABE in 2020 and since then have had experience working in agriculture at a small robotics start-up and then as a medical technician at a contract research organization. My personal interests vary from synthetic biology, biosafety, and ethics to fermentative processes, home brewing, and food safety. Currently, I’m studying in Feng’s Lab as a master’s student and plan to graduate in 2023. My research aims to understand the barriers and advantages of digital food safety trainings with a focus for small scale food processors.

My name is Maeve Swinehart, and I graduated with a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Notre Dame in 2021. Since the summer, I have been conducting research on the food safety implications of homemade nut-based dairy alternatives and soaked nuts with Dr. Feng. Starting in spring 2022, I will pursue my MS in Dr  Feng’s lab. I look forward to continue my research on tree nuts and military veteran farmers over the next two years.

My name is Autumn Stoll and I am from Seattle, Washington. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from San Diego State University in 2019. After graduation, I served with AmeriCorps as a Nutrition Coordinator at a shelter for houseless youth in Downtown Seattle. I started as an intern in Dr. Feng's lab this summer. I have been conducting research regarding military veteran farmers and produce drying processors to assess their food safety education needs and develop extension programs to address those needs.  In Spring 2023, I will start pursuing my MS in Dr. Feng's lab.

Hi, my name is Kendall Bantum, and I am a sophomore Studying food science at Purdue. I am very interested in outreach and food safety education so I am really excited to be a part of this lab.

My name is Ella and I am currently a sophomore studying food science at Purdue. This is my first time in a research lab, and I am excited to assist Dr. Feng and others with projects to improve food safety in our community.

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My name is Claudia Guillen and I am a freshman studying Food Science. I am interested in food safety and its effects on the environment. Because I really enjoyed my experiences in the food processing lab, I would like to expand my horizons in this field by joining this research lab. I look forward to contributing to this lab, and I am determined to develop new skillsets and connections.

My name is Nicolas, I am a freshman from Ecuador and I am currently majoring in Food Science. I am very interested in all aspects of Food Science, but as of now, I want to learn more about food safety and its implications within the food industry. This is my first time in a research lab and I am looking forward to assisting Dr. Feng and all of the graduate students that are members of the lab.

My name is Isabelle Yates, and I am currently a senior studying Biological Engineering. I have worked on projects related to tree nut food safety with my main focus being on developing flour food safety materials. I also work with our social media team to help educate consumers on food safety!

My name is Katie Yeend and I am a sophomore at Purdue studying Agricultural Communication with a minor in sustainable food and farming. I work for the Farmer Veteran Coalition of Indiana and am currently their communications director. After Purdue, I hope to start a career in public relations for a seed company. I hope to learn more career skills in Dr. Feng's lab that I can apply after graduation.

My name is Jiaming Zhang, and I am a junior studying Agriculture Economics with a Data Science specialization, as well as minoring in mathematics and earning a Data Science certificate. Quantitative analysis, econometrics, and statistics are some of my areas of interest. In the future, I'll continue my research in economics and quantitative analysis. I'm eager to expand my skills in data science so that I can help Dr. Feng and others with projects to improve food safety.

My name is Haohui Zhu, a senior majoring in food science at Purdue. I am interested in the relationship between culinary science and food science. For now, I am assisting Han with the Wood Ear Mushroom project, while I am also working at the sensory lab. I believe food safety is a crucial area for human health, and I hope to make a contribution to this vast field.

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My name is Alejandra, and I joined Dr. Feng’s lab last semester as a visiting scholar. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology from Zamorano University in 2022. I have been conducting research regarding the influences on college students’ menu selection and influencing factors of home apple drying practices. I look forward to keeping acquiring academic skills and contributing to the research and extension of food safety programs for industry stakeholders and consumers.