GRADUATE STUDENT PROFILE - Lorena Correia

Lorena Correia successfully defended her MS thesis on March 4, 2026. Lorena is originally from Brazil where she completed her bachelor's degree at the University of Sao Paulo-Brazil, and she received her MBA from the University of Uberaba.

Lorena's thesis was entitled, "Food Safety in Emerging Food Production Systems and Artificial Intelligence-Based Consumer Guidance."  This research addresses two critical gaps in food safety education. First, it examines food safety concerns in aquaponics, a novel and rapidly developing food production system that offers potential solutions to current food production limitations but also introduces new contamination risks that are not yet well understood. Second, it investigates the use of artificial intelligence chatbots as tools for food safety guidance, focusing on their accuracy, reliability, and alignment with expert recommendations.

Lorena was advised by Dr. Yaohua "Betty" Feng. Other members of her graduate committee included Dr. Hanyu Chen and Dr. Wanju Huang.

Lorena was drawn to Purdue for her graduate studies for a couple of reasons, stating, "I chose Purdue because of its strong reputation in food science and food safety research, particularly its emphasis on solving real, applied problems. It also felt like a place where I could strengthen my technical skills, engage with practical, hands-on research, and work in an environment that takes food safety seriously at both the scientific and applied levels."

After graduation, Lorena plans to further develop her expertise in consumer behavior and decision-making while strengthening her research and analytical skills. She aims to build a strong foundation in applied research that will enable her to contribute to practical, evidence-based solutions that improve public health.