Our Team
Dr. Feng
Dr. Feng is an assistant 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.
PhD Students
Han Chen
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.
Elma K- Manu
Master Students
Zachary Berglund
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.
Maeve Swinehart
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.
Autumn Stoll
Undergraduate Students
Kendall Bantum
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.
Ella Bryan
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.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-bryan
Anqi Cui
My name is Anqi Cui, I transferred from China Agricultural University, and now I am a junior majoring in Agricultural Economics and minoring in Statistics. I am interested in Data Analysis, Agricultural Prices, and Food Safety and Security. I am very excited to join this team and participate in projects that can help to improve food safety.
Claudia Guillen
Nicolas Robalino
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.
Isabelle Yates
Katie Yeend
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.
Jiaming Zhang
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.
Haohui Zhu
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.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haohui-zhu/
Visiting Students
Alejandra P. Jaramillo
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.