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News 2017

UCC Lauritzson Food Research Scholarship

8 Dec 2017
L-R: Mr Gerry Dempsey (Lauritzson Foundation), Mr Tom Butler (Lauritzson Foundation), Ms Megan Ross (Lauritzson Scholar 2017), Mackenzie Hansen (Lauritzson Scholar 2016), Mr Liam Spring (Lauritzson Foundation) and Prof Paul McSweeney (UCC).

   

Congratulations to Ms. Megan Ross, (BSc Food Science, UCC) on being awarded the 2017 UCC Lauritzson Food Research Scholarship to pursue a PhD in the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences.

Megan’s PhD is in researching possible dairy formulations suitable for 3D printing. 3D printing of food is a rapidly involving area of novel applications of food formulations, which can be applied in settings from kitchens to restaurants and factories.  UCC researchers have already attained international media interest from their research on 3D printing of cheese, and Megan’s PhD research will continue on this original success.

“I'm very lucky to be working on this project as it's very multidisciplinary as evidence from the areas of expertise of my supervisors”.

The project is supervised by Professor Alan Kelly an expert in the field of dairy science, as is co-supervised by Dr. Shane Crowley, in the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences. Professor Mary McCarthy of the Cork University Business School will also co-supervise the research and will provide expertise in completing a consumer acceptance study on 3D printing of food. Megan also hopes to collaborate with a 3D printing research project in Finland as they are doing a parallel consumer acceptance study.

“And finally Dr Alan Morrison of the School of Engineering, another of my supervisors, will advise me in operating and modifying our 3D printer to be suitable to 3D print dairy formulations”.

The UCC Lauritzson Food Research Scholarship was established in honour of the late Dr Lauritzson to promote research in food science and food-related disciplines.  These scholarships aim to support students and integrate them into the academic, social and cultural aspects of University College Cork. The scholarships are targeted at high performing students proposing to undertake impactful research, possibly of an inter-disciplinary nature, at the highest level in the broad area of food science under a supervisor or supervision team with significant experience in the area. Megan is the second recipient of the UCC Lauritzson Food Research Scholarship, Mackenzie Hansen received the scholarship in 2016 and is currently pursuing her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Yrjo Roos. We wish them all well in their research.

College of Science, Engineering and Food Science

Coláiste na hEolaíochta, na hInnealtóireachta agus na hEolaíochta Bia

Block E, Level 3, Food Science Building, UCC, Cork, T12 YN60.

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