UA food science team wins national competition

Aug. 8, 2007

Contact Information:

Navam Hettiarachchy, Professor of Food Science
479-575-4779 / nhettiar@uark.edu

By Fred Miller, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
479-575-5647 / fmiller@uark.edu

IFT food science team Members of the University of Arkansas national championship food science team are, front row from left, Sarah Stribling, Navam Hettiarachchy (coach), Vishal Jain and Brittany Adams. Back row, Arvind Kannan, Ken Over (captain) and Michael Kaminski.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas Department of Food Science team won the national championship at the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association College Bowl Competition. The UA team won the title July 30 at the IFT annual convention in Chicago with a double-elimination round victory over Chapman University.

Arkansas reached the finals by winning the South Central regional championship. Other finalists were the University of Minnesota, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Georgia and Purdue University.

The student team members are Ken Over, captain; Vishal Jain, Arvind Kannan, Brittany Adams, Michael Kaminski and Sarah Stribling. Navam Hettiarachchy, professor of food science, is the team coach. Hettiarachchy’s team has won the South Central regional championship for three consecutive years.

“Coaching the College Bowl team is a humble and challenging broad-based learning experience that requires plentiful patience,” Hettiarachchy said. “I am very proud of the accomplishments of this outstanding team.”

Members of earlier teams coached by Hettiarachchy have since gone on to serve as faculty members and food science team coaches at Louisiana State University, Oklahoma State University and Chapman University.

The competition tests the knowledge of student teams from across the United States in the areas of food science and technology, history of foods and food processing, food law, and general IFT/food-related trivia. The College Bowl is sponsored by the IFT Student Association and General Mills, Inc.

Teams for IFT student chapters in six geographical areas of the Student Association compete in area competitions prior to the IFT annual meeting. The winning teams from the six areas then compete in a final competition at the annual meeting. All finalists receive a $1,000 travel grant. The national champion earns a $1.000 award, and the runner-up a $750 award.