Grants:

• USDA Aquaculture Special Grants (multiple projects, 2006-2008), $72,634.
• USDA 1890 Institution Teaching and Research Capacity Building Grants Program, $390,134 total; $55,185 for LSU

Awards:

• 2007 College of Agriculture Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching
• 2007 Gamma Sigma Delta (the Honor Society of Agriculture) Research Award of Merit, LSU Chapter
• 2006 LSU Distinguished Faculty Award
• 2005 LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation President’s Award
• 2005 National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Teaching Award
• 2005 Gamma Sigma Delta (the Honor Society of Agriculture) Teaching Award of Merit, LSU Chapter
• 2004 LSU Advisor of the Year awarded by the University College
• 2004 LSU College of Agriculture (COA) Sedberry Undergraduate Teaching Award
• 2003 LSU Outstanding Teacher awarded by the LSU Student Government, Academic Affairs
• 2003 LSU AgCenter Diversity in the Workplace Award (Honorable Mention)
• 1998-2006 (9 consecutive yrs) Gamma Sigma Delta Award of Merit Teacher Honor Roll, College of Agriculture
• 1999 The Tiger Athletic Foundation Award for Outstanding Teacher (at the Assistant Professor level)

Research Interests:

• Value-added new food product research and development from Louisiana agricultural, seafood and aquacultural byproducts and wastes from processing plants.
• Sensory science and evaluation methods as a driving force and tool for the development of new products; Consumer-oriented product optimization and acceptance as a primary tool for the success of new products in the market; Use of statistical methods and analyses as a tool for assisting the interpretation of complex sensory and consumer results.
• Functional properties of raw materials as affected by product formulation and process conditions which influence overall sensory properties of end products.

Ph.D. University of Georgia (1996)