Oct. 7, 2021
Food science doctoral candidate earns $10,000 MISA Foundation scholarship
By Robby Edwards, Director of Communications
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
Fast facts
- Beekman one of seven recipients selected nationally
- Conducts food sensory perception research in Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
(471 words)
PHOTO of Tad Beekman: https://flic.kr/p/2myuaJs
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Tad Beekman, a University of Arkansas doctoral student in food science, is one of seven students nationally selected to receive a Meat Industry Suppliers Alliance Foundation scholarship for $10,000.
a Meat Industry Suppliers Alliance Foundation scholarship for $10,000. (Photo submitted)
Beekman, who has earned a Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship at the U of A Graduate School and International Education, has also been nominated to serve on the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation's Student Advisory Committee.
Beekman conducts University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture research with his graduate advisor, Han-Seok Seo, a food scientist with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the Division of Agriculture’s research arm. Seo is also an associate professor of food science for Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the U of A.
"This is such great news, meaning that Tad's endless motivation and activities in both meat-related research and in the meat industry network have paid off," Seo said. "He is very deserving, and I am very proud of him."
In the spring, he was one of three U of A students, all in the food science program in Bumpers College, selected to receive scholarships through Feeding Tomorrow: The Foundation of the Institute of Food Technologists. He won the Evergreen Award for Outstanding Presentation that Develops or Expands a Method at the National Conference for Sensory Professionals in 2020 and the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology Science Communication Podcast Award in 2019. He placed second in the 2019 Arkansas Chapter Gamma Sigma Delta Ph.D. Poster Contest.
In 2021, Phi Tau Sigma, the Honor Society of Food Science and Technology, also featured his research publication showing how different types of straws or lids can affect consumer acceptability and monetary value perception of iced coffee beverage. Beekman is also president of the Food Science Club.
"The MISA Foundation is proud to announce its list of outstanding scholarships winners for the 2021-22 school year," said Brian Perkins, chairman of the MISA Foundation and president, Processing Group, Diversified Food & Health of JBT Corporation. "The Foundation Board congratulates the winners and wishes them the best in the upcoming school year and all future endeavors. This year's group of applicants was especially strong, making our selection process very difficult. It's nice to see that even during the challenging times we have all experienced over the past 18 months, we have dedicated students working hard to expand their knowledge and establish a foundation for what we know will be successful careers in this industry."
The Meat Industry Suppliers Alliance is the non-profit meat industry council of the Food Processing Suppliers Association that is actively engaged in continuous improvement on behalf of its members as well as the meat industry.
The MISA Foundation is a non-profit tax-exempt organization formed to nurture, promote and develop state-of-the-art technology and technical information by furthering the education of meat and food science students.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at @ArkAgResearch.
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.