Jiajia Rao Wins the Young Scientist Research Award From the American Oil Chemists’ Society

Jiajia Rao, assistant professor in the food science and cereal science programs at North Dakota State University, received the Young Scientist Research Award for 2022 from the American Oil Chemists’ Society.

“Being a recipient of the AOCS Young Scientist Research Award will inspire me to continue to contribute to my research program at NDSU and the long-term growth of AOCS by offering mentorship to graduate students and young professionals in the future,” Dr. Rao said.

Dr. Rao has worked at North Dakota State University since 2015, where her research focus is on identifying the structural and functional properties of food ingredients from agricultural crops, such as pulses, industrial hemp, oat and barley, and their application in food. The work includes improving plant protein functionality and developing delivery systems for encapsulating bioactive ingredients.

Dr. Rao earned her bachelor’s degree at Sichuan University of Science and Engineering in China. She holds a master’s degree in pharmacochemistry from Chongqing University in China and a Ph.D. in food science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.