Sophomore food science major Elizabeth Cathey was one of the first Herbert College of Agriculture students to participate in undergraduate research through the Herbert Experiential Learning Opportunities (HERO) Program.
The HERO Program just launched this past summer, supporting undergraduate students like Cathey who want to pursue experiential research opportunities early in their academic careers. Through the program, undergraduate researchers receive an hourly stipend and supported travel and/or equipment costs.
Cathey chose the Herbert College of Agriculture for its “tight knit community” and because she knew she would have access to opportunities like the HERO Program. Regarding the Department of Food Science specifically, she said, “it’s easy to get attention from faculty.”
Food science professor Vermont Dia serves as her faculty advisor for their research project. The objective is to determine the content and properties of the protein in soybean and pigeon (split) pea samples, which will illustrate how they might behave as components in food products.
Cathey said there have been both high points and challenges since her involvement in the project started. She explained that a lot of her work over the summer did not yield the expected results, which means having to repeat some of the work with different parameters. “That’s the nature of research—things don’t always go as expected,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Cathey has enjoyed learning how to be adaptable and trying new procedures. She has also loved discussing ideas with Dia and feeling like she can “make an impact in a big way.”
Because of this research experience, Cathey has become more detail-oriented and has learned how to adapt to situations and create solutions. Additionally, she now has a better understanding of what food science is. Cathey said, “The hands-on work has given me a new perspective and introduced new concepts of food science that only upperclassmen would know.”
The research opportunity provided through the HERO Program has created a foundation that will benefit Cathey not only in her academic career, but professionally as well. As of right now, she is interested in a career in research development for a food company helping them develop new products. She loves the idea of “combining creativity and research.”
Cathey is grateful to Dia for being so helpful and kind throughout the research project. She said, “He is so knowledgeable and passionate about what he does.” She also credits food science research coordinator Philipus Pangloli for teaching her so much about the techniques she is learning in the lab.
Cathey’s advice to students on the fence about undergraduate research: “Just do it!” She added, “You will learn so much about yourself and what you want to do in the future.”
Learn more about undergraduate research and the HERO Program here.
