Next Generation of Food Safety Leaders: 3-A SSI Names Eight Recipients of 2025 Dr. Ron Schmidt Student Travel Award

Future food safety professionals will be honored as 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. (3-A SSI) welcomes eight exceptional students to its 2025 Summit on Hygienic Design. Selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants, these recipients of the Dr. Ron Schmidt Student Travel Award will share their cutting-edge research at the Summit, taking place May 6 to 8 at the Marriott Chicago O'Hare.

"These remarkable students represent the innovative thinking that will shape tomorrow's food safety standards," says 3-A SSI Chair John Kuhnz. "Their diverse research areas demonstrate the critical intersection of academic excellence and real-world food safety challenges. The Summit provides these rising stars with a unique platform to connect with industry leaders who work to protect global food systems."

The award recipients demonstrate exceptional promise in advancing hygienic design principles across a range of food sectors. Each recipient will present their research during dedicated poster sessions throughout the three-day Summit, offering attendees direct insight into emerging food safety approaches.

“The caliber of research by the 2025 award recipients demonstrates why investing in emerging talent is critical to advance food safety," said Meri Beth Wojtaszek, Executive Director of 3-A SSI. "In addition to financial support, this award opens doors to invaluable networking opportunities and exposure to industry practices beyond the lab or classroom. The connections these students will make at the Summit often translate into mentorships and professional opportunities that shape their career trajectories."

The 2025 Dr. Ron Schmidt Student Travel Award Recipients:

Boluwatife Esther Ajayi (Texas A&M University) – A second-year PhD student in Animal Science whose research centers on food safety microbiology, with a focus on preventing foodborne illnesses to protect public health.

Daniela R. Chavez Velado (Texas Tech University) – A PhD candidate from El Salvador whose research focuses on improving food safety in poultry products, with the aim of promoting meaningful changes in food systems.

Dinithi De Silva (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) – A second-year PhD student investigating how microbial community composition affects pathogen detection in food processing environments, with potential implications for strengthening industry monitoring standards.

Shivaprasad Doddabematti Prakash (Kansas State University) – A PhD candidate developing intervention strategies to mitigate Salmonella and E. coli contamination in cereal grains and their processed products, who will present on tracking E. coli transfer during laboratory-scale roller milling.

Veeramani Karuppuchamy (Ohio State University) – A third-year PhD student with eight years of industry experience as a Quality Assurance Supervisor, bringing valuable real-world perspective to academic food safety research.

Mario Melendez (Louisiana State University) – An accomplished food scientist with more than nine years of experience in dairy production who is pursuing a PhD in Food Science. His research is focused on mycoprotein production as a sustainable meat alternative.

Karen Nieto Flores (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) – A PhD candidate evaluating the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitizing procedures for Listeria in dairy processing environments, with special focus on personal protective equipment as a potential vector for contamination.

Michael Starnes (Texas Tech University) – A Master's degree student who was named a USDA Future Leader in Agriculture for 2025, one of only five graduate students nationally to receive this distinction. His research focuses on Salmonella and E. coli mitigation strategies in beef and pork production.

The award, established to honor the legacy of Dr. Ronald H. Schmidt, provides access to the Summit, a travel stipend, and registration fees. Throughout the event, recipients will participate in specialized networking opportunities, present their research during daily poster sessions, and attend a dinner honoring their achievements.

The 2025 Summit on Hygienic Design will feature comprehensive educational sessions on equipment design, inspection, and fabrication essentials critical to ensuring food safety across multiple industries. For complete program details and registration information, visit https://conference.3-a.org/.