Grain Science and Industry

201 Shellenberger Hall
785-532-6161
Fax: 785-532-7010
grains@k-state.edu
http://www.grains.ksu.edu

Department Head:

Dirk Maier

Director of graduate studies:

David Wetzel

Graduate faculty:

Sajid Alavi, Ph.D., Agricultural Engineering, Cornell University.
Keith Behnke, Ph.D., Grain Science, Kansas State University.
Subramanyam Bhadriraju Ph.D., Entomology, University of Minnesota.
Hulya Dogan, Ph.D., Food Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Turkey.
Jon Faubion, Ph.D., Grain Science, Kansas State University.
Jeffrey Gwirtz, Ph.D., Grain Science, Kansas State University.
Ekramul Haque, Ph.D., Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University.
George Lookhart, Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, University of Wyoming.
Finlay MacRitchie, Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, University of Sydney.
Ron Madl, Ph.D., Biochemistry, Kansas State University.
Dirk E. Maier, Ph.D., Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University.
Leland McKinney, Ph.D., Animal Nutrition, Oklahoma State University.
Deborah Rogers, Ph.D., Grain Science, Kansas State University.
Paul Seib, Ph.D., Biochemistry, Purdue University.
Yong-Cheng Shi, Ph.D., Cereal Chemistry, Kansas State University.
X. Susan Sun, Ph.D., Agricultural Engineering, University of Illinois.
Praveen Vadlani, Ph.D., IIT Delhi, India.
Chuck Walker, Ph.D., Cereal Chemistry, North Dakota State University.
David Wetzel, Ph.D., Analytical Chemistry, Kansas State University.
Jeffrey Wilson, Ph.D., Grain Science, Kansas State University.

Programs

The Department of Grain Science and Industry offers courses of study leading to degrees of master of science and doctor of philosophy in grain science. Grain science faculty collaborate with the scientists at the USDA Grain Marketing Research Laboratories and the American Institute of Baking and there are graduate programs that are collaborative with those laboratories.

Modern teaching and research facilities include a pilot flour mill, feed mill, bakery, extrusion laboratory, and grain storage and handling facility. In addition, more than 10 cereal chemistry laboratories are equipped with visible and ultraviolet spectrophotometers near infrared analyzers, an infrared microspectrometer, gas chromatographs, liquid chromatographs, ultra centrifuge, freeze drying apparatus, balances, rapid viscosity analyzer, differential scanning calorimeter, thermo-mechanical analyzer, classical rheometer (Instron), dynamic rheometers, gel electrophoresis apparatus, a full array of glassware, rapid analyzers for nitrogen, fiber, and glucose, as well as recording mixers and starch viscometers.

The department has academic interest in the milling industry with particular emphasis on milling and baking properties of wheat cultivars since 1905. The wheat milling facilities range from a bench-scale mill (batch of 0.5 kg of grain) to a pilot mill with a capacity of 1 MT/hour. Specialty dry mills also are available to purify, fractionate, and grind any seed-like material, including all cereals, legumes, pulses, spices, and gums. Plans for a wet-milling laboratory for grain are progressing.

Another unique feature of the department is its fully functional pilot feed mill for research and development studies by university, industry, and government organizations. The feed mill at Kansas State University is a modern concrete and steel structure on campus which houses the latest in equipment in the feed milling industry. Its capabilities include cleaning and receiving raw materials, classification of raw materials, grinding and pelleting, flaking, or extruding. A premix room for microingredients and a large-scale batching system facilitate accurate proportioning and weighing of feed ingredients. The feed mill is capable of producing nearly all physical forms of formulated animal feeds. Plans for construction of new facilities are in progress.

A food-grade extrusion processing facility, houses a Wenger model X-20 single-screw extruder, a Wenger model TX-52 twin-screw extruder, and a gas-fired belt dryer.

Departmental facilities for research include well-equipped laboratories for all areas of research in cereal chemistry. This includes laboratories equipped for chemical research and special laboratories equipped for studies of the physical properties of flour, doughs and food systems. Pilot bakery facilities provide an excellent environment for teaching and research. A fully-equipped computer laboratory is available to all students.

The Swanson Memorial Resource Room, located in Shellenberger Hall, contains a collection of volumes relevant to the grain science discipline.

Admission

Correspondence and questions regarding Graduate School are handled by the chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee. Write to the department requesting information and application forms.

Applicants need to complete the Graduate School application form, obtain and submit the official transcripts and three letters of recommendation. Send these to the attention of the Chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee. Additionally, applicants should write a well-thought out statement of objectives which should include the discipline area in which the student has an interest and desires to perform research. This information is particularly important in placement within the department with major professors. Applicants should have a B average or better and have completed courses in calculus, physics, organic and biological chemistry and biological science.

All applicants whose native language is not English are required to attain a minimum score of 550 (or 213 if computer-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) before they are admitted to the Graduate School at Kansas State University. International students must provide a completed financial form and evidence of financial support for their graduate training.

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required, and copies should be submitted with the application. The Department of Grain Science and Industry does not have required minimum GRE scores, but places emphasis on these scores in the evaluation of applicants.

When the application materials are on file, the department’s admission committee will evaluate and provide a recommendation of action. Faculty members will then evaluate the applicant information presented and decide whether or not to supervise and to provide financial assistance for the student. A student that is found to be acceptable will then be assigned to a faculty member for supervision. No student will be admitted without a major professor identified. The application is then forwarded to the department head for approval and then to the Graduate School. The Graduate School has the ultimate authority for graduate admission.

Assistantships

Graduate research assistantships in grain science and industry are designed to support the research project areas of the individual faculty members. Those projects may be Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station projects directed by the faculty member or sponsored research projects funded by industrial, state, or federal agencies. In all cases, the decisions regarding support and awarding of assistantships are made on a competitive basis. Funds are not always adequate to award assistantships to all students who would like support. Decisions regarding initial and continuing support are based on both academic performance and research progress. Failure to maintain high quality academic work or research activity can be reason to cancel or discontinue an assistantship. More information about assistantships may be found at our department web site.