Brashears presented ARCS Foundation's 'Scientist of the Year' award
Mindy Brashears, director of Texas Tech's International Center for Food Industry Excellence, has been selected to receive the 'Scientist of the Year' award by the Lubbock chapter of the ARCS Foundation. The award will be presented Tuesday (Oct. 25) at a special scholar reception at the Lubbock Women's Club in Lubbock. Short for 'Achievement Rewards for College Scientists,' the 53-year-old organization of women philanthropists is dedicated to advancing science in America.
Over the past two decades Brashears, one of the nation's top food safety experts, has been the recipient of millions of dollars in federal, commodity and research grants. She has made breakthrough discoveries with her research and helped develop innovative new technologies in food safety.
Brashears, who is also a professor in Tech's Department of Animal and Food Sciences, developed a treatment shown to reduce food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli in processed beef and poultry. The treatment consists of a combination of lactic acid bacteria cultures, a "good" bacteria already found in foods like yogurt, cheeses and sausages. Researchers found that when the mixture was added to hamburger meat, Salmonella was non-detectable and the meat was unharmed after five days.
Brashears' endeavors also involve industry collaboration supported by the State of Texas Emerging Technology Fund to develop MicroZAP, a company that supports a microwave pasteurization technology. MicroZAP was spun off from patented technology developed through the cutting-edge food sterilization research at Texas Tech research center.
After earning a bachelor's degree in food technology from Texas Tech (1992), Brashears received master's (1994) and doctorate (1997) degrees in food science from Oklahoma State University. She was an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Department of Food Science and Technology before returning to her first alma mater.
The ARCS Foundation's 17 chapters across the country have provided more than 13,650 scholar awards totaling nearly $79 million at 52 universities. According to the group, it was founded in 1958 to address what was recognized as the critical future and growing need for U.S. scientists and engineers. Toward that goal, it invests in outstanding U.S. scholars completing degrees in science, engineering and medical research.
Written by Norman Martin
CONTACT: Mindy Brashears, Professor, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2805 ext. 235 or mindy.brashears@ttu.edu
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