Faculty and Staff

Dr. Randy W. Worobo, Professor

Randy received his BSc and PhD from the University of Alberta, not too far from the cattle ranch he grew up on.  He is a world-renowned food microbiologist specializing in safety and quality interventions at the production level, especially for fungi. Randy manages one lab that conducts shelf-life and challenge studies for products treated by High Pressure Processing and other means, and another that focuses on antimicrobials and the microbial ecology of foods. When not working, he enjoys making bacon, keeping bees, baking bread, and walking; he does not like shoveling snow.

 

 

Dr. Ann Charles Vegdahl, Research Associate (Geneva)

Ann is originally from Haiti. She immigrated to the US where she earned her BSc in Molecular and Cell Biology at University of Connecticut and her doctorate at Rutgers University. She is currently managing the Microbial Food Extension Lab and the HPP Validation Center. When she is not at Cornell, she is playing her two boys or two cats or two dogs or all of them together.

 

 

 

 

Gerard A. Humiston, ‘Andy’, Laboratory Technician (Geneva)

Andy is originally from Lake George, NY.  He received his BSc in Biology, minor in Chemistry, from Keuka College, Penn Yan, NY. He is currently an extension support specialist with the Cornell High Pressure Processing Validation Center at Cornell AgriTech, Geneva, NY. When not at work, he can be found hiking in the Adirondacks, swimming, biking and running around the Finger Lakes, fishing local lakes and streams, Skateboarding with his son at the park, or alpine Skiing.

 

 

 

Jason Curran, Laboratory Technician (Geneva)

 Jason received his BS in Biology from West Chester University. He currently works at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, NY in the Food Microbiology Laboratory. He conducts applied studies relevant to product shelf-life, food safety, and UV pasteurization. When not at work, he can be found hiking, fishing, fossil hunting, brewing and spending quality time with his family.

 

 

Postdoctoral Associates

Dr. Jonathan Sogin, Postdoctoral Associate

Jonathan is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, although his friends and co-workers like to joke that he is from Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he received his BSc in Food Science and Technology and received his PhD in Food Microbiology from Cornell University. Jonathan enjoys extension related activities, microbial ecology research using next generation sequencing tools, and community outreach. When not working, you can find him hiking, fishing, biking, hammocking, skiing, snowshoeing, wine touring, cooking, or playing with his cats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graduate Students

Rory (Yuanhao) Wang, PhD Candidate

Rory (Yuanhao) Wang received his B.S in food science from Iowa State University and M.S. in food microbiology from Washington State University. His research focuses on validating and improving non-thermal (such as High Pressure Processing) interventions to control microbial safety and quality of juices and other products. He enjoys spending time with his dogs (Kenji and Doobu as seen in the picture), and he loves playing tennis when the weather is nice!
*Link to Cornell’s HPP validation center.

 

Maria Amalia Beary, PhD Candidate

Amalia is originally from Argentina. She received her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Sciences and master’s degree in Food Quality and Agriculture Management from Universidad del Salvador (Del Salvador University). She is currently persuing her doctoral degree in Food Science at Cornell University. She likes to cook, bake, and dance.

*Amalia received outstanding TA award from the Department of Food Science in 2024!

 

 

 

 

 

Yupawadee ‘Beau’ Galasong, PhD Candidate

 

Beau is a PhD student. Born and raised in Thailand, she first experienced winter while attending Cornell University as an undergraduate Food Science major. Beau enjoys learning food microbiology and experimenting with natural preservatives. Outside of lab, she likes to try Asian fusion recipes, improve her pasta making skills, and learn random food facts (for a competition).

*Beau received Juice Products Association Scholarhip in 2024!

 

 

Mario Çobo, PhD Student

Mario is an Albania/Greek national who received his BSc in Molecular Genetics from the University of Rochester. He currently works at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, NY in the Food Microbiology Laboratory. He conducts applied studies relevant to product shelf-life, food safety, and UV pasteurization. In his free time, Mario prefers to keep up with the latest news, dabble in tech or books, and exercise.

 

 

 

 

Undergraduate Students

Naoko Todo, Food Science

 

Alumni

Michał Matejczuk, M.S.

Zirui Ray Xiong, Ph.D.

Abigail Reing, Undergraduate

Erin Chambrone, Undergraduate

Sophia Elie, MPS

Avery Becker, M.S.

Rebecca Cheng, Ph.D.

Shiyu Cai, M.S.

Abigail Snyder, Ph.D.

Carmen Wickware, M.S.

Claire Zoellner, Ph.D.

Zejia Thomas Lin, MPS

Ethyn Leong, Undergraduate

Conner Drosdick, Undergraduate

Colin Klein, Undergraduate

 

Visiting Scholars

Rinrada Thammasuwan, Visiting Scholar (Current)

Ayse Tulin Oz, Visiting Scholar (Current)

Khursheed Shiekh, Visiting Scholar (Current)

Isaya Kijpatanasilp , Visiting Scholar (2023)

Nicha Asadatorn, Visiting Scholar (2023)

Alice Chapelle, Visiting Scholar (2022)

Krisadee Sawnwandee, Visiting Scholar (2018)