2021 John Clark Award

Akinbode Adedeji, PhD is nominated for the 2021 John Clark Award in recognition of his dedicated contributions to engineering for agricultural, food and biological systems with a specific focus on Food Engineering as well as his outstanding service to CSBE/SCGAB and ASABE through his editorial and leadership activities. Akinbode is originally from Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, graduated as a Bachelor of Technology in Food Engineering from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria and began his graduate studies in food technology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He obtained a PhD in Bioresource Engineering from McGill University in 2010 with his thesis focusing on the various physical properties and engineering characteristics of the most commonly consumed kids favorite - chicken nuggets. In 2014, Dr. Adedeji joined University of Kentucky as an assistant professor of food engineering. His research interests have been focused on food engineering for increasing the use of underutilized grain value-addition (physicochemical characterization, baking quality, and extrusion process development), bourbon waste conversion to value-added products (high fiber source; protein extraction), abiotic stress effect on functionality change in food macromolecules and bioactive compound accumulation, non-invasive characterization of foods using hyperspectral imaging and acoustic emission –machine learning approach, and non-thermal processing (pulsed UV light, ultrasonication) of food.