Congratulations to the Incoming President-Elect and Director
AACCI members cast their ballots and will welcome incoming President-Elect Dave Braun and incoming Director Diane Gannon to the board. Dave and Diane will join the AACCI Board of Directors after the Cereals & Grains 18 meeting in London.
Dave’s Views: As a current member of the AACCI Board of Directors, it has been exciting to see the changes that have been put into motion that will help us grow and prosper for years to come. The pace at which things change today is faster than ever and maintaining the position of the association as the front-runner in cereal grain science grows more challenging every year. AACCI has a great message and brand, and we need to continue to build on our current audience and develop new audiences, whether they are related to cereal sciences or to new global regions. Reaching out to new partners is our mission—to provide and exchange knowledge and advance innovations across the broad disciplines of cereal grain science by facilitating research, education, collaboration, technical service, and advocacy efforts. “Create opportunities” is the first part of our mission statement—opportunities for people to get involved and to realize what an asset the AACCI organization and its members are. We are more than just a scientific society; we are in many cases family, friends, and colleagues bound by a common thread—a keen interest in grain science and industry. We are an organization that fosters relationships, collaborations, and friendships. We need to continue to provide opportunities for our members, old and new, to interact and form relationships that in many cases will last a lifetime. I have a real passion for the continued success of this organization. I have enjoyed my membership and the opportunity to serve over the past 22 years or so and will continue to do so.
Diane’s Views: The food processing world keeps turning. The global market and the professionals working in cereal-based foods continue to become more diverse in their disciplines while remaining intertwined. AACCI must be ready to integrate into this changing world and migrate its programs, policies, and focus to support the individual contributors who collectively make the science behind our industry thrive. Although individuals may shine, it is through and with others that we can be successful in sustaining the world’s food supply. AACCI programs, publications, and members have been my foundation for scientific, professional, and technical support. Although businesses and markets have changed, AACCI needs to continue to exist to promote new science and advocate proven and unproven scientific tools for the professional’s toolbox, so scientists can achieve success and perpetuate the cereal and grain industry. My career successes have been achieved through my ability to understand and embrace objectives and be flexible, while providing strong direction for my team. I hope to continue to apply these skills for AACCI in my role on the Board of Directors. I look forward to being an advocate for AACCI’s mission, vision, and programs.
AACCI Rheology & Texture of Cereal Foods Course Held
AACCI hosted a short course on the Rheology & Texture of Cereal Foods, March 13–15, at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. The three day course incorporated a mix of classroom and hands-on lab sessions, during which experts in the field covered the fundamental principles of cereal food rheology and how it influences texture. Attendees learned about how ingredients and processing technologies affect food system structures and how they, in turn, affect texture. They also gained hands-on lab experience using fundamental and empirical rheological methods to evaluate cereal foods.
Obituaries
Robert (Bob) L. Gies
Robert (Bob) L. Gies of Eagan, MN, passed away February 20, 2018, at the age of 82. Bob was a long-time member of AACCI and the International Association of Operative Millers (IAOM). Bob was preceded in death by his brothers Bill and Jack and sister Donna Slankard. He is survived by his wife of 61 years Rosalie; daughter Donna (Rich Hamer) Gies; son John (Nancy) Gies; grandchildren Anna and Will Hamer; nieces, nephews, relatives, his children’s godmother Joanne Reisberg, and many other dear friends.
Bienvenido (Ben) Juliano
Bienvenido (Ben) Juliano passed away February 21, 2018, at the age of 81 in his hometown of Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. Born on August 15, 1936, Ben showed brilliance and academic excellence at a young age. He graduated early from the University of the Philippines Los Baños with a B.S. degree in agriculture (1955) and became the youngest (at the age of 22) Ph.D. graduate in organic chemistry at The Ohio State University (1959). He returned to the Philippines and joined the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), where he pursued his life’s work from 1961 until his “retirement” in 1993.
A long-time member of AACCI, Ben was known for his outstanding contributions to research on the chemistry and technology of rice and rice food products and his extensive research on rice starch and its constituents. He authored or coauthored more than 370 scientific papers on rice chemistry, quality, and technology and the role of rice in human nutrition. He also edited and contributed to several chapters in the AACCI monograph Rice Chemistry and Technology, 2nd edition (1985) and wrote Rice in Human Nutrition for FAO (1993) and Rice Chemistry and Quality for PhilRice (2003). He served as an M.S. and Ph.D. theses adviser and as a member of the Journal of Cereal Science and Food Reviews International Editorial Board.
In recognition of his contributions, he received many awards and citations, including the Ten Outstanding Young Men Award from the Junior Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (1964), the Jose P. Rizal Pro Patria Award for Rice Chemistry (1976), the Japanese Society of Starch Science Medal of Merit (1982), the AACCI Thomas Burr Osborne Medal Award (1988), the National Research Council of the Philippines National Researcher Award in Physical Sciences (1993), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Outstanding Scientist and Technologists Award (1998), among others. He was elected as a member of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines in 1979 and honored as a National Scientist in 2000. In 1988 he was named an AACCI Fellow.
After retiring, Ben was invited to visit cereal laboratories in Vietnam, Myanmar, China, Bangladesh, Cuba, and Taiwan to give recommendations for their rice quality breeding programs. He also helped to build the grain-quality research capability of PhilRice and continued to pursue his research as a senior consultant/expert. Ben was a former member of the AACCI Rice Division and a frequent speaker on rice chemistry and quality at AACCI Annual Meetings.
New Members
Alexander, S. L., Samryl Enterprises, D’Abadie, Trinidad and Tobago
Dann, O. E., scientist, R&D lead for hydrocolloids, starches and sweeteners, CSM Bakery Solutions, Tucker, GA, U.S.A.
Else, A. J., Corbion, Gorinchem, Netherlands
Geisslitz, S., Kranzberg, Germany
Holt, M., Matrix Nutrition, Chandler, AZ, U.S.A.
Knowlton, K., quality manager, Star of the West Milling Co., Quincy, MI, U.S.A.
Miller, K. B., principal scientist, General Mills – Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Plymouth, MN, U.S.A.
Ogilvie, O., University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Rumney, J., USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, Moscow, ID, U.S.A.
Schiller, C., St. Charles, MO, U.S.A.
Tosh, S. M., director, School of Nutrition Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Weil, W., visiting scholar, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, U.S.A.
Wilkins, M. R., professor and director, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, U.S.A.
