On August 24, James Whalin (advisor Dr. Mark Richards) successfully defended his PhD thesis. His research looked at the oxidation of proteins in meat when exposed to cold plasma (a nearly room temperature gas full of ions and electrons created by running an electrical current through the gas), a process known as PLIMB. PLIMB has historically been used to oxidize proteins in liquid solutions, and cold plasma is thought to have promising potential applications in microbial disinfection.

The virtual event was well attended by faculty, staff, students, and scientists from the program, Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). James has returned to his native Ohio to begin his career.