Barry G. Swanson, Ph.D. - Member
Barry Swanson is Regents Professor and Interim Director of the School of Food Science in the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Idaho. Barry’s research interests are very broad, beginning with studies of legume protein digestibility and storage quality in collaboration with four US universities and the Institute for Nutrition in Central America and Panama (INCAP) supported by the USAID Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP).
In the 1980’s, initial studies with sucrose fatty acid polyesters led to extensive research on syntheses of fat substitutes, alternative fat replacers and methods to improve the quality of reduced fat cheeses. Barry’s research interests are focused on the implementation of ultra high pressures to improve cheese yield and improve the hydrophobic functional properties of whey proteins. Barry authored or co-authored more than 200 peer reviewed research manuscripts and contributed more than 35 peer reviewed book chapters to the food science literature over the past thirty-seven years. Barry is proudest of his opportunities to serve as advisor to 47 M.S. and 24 Ph.D. Food Science students successfully pursuing academic and food industry careers across the U.S. and around the world. Barry received the College of Agriculture and Home Economics Faculty Excellence in Research Award in 2001 and was invited to Michigan State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition as a prestigious G. Malcolm Trout Visiting Scholar in 2004. In July, 2005 Barry received recognition as one of ISI’s Most Highly Cited Researcher based on citation of published research manuscripts, and is ranked 22nd among the most highly cited international authors in Agricultural Sciences, 1996-2006, by Science Watch 17(4), July/August 2006, Thomson Scientific www.sciencewatch.com.
Barry was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Food technologists (IFT) in 2002, and a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST ) in 2006 . Barry is the retiring co-Editor of the Journal of Food Processing and Preservation published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. Barry recently completed two 3 year terms as Executive Secretary to the WSU Faculty Senate, and was recently appointed Interim Director of the merged Washington State University and University of Idaho School of Food Science. Barry was promoted to the rank of Regents Professor at Washington State University, the most prestigious professorial rank at WSU, and elected to serve a 3 year term on the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Board of Directors in 2009.