Miller Magazine Issue 137 May 2021

81 INTERVIEW MILLER / may 2021 for me to be deemed worthy of such responsibility by them. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to lead 'Purdue's Food Science Department. During my graduate education at Purdue, I was trained by the best professors in the world and worked with outstanding colleagues. The food science faculty, staff and students have the extraordinary ability to bring together cut- ting-edge research and education across multiple disciplines to address national and global challenges. I look forward to work- ing with the members of the department to advance our global impact," Dr. Simsek remarks. She describes also the vision that inspired her to apply for and accept the position of the food science department head. "Food encompasses many areas of society. It is power; it is essential; it is personal; it is cultural; it is science, and no one can survive without it,” she said. “Currently, the food industry is going through a revolution. We have challenges and opportunities. Emerging technologies provide us a range of opportunities to transform our food and agriculture systems. We must develop a strong vi- sion to enhance food science at Purdue with a focus on being at the forefront of research, training students and providing the best service to the scientific community and the citizens of Indiana, the United States and the world." AN OUTSTANDING REPUTATION AS A RESEARCHER Of course, it is not a coincidence that Dr. Simsek is deemed worthy of such an important task. This is the result of a deter- mined work in line with the goals she set in her mind in the field of science and academia, about which she has been quite curi- ous since reading the Turkish Scientific and Technical Journal, which she managed to buy by saving her allowances in her mid- dle school years. After receiving her undergraduate education in Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University's Chemistry Department, Dr. Simsek completed her master's degree in Gebze Technical University's Department of Biochemistry. After successfully completing the program here with the guidance, energy and support of Dr. Aziz Tanrıseven, Dr. Simsek's brilliant academic journey in the USA started in 2002. At that time, she was planning to stay for only three months in the USA, but things have changed a lot for her since then. In 2002, she started her Ph.D. in Food Science Department at Purdue University and completed in December 2006. Right after her gradutaiton, she appointed as an assistant professor in Plant Sciences Department at NDSU in January 2007. She has authored and co-authored hundreds of research papers, and conference contributions in the area of starch chemistry and di- gestibility, mycotoxin analysis and the structure-function relation- ship of polysaccharides. Her research focuses on the effects of the chemical composition of grains on final product quality. “We perform complete wheat quality analysis from field to table,” she calls. Dr. Simsek is an active member of the Cereals and Grains