Dr. Prateek Sharma is looking for a qualified undergrad student intern for the summer 2024 who is interested in participating in various projects in his lab. Dr. Sharma works in the Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science department in College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (See Dr. Sharmas profile https://caas.usu.edu/directory/sharma-prateek ). Dr. Sharma has more than 15 years of multinational industrial R&D experience working for companies in Ireland, New Zealand, India and the US. Dr. Sharma has number of funded projects from multiple funding agencies including, USDA, NSF, National Dairy council, BUILD dairy program (https://builddairy.com/) in the area of cheese chemistry and technology, food rheology, powder rheology, dairy powder characterization, dairy foods material science.

Dr. Sharmas lab is equipped to conduct material testing on dairy foods. The lab is specialized in rheological, textural, and functional characterization of liquids, gels, and solids dairy foods. Equipment available in the lab include two air bearing Anton Paar MCR 302 rheometers, Litesizer (Anton Paar) nano-particle size and zeta potential analyzer, micron size particle size analyzer (Anton Paar) for liquids and solid materials, Metrohm 888 and 867 titrando, TAXT plus texture analyzer, viscometer, rapid protein and moisture analyzer, compound microscope, gel electrophoresis equipment, LC-MS, Ultracentrifuge, stomacher, calcium ion activity meter, etc.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to engage in the research projects in the following areas under the guidance of Dr. Sharma and his Post doc/PhD/masters students.

• Viscoelastic characterization of dairy matrices
• Cheese sliceability and wear behavior
• Dairy powder characterization- particle and bulk characteristics
• Composition analysis of dairy products
• Dairy protein characterization using electrophoretic and chromatographic techniques.
• In-vitro digestion of dairy proteins.

Qualifications:

1. Highly motivated for research, have some experience working in the laboratory.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

1. Be organized
2. Detail-oriented
3. Ability to work well with others

Additional Information:

1. Training will be provided to the candidates.
2. Time commitment is approximately 25-29 hours per week for the summer 2024.
3. Based upon performance, student interns may get a chance to present their work in regional and national scientific conferences.

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under Resume/CV
2. Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms and may lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utahs premier land-grant, public service university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion, empowering people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. Utah State provides high-quality education to 27,500-plus students locations throughout the state, including at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online educates students from all 50 states and 55 countries. For over 25 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns in all of Utahs counties. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and scholarly activities, providing a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price.

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About the Region

U.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USUs main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institutes 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation.

*updated 04/2024

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The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USUs non-discrimination policies:

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner,discrimination@usu.edu,Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Cody Carmichael, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266

Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights,800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

*updated 09/2023