Food and human nutritional sciences students receive international recognition

Students from the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba made a strong impact at the 2026 American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) Annual Meeting, held May 2–6 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Graduate students represented the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences across multiple areas of the program, presenting their research, co-chairing technical sessions, and leading student-focused initiatives. Their high level of engagement was matched by exceptional results, with many students earning top awards at this prestigious international conference.

Top honours in student competitions

University of Manitoba students earned first- and second-place finishes across several competitive categories.

Oral presentation awards:

• 1st Place, Protein and Co-Products Division Graduate Oral Competition: Thilini Nuwandhara Dissanayake
• 1st Place, Student Common Interest Group Lightning Talk (3MT) Competition: Flávia Adaís Rocha dos Santos
• 2nd Place, Student Common Interest Group Lightning Talk (3MT) Competition: Mayuri Bane

Poster presentation awards:

• 1st Place, Analytical Division Graduate Poster Competition: Flávia Adaís Rocha dos Santos
• People’s Choice Award, Analytical Division Graduate Poster Competition: Flávia Adaís Rocha dos Santos
• 2nd Place, Processing Division Graduate Poster Competition: Mayuri Bane

Division Excellence Awards:

In addition to competition awards, several students were honoured for their overall contributions and leadership within AOCS divisions:

• Analytical Division Student Excellence Award: Flávia Adaís Rocha dos Santos
• Industrial Oil Products Division Student Excellence Award: Tharushi Samarasinghe
• Canadian Section Student Support Grant: Surani Weerasundarage
• Protein and Co-Products Division Student Excellence Award: Ravinder Singh
• Honored Student Award and Peter and Clare Kalustian Award: Timilehin David Oluwajuyitan

Building leadership and global connections

Beyond formal presentations and awards, UM students played a visible role throughout the conference by leading programming and sessions. These opportunities help build professional networks and leadership skills while showcasing Manitoba research on an international stage.

The AOCS Annual Meeting brings together researchers, industry professionals, and students from around the world to share advances in oils, fats, proteins, and related fields. For University of Manitoba students, the 2026 meeting marked another year of strong participation and recognition.