April 7, 2017

Cassie Anderson defended her Cereal Science M.S. thesis, Mechanical and Physical Properties of Biodegradable Wheat Bran, Maize Bran, and Dried Distillers Grain Arabinoxylan Films, on March 10, 2017 at North Dakota State University.

Anderson worked to extract and purify arabinoxylan from byproducts of the cereal industry, including wheat bran, maize bran, and dried distillers’ grains. She used the resulting arabinoxylan to make biodegradable films. The mechanical, physical, and biodegradable properties of all films were determined to provide full materials profiles.

Anderson was interning with Betaseed, researching fungal resistant wheat, when she met Dr. Senay Simsek. As they discussed lab and research opportunities at NDSU, Cassie decided to apply, was accepted, and says she has never regretted her decision. Anderson says she appreciates that faculty and staff in the Department of Plant Sciences are very helpful and want students to succeed. She said, “if you’re willing to work hard, succeed you will!”

While at NDSU, Anderson interned with Ardent Mills, received the Frank Bain Scholarship (2016), won 2^nd place in the 2016 AACCI Best Student Research Paper Competition, and was a NDSU 2017 3-Minute Thesis Semifinalist. She also was  a member of the NDSU Marksmanship Club.

Anderson will continue her work with Dr. Simsek as a Ph.D. student in NDSU’s Food Safety Program.

Anderson’s graduate committee consisted of Dr. Long Jiang and Dr. Jae-Boom Ohm. Her adviser was Dr. Senay Simsek.

Source: Cassie Anderson
Author: Shannon Ueker, 701-231-7971, shannon.ueker@ndsu.edu
Editor: Karen Hertsgaard, 701-231-5384, karen.hertsgaard@ndsu.edu