Looking back on forty plus years of teaching cereal science, technology & common sense—At the end of the trail. L. ROONEY. Texas A&M. Cereal Foods World 52:A4.
Challenging undergraduates and graduate students to be “the best they can be” is really quite simple. It is necessary to present information based on a combination of basic fundamentals mixed with practical illustrations of those fundamentals in product quality or processing properties. One must show that cereal technology begins with the genetics of the seed and proceeds on through grain production, storage, processing, product handling, shelf life and finally consumption. The dynamics of crop quality is complex and it helps to paint a picture(s) of each and every aspect of quality from different viewpoints relative to what is realistic in the real world. The real joy of teaching a graduate class is present when one has food engineers, animal and human nutritionists along with plant breeders, food scientists and others who can be played off against each other. Learning to think broadly gives the students a new perspective on knowledge and how to use it to solve problems. The ability of scientists to communicate and respect each others’ differences is critically important and must be cultivated by the professor. Examinations must be comprehensive, thought provoking and stimulate discussion among the students from different disciplines. They must develop a thick layer of scar tissue during graduate school to prepare them for the next level. Presentation of the good, bad and ugly aspects of the industry is necessary to provide a reference point for young scientists and professionals. The internet provides copious amounts of information but competent scientists are required to decipher worthwhile information.
