IDF is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural “IDF Professor Pavel Jelen Early Career Scientist Prize”, created to acknowledge the work of scientists and/or technologists in the dairy science and technology field and aimed toward “early-career” scientists, including graduate and postgraduate students, who are less than 3 years since graduation from their highest degree attained.

The Prize has been named in honour of Professor Pavel (Paul) Jelen.  Pavel is a Czech-born scientist and educator who has spent his career based in Canada and the USA, practising dairy science and technology in his research pursuits, and encouraging, mentoring, and educating students and “early-career” scientists and technologists, and who recognizes the importance of open communication.

The inaugural Prize attracted a large number of high-quality applications.  Awardees were carefully selected by a panel of judges with expertise across a broad range of disciplines related to dairy science and technology and drawn from several standing committees of IDF.

The winners of the inaugural “IDF Professor Pavel Jelen Early Career Scientist Prize 2022” are:

• First Place: Angela Costa (Mid-IR spectroscopy for an accurate prediction of IgG concentration in bovine colostrum)
• Equal Second Place: Debashree Roy (Composition, structure, and dynamic digestion behaviour of milk from different species)
• Equal Second Place: Prabin Lamichhane (Structure-function relationships: new insights into controlling split and crack defects in cheese)
• Third Place: Nick Smith (Understanding dairy’s contribution to a sustainable food system)

Angela Costa will receive a plaque recognizing her achievement and also be granted an honorarium of €400 as well as travel expenses of up to €1,800 to support her attendance at the IDF World Dairy Summit in India where she will present her work.  Both Debashree Roy and Prabin Lamichhane will receive a printed certificate recognizing their achievement and an honorarium of €200 each, and Nick Smith will receive a printed certificate recognizing his achievement and an honorarium of €100.

The Prize will be formally presented at the forthcoming IDF World Dairy Summit, to be held in India in September 2022 (idfwds2022.com) and will thereafter be awarded annually at every subsequent Summit. Presenting their work at the annual World Dairy Summit will provide candidates and awardees alike with an opportunity to showcase their work at the dairy sector’s most relevant event each year, and thus provide opportunities for further education, mentoring and employment.

“We are convinced that this prize will provide candidates with the right incentives to direct their careers towards dairy-related issues, empowering new generations of scientists and technologists devoted to dairy science and technology, and thereby improving the quality, safety, and nutritious value of milk and dairy products”, noted Dr Geoffrey Smithers, a member of the IDF Standing Committee on Dairy Science and Technology and Chair of the Prize judging panel.

IDF wishes to thank all the participants and congratulates the winners for their excellent performance.

For more information, please check the IDF Pavel Jelen Early Career Scientist Prize section on the IDF corporate website.