About me
High nutritional quality, good texture and long shelf-life are critical for consumer acceptance of fruit and vegetable crops. As the assistant professor of Postharvest Physiology at Auburn University, my research addresses the impact of preharvest systems on postharvest quality. I have a strong background in food science, analytical chemistry and plant extractions, which is applied to my research program. I like to combine both qualitative and quantitative research to tackle postharvest issues. I am most interested in following nutrient composition, volatiles, phenolic compounds, vitamins, carotenoids, anthocyanin and other secondary metabolites in crops grown in Alabama and the southeast U.S.A. My program also assesses various postharvest treatments, shelf-life variability and changes in internal flesh quality in crops like blueberry, blackberry, muscadine, grape, tomato, cucumber, and various leafy greens.