Industrial Oil Products Division Student Excellence Award

Thanuranga Tharushi Samarasinghe is an MSc student at the University of Manitoba in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, working with Dr. Nandika Bandara (Food Proteins and Bioproducts Laboratory). The focus of her MSc. study is on optimizing green pretreatment and processing technologies for canola meal to utilize in high-value applications. She received her bachelor's degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, in 2022. She holds multiple awards for her work during her bachelor’s, including the Best Student award in the Faculty of Applied Sciences for overall academic and extracurricular performance. Tharushi is also active in leadership and professional development beyond academia. Currently, she is actively engaging in the American Oil Chemists’ Society (as a co-vice chair in the Students’ Common Interest Group and as the student liaison of the Industrial Oil Products division), the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and the Canadian Institute for Food Science and Technology (CIFST). Driven by a steadfast commitment to advancing food science, Tharushi aspires to be a pioneering and respected leader who effectively translates innovative research into impactful, real-world industry solutions.