COLLEGE STATION — Dr. Boon Chew is the new head of the nutrition and food science department, part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, College Station.
Chew, who begins July 1, was previously a professor at the School of Food Science at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.
Dr. Boon Chew has been selected as the new head of the nutrition and food science department at Texas A&M. Chew,whose start date is July 1, was previously with Washington State University. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Chew)
“We’re very pleased to have someone of Dr. Chew’s experience and academic credentials serve as the next head of the nutrition and food science department,” said Dr. Bill Dugas, acting vice chancellor for agriculture and life sciences and acting dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University. “We are confident Dr. Chew will provide visionary leadership and guidance to this very important department for the college. We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Gregory Reinhartfor his service as interim department head while we conducted this extensive nationwide search.”
Chew earned a diploma from the College of Agriculture in Serdang, Malaysia. After moving to the U.S, Chew studied at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where he received a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 1974. He then attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he received a master’s degree in 1976 and doctorate in 1978. Chew also did postdoctoral work at the University of Illinois in Urbana.
He has been honored with an American Society of Animal Science Scholarship Award from Louisiana State University, a David Ross Fellowship from Purdue University and a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship from the University of Illinois.
“I feel so privileged to be working with an outstanding group of faculty, staff and students who are so determined to devote their energy into pulling together to address foods, nutrition and health to address the needs of our clientele,” Chew said about his upcoming role as department head.
This is not Chew’s first time with the Texas A&M University System, as one of his first academic assignments in the U.S. was as a field research assistant with the system. He later worked as a research assistant at Purdue University and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois. In 1979 Chew was made an assistant professor at Washington State University, then an associate professor in 1984 and professor in 1989. From 2006-2007, he was interim co-chair of Washington State University.
Chew is a member of the American Society of Nutritional Sciences, Institute of Food Technologists, the Carotenoid Research Interest Group, American Society of Animal Science, American Dairy Science Association, National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture and National Mastitis Council. He also belonged to the Center for Cancer Research and Prevention and the Center for Integrated Biotechnology at Washington State University. He is also a member of the Gamma Sigma Delta honorary agriculture fraternity and Phi Kappa Phi honorary education fraternity.
He has received numerous awards and honors, including the International Roche Research Prize for Animal Nutrition, American Society of Animal Science Jim Corbin Award in Companion Animal Biology and an Excellence in Research Award and Featured Researcher Award from Washington State.
Chew has served on numerous committees, serving as chairman or vice-chairman on several. He has been involved in over 100 funded research grants and contracts totaling millions of dollars. Chew also has provided academic support and assistance to various dairy, agricultural, nutrition, feed and grain commodity groups through his many presentations and talks at educational events and conferences.
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