Trust medal winners

Professor Marguerite Rinaudo obtained her PhD degree in 1966 on Polyelectrolyte properties of carboxymethylcelluloses and was a Full Professor from 1968 at Grenoble-Alpes University. She developed her research work on the relationship between molecular structure and physicochemical properties of polysaccharides (mainly microbial and algae polysaccharides) and in particular analyzed their behaviour in the sol and gel phases including mechanisms of gelation.

Professor Cui is a Senior Research Scientist at the Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Adjunct Professor at the University of Guelph (Canada), Nanchang University and Jiangnan University (China). Prof Cui’s expertise includes structure and functional studies of natural hydrocolloids and bioactive polysaccharides from agricultural products, processing and applications of dietary fibre and dietary fibre analysis. Dr. Cui has developed patented technologies for value added processing of Canadian crops to produce functional food products and bio-products.

Dr. Douglas Goff is a Professor at the University of Guelph, Canada. After completing his B.Sc. degree in Dairy Science at the University of Guelph in 1982, he went on to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he completed his M.Sc. degree in 1984 and Ph.D. in 1987. At Cornell, Prof. Goff studied protein and emulsifier interactions and functionality in ice cream.

Graham Sworn holds the position of Technical Fellow within DuPont Nutrition and Health.  He is part of the Discovery Group in Systems, Texturants and Emulsifiers R&D. He has a degree in Food Science from Southbank University, London and was awarded a Ph.D in 1998 by Canfield University for his thesis entitled ‘Novel gellan gum gels: Scientific and technological aspects’.  He has more than 30 years of experience in the field of hydrocolloid encompassing a wide range of products including, xanthan, gellan, alginate, guar, cellulose gum, LBG and carrageenan.

Claus Rolin has a PhD from Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and has been employed with CP Kelco (and companies that merged into CP Kelco) since 1984.

Dr. Rolin has worked with the entire value-chain for commercial pectin including raw materials, manufacturing processes and uses. Lately, a major focus has been the use of HM-pectin for stabilizing acidified milk drinks

Professor Mingyong Xie is Vice President and Professor of Nanchang University and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang University). He obtained his PhD degree in Food Science and Food Chemistry in 1997 at the University of Bonn, Germany.

Professor P.A. Williams is Professor of Polymer and Colloid Chemistry and Director of the Centre for Water Soluble Polymers at Glyndwr University which is internationally recognised for its work in the characterisation and properties of polysaccharides. He has over 30 years experience in the synthesis, physicochemical characterisation, solution and interfacial properties of polysaccharides (and other water soluble polymers).

Mike Gidley graduated in Chemistry from Imperial College, University of London, and obtained a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Cambridge in 1981. He worked at the Unilever Research Laboratories, Colworth House, UK from 1981 until 2003, when he moved to take up the position of Director of the Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences at The University of Queensland, Australia.

Prof. Ian Norton (BA, DPhil, FRSC, FIChemE, CChem, CEng) graduated in Chemistry from the University of York in 1977 and obtained a PhD in “Fast Reaction Kinetics of Polysaccharides” from the same University in 1980. During his PhD study he worked with Dr. David Goodall, Prof. Ed Morris and Prof. Dai Rees.

Professor Katsuyoshi Nishinari is currently working as a specially appointed professor at Glyn O Phillips Hydrocolloids Research Centre, Department of Bioengineering and Food Science, Hubei University of Technology since 2013. Master thesis “Electric Birefringence of Polymer Solutions”, PhD thesis “Vibrational Properties of Viscoelastic Materials”. (Both from The University of Tokyo). Joined National Food Research Institute (Japan).

He has supervised 40 PhD students in Silsoe and UCC and, while working with Unilever, was Industrial Supervisor of 8 collaborative PhD studentships with various British universities. He has published 250 research papers and reviews, and holds an ISI "highly cited" award.

During his time at Nottingham he has been involved in the supervision of more than sixty graduate research students.  With John Blanshard he was the founding co-editor of the journal Carbohydrate Polymers (1981) and organised the seminal meeting on Polysaccharides in Food (1978). He has been extensively involved in teaching hydrocolloid science. He has published 180 research papers and patents and edited  five books.

Professor Phillips is currently Chairman of Research Transfer Ltd, Phillips Hydocolloids Research Ltd, the Cellucon and Trusts and the Wrexham  Gums and Stabilisers Conferences. He is a Visiting Professor  and Fellow at the North East Wales Institute (University of Wales) and a Consultant to several industrial organisations, including to the Association for the International Promotion of Gums.

Olav Smidsrod was born in 1936 and has been associated to the Norwegian Technical University (NTH; later NTNU) since the early 1960's. His main research contribution has been within the field of chemistry and physical properties of biopolymers, including biopolymers of marine origin (alginate, chitosan and carrageenan) and also microbial biopolymers such as xanthan gum.