Kelvin Ofori (FST Alumnus) has been awarded two fellowships: the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Fellowship and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Future Leaders Mentorship Fellowship (FLMF)
Kelvin completed his undergraduate degree in Food Science and Technology at KNUST in 2020, graduating with a first-class degree and ranking as the second-best graduating student in his cohort. Currently, he is furthering his academic pursuits with a master’s degree in food science and biotechnology at Delaware State University, USA.
Do you know that 420,000 people die each year from foodborne diseases, and over 20% of them are linked to seafood? This alarming statistic underscores the importance of Kelvin's research. By evaluating the microbial safety of marine environments used for seafood production, Kelvin can assess the risks of seafood-borne infections and contribute to minimizing these infections. Kelvin’s research, using molecular techniques such as PCR, real-time PCR, and LAMP assay, is a crucial step in this direction.
The impacts of Kelvin's research have not gone unnoticed. He was the First-place winner in the Three Minutes Thesis Competition at Delaware State University and won Second Place in the Graduate Student Poster Presentation at the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) by Gamma Sigma Delta, The Honor Society of Agriculture of Tuskegee University. His dedication and hard work have earned him two prestigious fellowships: the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Fellowship and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Future Leaders Mentorship Fellowship (FLMF). These accolades provided Kelvin with a platform to present his research at the ASM Microbe Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, and to interact with experts in agriculture and produce safety at the YF&R Leadership Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.
Kelvin’s ultimate career goal is to become a leading expert in Food safety, and believes these fellowships present a great opportunity to widen his knowledge and gain valuable experience that could direct him to his career aspirations.
