Jacob Lahne named assistant professor of food science and technology

Jacob Lahne has been named assistant professor of food science and technology in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

He is one of a number of new faculty members recently hired in the college this academic year. New positions were identified to bring talent to the college's focus areas, including food, health, the environment, and community viability. The new faculty members are distributed across teaching, research, and Extension.

Lahne's specific expertise is in sensory evaluation and how food is perceived by humans. He is particularly interested in craft and artisan food production, which broadly includes small producers, traditional practices, and home and restaurant cooking. He is currently working on a number of research projects, including: the development of a measurement tool for individuals' capacity for food-preparation; the flavor profiling and consumer liking for American whiskeys; and the perception of foods in vivo within real meal-contexts.

Lahne received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from Oberlin College, his master's degree in food science and human nutrition from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and his doctorate in animal, nutrition, and food sciences from the University of Vermont.