Devon Durkee

Area of Research

Devon is conducting research on the plasmin enzyme system components in non-fat dry milk (NFDM) and factors that effect beta-casein hydrolysis in NFDM.

Biography

Devon was born in Rochester, Michigan and raised in Vermontville, Michigan, where she graduated salutatorian of her class at Maple Valley High School in 1997. She completed her B.S. in chemistry in April 2002 at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. During her undergraduate studies she also worked part-time as an intern for two years at Kellogg's research and development facility in Battle Creek, Michigan. This internship sparked her interest in food science and motivated her to pursue graduate studies. Devon joined the lab in August 2002 and completed her M.S. in Food Science in December 2004 under Dr. S. Suzanne Nielsen on hard-to-cook beans and bean utilization (funded by U.S. Agency for International Development). She is currently working on her Ph.D. under Dr. Kirby Hayes on the plasmin enzyme system in non-fat dry milk. Devon recently received the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for Spring Semester 2005 for her work in teaching the undergraduate food analysis laboratory. In her spare time, she enjoys web design, cooking, cross-stitching, and pampering her two cats.