The Edward & Mary Mather Outstanding Food Safety Student Award (Mather Award) recognizes students who have excelled in designing and implementing an applied food safety project. This final project is a required component of the Michigan State University (MSU) Master of Science in Food Safety (MSFS) degree.

Colleen Nyland, a May 2021 graduate of the MSFS program, is the 2021 recipient of the Mather Award.

Colleen's applied project is titled, Regulating for Safety: Cannabidiol Dose in Food. She searched scientific literature to evaluate what is known about safe doses of CBD in food applications and determine what information is still needed to inform a standard or regulated limit. Her findings determined limited and incomplete information exists about safe quantities of CBD in food, and CBD’s ties to marijuana have restricted opportunities for such research. Further, jurisdictions that have legalized CBD in food have inconsistent policies, and few safeguards exist to protect consumers from potential risks.

"The MSFS program has provided a tremendous opportunity for me to grow personally and professionally," said Colleen. "I am especially honored to receive the 2021 Mather Award as the applied project challenged me in new ways, given my prior degrees were in business disciplines."

In addition to being granted the Mather Award, Colleen's applied project was published in the September 2022 issue of the Journal of Food Protection.

"The market for CBD in food is growing and is a hot topic for regulators. I am excited for my research to be published in the Journal of Food Protection, and I hope it will add value to the conversation about this issue.”

Colleen earned her Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University and her MBA from DePaul University. She has over 30 years of experience in food and hospitality. Her career highlights include teaching and consulting projects with Foodservice Safe, LLC., strategic marketing roles with Tyson Foods, Marketing Director of the Women's Foodservice Forum, and leading workforce development and food safety programs as Director of the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

Colleen is currently working with Kane County Health Department in Aurora, IL, as an Environmental Health Practitioner. Some of her responsibilities include inspecting food establishments within the county and reviewing and evaluating HACCP plans and processes for retail operations. Along with her environmental health role, she also is an adjunct faculty member with the Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL.

The Mather Award is made possible through the support of the founding director of the Online Master of Science in Food Safety degree program, Dr. Edward Mather, and his wife, Mrs. Mary Mather.

A panel of faculty judges determines the recipient of the Mather Award. They review the food safety applied projects for each calendar year's graduates and score each project on originality, quality, and application to a solution for a food safety problem.