About Us

Gary Fulcher, PhD in Botany
Department Head & Professor: Department of Food Science at the University of Manitoba – Winnipeg.
Fellow: American College of Nutrition
Board Chair: Grains for Health Foundation

Currently Dr. Fulcher’s teaching focus is on food product development. He was Research Scientist and Coordinator for Grains and Oilseeds in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as well as the first ever chair of the General Mills Cereal Chemistry and Technology committee in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota.

Peter F. Levangie, MBA
President and Chief Operating Officer: Bay State Milling

Mr. Levangie is responsible for all functional areas of the Company and its daily operating activities.  Mr. Levangie joined Bay State Milling in 2004 as the Vice President of Strategic Planning.  Since that time, he held the titles of Executive Vice President of Revenue & Strategic Planning and then Chief Operating Officer.  In January of 2009, the Board elected Mr. Levangie President and Chief Operating Officer.  Before coming to the Company, he was Chief Operating Office of EFS Network, the supply chain solutions network for the foodservice industry, which he helped found in 2000.  He began his career with Cargill, Inc. and held various merchandising and general management positions.  Mr. Levangie graduated from Dartmouth College in 1991 and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1997

President: SR Strategy
Professor: Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy – University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Steve McCurry, PhD in Biochemistry
Vice-President: Grains for Health Foundation

Before consulting on scientific and food-related regulatory issues for the FDA and other like agencies, Dr. McCurry was Vice President and General Manager of Central Research at Cargill. He was also Cargill’s representative on the International Biotechnology Board at UC Berkeley. He served as Chair of the Industrial Advisory Board in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota.

Alicia de Francisco, PhD in Cereal Sciences and Technology
Professor: Food Sciences and Technologies – Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Coordinator: American Association of Cereal Chemists, Latin American division

Dr. de Francisco researches in the areas of food fiber, beta-glucan, resistant starch, FOS and other functional components of oats and barley, as well as other subjects like gluten detection in foods with wholemeal flour, bread and malt quality, among others.

Kaisa Poutanen, PhD
Research Professor: VTT the Technical Research Centre of Finland
Director: Food and Health Research Centre – University of Kuopio

Dr. Poutanen aims to develop foods with beneficial effects on metabolic health. Her research aims to investigate the effects of certain types of bioprocessing on structural food factors, especially those of cereal-based dietary fiber, in relation to their significance for the release, conversions and absorption of nutrients and polyphenols in the gastrointestinal tract.

Jan Delcour, PhD
Professor & Head: Laboratory of Foods Chemistry and Biochemistry – Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Chairman: Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre

Dr. Delcour leads a team of researchers focusing on generating basic insights into the biopolymer constituents of cereals, and the enzyme systems converting such constituents. He is the author of more than 375 peer reviewed publications and co-inventor of 20 patent families. He was Module Leader of the EU Project: Healthgrain, served on the Board of Directors of AACC International and is a Senior Editor of Cereal Chemistry.

David Topping, PhD
Chief Research Scientist: CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences, South Australia
Professor: Clinical Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry – Flinders University, Adelaide
Fellow: Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

Currently, Dr. Topping researches the health potential for gut health of processed foods, particularly carbohydrates, probiotics and dietary fats. Some of his research seeks to improve Australian public health, assist the industry in identifying and establishing the functionality of foods and dietary components with potential health benefits in the fields of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and gut health.

Ed Welsch, BS in Business Administration
Coordinator: College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences – University of Minnesota
Leader: Strategic Planning, Facilities & Space

Currently Ed is working on a variety of facilities and space issues affecting the College and is serving as the Grains for Health Treasurer. He is past Board member of a publicly held manufacturing company providing recycled/remanufactured products to the residential and commercial construction sectors and past member of an advisory committee serving a publicly held transportation services company.  Currently he is serving as a member of a limited liability company producing a wide array of molded rubber products for use by commercial and industrial clients.