Yen-Con Hung

2018 D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence in Global Programs

Yen-Con Hung
Professor, Department of Food Science & Technology

In the U.S., Yen-Con Hung made headlines for developing the application of electrolyzed oxidizing water to reduce bacterial contamination and disinfect surfaces, a compelling contribution to the food service and food manufacturing industries. Globally, Hung has garnered an even greater reputation for international collaboration and outreach to food scientists in other countries.

Hung has helped to establish international cooperation agreements between the University of Georgia, the National Taiwan Ocean University, the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Chiba University, and Kagoshima University.

These partnerships have resulted in both research collaborations and the training of dozens of internationally minded graduate students who bring their new ideas and perspectives with them as they cross borders.

Hung strongly believes that international exchange is the key to promoting greater research collaboration and understanding among the global community. He has hosted more than 15 visiting scientists over the years.

Hung has also been vitally involved in developing food safety protocols and communication networks in developing countries, focusing on the postharvest safety of culturally relevant crops like cowpeas and peanuts.

He has been invited to present short course trainings to food scientists around the world to help improve the safety of processed foods internationally.

Because of his global network of collaborators and colleagues, Hung has been instrumental in the organization of many international conferences and summits to address pressing food safety concerns.

In addition to his international outreach and education work, Hung, who joined the UGA Department of Food Science and Technology in 1985, has continued to pursue a robust and innovative research program, focusing on the engineering of food safety and the development of new products.

He has published 150 refereed journal articles and five U.S. patents. Since 1986, Dr. Hung has received $15 million in research funding from various funding agencies.