Lan Xu, research manager in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture grain quality laboratory, received the department’s Staff Advisory Committee Professional Development Award. This award provides funding of up to $500 to attend a professional event. Xu will be attending the 2026 Wheat Quality Council Annual Meeting.
Xu develops and evaluates Nebraska wheat cultivars for use in healthy nutritional food in domestic and international markets. Her evaluations include wheat grain milling performances, dietary fiber contents of the wheat varieties and flour properties such as protein content, viscosity and rheology. Rheology is how the dough responds to mixing, kneading and baking. She also studies the characteristics of final products such as bread, noodles and tortillas.
Xu has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Donghua University in Shanghai, China, and a master's degree in polymer science from the University of Georgia.
Xu works with Katherine Frels, assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture, and Devin Rose, professor of food science and technology and professor of agronomy and horticulture. Xu also collaborates with faculty in Biological Systems Engineering to develop biobased materials using agriculture products.
