Ronald Earl Wrolstad, a distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University, has received a national award for his teaching.

During a conference in Chicago about two weeks ago, Wrolstad was honored with the 2007 William V. Cruess Award by the Institute of Food Technologists.

Wrolstad has taught some of the most popular classes in his department, including one on the maraschino cherry, which OSU food scientists developed in the 1920s.

He instructed students about food additives, sensory analysis and process engineering using examples from the maraschino cherry industry in Oregon.

Wrolstad's research at OSU focuses on the chemical composition of foods, including using natural plant pigments, for their health benefits and use as food colorants.

Along with the award, Wrolstad received a $3,000 honorarium from the Institute of Food Technologists.

Jae Park, another professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at OSU, also was honored at the meeting by being named a fellow of the association. Park studies seafood proteins and surimi production at OSU's Seafood Research Laboratory at Astoria.