Growing up in northeast Oklahoma, Emily Ward, ‘25, learned early on that hard work and perseverance build a brighter future. She immersed herself in the Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program, refining her skills, strengthening her leadership instincts, and developing a deep passion for agriculture and food science.

At Oklahoma State University, a leading land-grant institution, Emily continues to transform passion into purpose. Through hands-on research and real-world experience, she has developed the expertise to address critical challenges in food safety and security, demonstrating that with determination and a commitment to the common good, she can make a lasting impact.

How a 4-H Program Planted Seeds of Success

Joining Oklahoma 4-H at age 9 sparked Emily's lifelong passion for food science, leadership and community. For over 100 years, the Oklahoma 4-H program, facilitated by OSU Extension, has empowered the state’s youth in all 77 counties with leadership skills, hands-on learning experiences and opportunities to drive community change.

As a child, she loved cooking and baking alongside her grandmother. Emily carried these interests into her time in 4-H, where she would eventually tackle more complex food and nutrition projects. She worked hard to refine her technique and won first place in Oklahoma 4-H and Made in Oklahoma Coalition's recipe contest with her homemade chicken enchiladas. 

Whether she was engineering pizza-flavored ramen or serving as an Oklahoma Healthy Living Ambassador and later as an Oklahoma Ambassador for 4-H, these formative experiences shaped Emily’s love for food science. 

“When I was in high school,” she said, “I fell in love with food science and then decided that I wanted to get a degree in it.” 

Orange Is the Answer

For Emily, choosing OSU was an easy decision. In addition to her past involvement with OSU Extension’s 4-H program, her older brother attended the Stillwater campus before her.

“We would visit my brother, and I loved the small-town community,” Emily says. “It was really important for me when I was going to college that I was going to find the small-town feel, and so it really felt like home.”

While the Stillwater campus brought a sense of familiarity, Emily’s passion for food science solidified her choice. 

She says, “When I decided that I wanted to go into the agriculture industry, obviously OSU was the answer.” 

When Emily enrolled at OSU as a food science major, she had completed 30 college credits in high school as a dual-enrollment student. While this did help her secure sophomore status by her second semester, she was able to enjoy a traditional first-year experience.

She lived in the Ferguson College of Agriculture’s Freshman-in-Transition — a living-learning program. Here, Emily pursued lasting friendships and found her place at OSU-Stillwater.

Exploring Food Science Through Real-World Research

From her first Fundamentals of Food Science course, Emily knew OSU was where she was supposed to be.

“I know some students don't always have that experience, but I'm very thankful that I did,” she states. 

In her food science major, Emily has immersed herself in rigorous courses, including food microbiology, analysis of food products and food chemistry, that have helped her acquire in-demand technical skills and gain valuable hands-on experience.

One particularly memorable experiential learning opportunity for Emily took place in her food chemistry class. 

“At OSU, we have a processing plant on campus,” she says. “They have cereal chemists there who work on baking and everything. In my food chem class, one of our labs, we got to bake cookies. We use different types of flours because they offer different protein percentages in them. And so then we got to eat the cookies. So, that was fun.”

OSU’s emphasis on undergraduate research has given Emily the opportunity to apply her knowledge, expand her skill set and build meaningful connections with faculty. Her experience as an undergraduate research assistant has profoundly shaped her academic journey.

“I've had a great experience doing research. If I had gone somewhere else that wasn't a land-grant university, I don't think they are as big on getting students, especially undergrads, involved in research,” she says. “Participating in undergrad research has made me realize that I like it and that I can do a master's in [food studies].”

Looking Forward: Food Science, Biosecurity and Advocacy

After graduating in May 2025, Emily plans to pursue her Master of Science in Food Science, specializing in Food Microbiology. However, because of close connections and a collaborative environment, she was able to get a head start working in her research lab.

“One of my other friends who's … doing her honors thesis with Dr. Ma knew that I was still looking for a professor … and introduced us,” Emily explains.

Dr. Maria Ma offered Emily an open position for the following year and wanted her to get involved in the lab early.

“The research that we do right now is we analyze soil samples from farms in Oklahoma, [such as] pecan orchards that have open cattle grazing to kind of see if their soil contains Shiga toxin-producing E. coli,” Emily explains. 

This form of E. coli can cause serious illness in people. Along with the soil testing, the lab also tests the pecans to ensure they’re safe for consumption. 

Emily’s graduate work also extends beyond the laboratory. This summer, she will travel to the University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa as part of the Pacific Continental Network (PaCoN) program, which promotes biosecurity research opportunities for Pacific Islanders and Tribal Native American students. Through this program, she will gain hands-on experience in biosecurity efforts, further expanding her expertise in food microbiology.

As for her long-term career aspirations, Emily hopes to pursue a career in food innovation, supporting OSU's mission to nourish the world. 

“I grew up in rural Oklahoma, and I had a lot of food insecurity,” she said. “I would definitely love to get involved with some sort of research or company that really focuses on making food products that last.”

With an enriching education, ample career resources and industry connections from the Ferguson College of Agriculture, Emily can break into Oklahoma’s workforce and play an impactful role in supporting local communities. 

OSU: Devoted to Making a Difference in the Lives of Students

As the nation’s preeminent land-grant university, OSU remains committed to educating and innovating for the common good. Here, students like Emily don’t just learn — they achieve greatness while making a meaningful impact on their communities.

Guided by our pillars of teaching, research and Extension, OSU empowers students with hands-on experiences, industry connections and opportunities to succeed. Emily’s journey is a testament to this mission. Through her involvement in 4-H, she discovered her passion for food science and also earned scholarships that are empowering her to graduate debt-free.

“I’m a huge advocate for 4-H and land-grant universit[ies] as a whole,” says Emily. “[These] students are the future of the world.”

Interested in learning more about what it’s like to attend an institution like OSU? Discover the benefits of a land-grant university.