Dr. Shuryo Nakai – emeritus professor in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and a world-renowned scholar in the field of food science – passed away on January 16, 2012, at the age of 85.

The youngest of four children, Shuryo was born on December 13, 1926 in Kanazawa, Japan. He attended the University of Tokyo where he received his Ph.D. in Food Science and then went on to work at the Meiji Company where he met his future wife Michie. In 1962, the young family moved to the U.S. where Shuryo completed his post-doctorate at the University of Illinois. Shuryo joined UBC in 1966 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science, and became a full professor in 1975.

As a food scientist and Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology as well as the Institute of Food Technologists, he became acknowledged internationally and garnered many awards for his outstanding body of work, including a Killam Research prize, the AGFD Award for the Advancement of Agricultural and Food Chemistry by the American Chemical Society and recognition by the Institute for Scientific Information as one of the most cited scientists in Agricultural Sciences.

Whether advancing knowledge of agricultural and food chemistry, or advising international committees as a leading authority on dairy products, food proteins or pioneering computer-aided optimization and genetic engineering to study food systems, Dr. Nakai was an inspiration to the many who learned from and worked with him.

Although he retired from undergraduate teaching in 1991, he continued to conduct research at UBC until he was 81.

Shuryo was known for his tenacity to achieve, his work ethic and the belief that anyone had the ability to succeed. He was immensely proud of the graduate students that he had supervised over the years, many of whom went on to pursue their own successful careers all over the world.

He will be lovingly remembered by his family for his dry humor, smile, laughter, and wise insightful advice. They will always cherish the fond memories from the family vacation road trips and treasure the wonderful home movies and photographs that he so enjoyed to take.

In 1991, friends, family, colleagues and former students of Dr. Nakai came together to create the Shuryo Nakai Scholarship in Food Science, an endowed award that has already had a significant impact on the next generation of food scientists. Now, in honour of Shuryo’s passing, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems invites further gifts to his memorial award, in order to expand the number of scholarships available, and the amount of support each recipient receives.

“I was thankful to be recognized as a recipient of the Professor Shuryo Nakai Scholarship in Food Science. This distinction has inspired me to follow my research with hope for future possibilities. Professor Nakai is an exceptional scientist and a world-renowned researcher in the field of food science. His extensive knowledge and mentorship has provided excellent insight for graduate students. Receiving this scholarship is an honour for food science graduate students who hope to emulate his example.”

– Amir Faridmoayer, recipient of the Shuryo Nakai Scholarship in Food Science

Your gift will honour Dr Nakai’s memory and his lifelong commitment to mentoring the next generation, while providing invaluable support for current and future students who are studying food science at UBC.