Weller is a 2011-2012 Jefferson Science Fellow affiliated with the USAID Bureau for Food Security Office of Markets, Partnerships and Innovation. He is reviewing, studying and discerning existing information related to processing in various food, feed and bioproduct value chains for the Feed the Future focus countries. These activities enable him to assist in the identification of opportunities to attract and engage international and regional partners in innovative market development opportunities. Specifically, his focus has been on understanding food processing issues in countries in the Horn of Africa, the establishment of the Global Food Safety Partnership with the World Bank, and the preparation of a guide for entrepreneurs to use in developing a food processing industry.Weller, a Professor of Food and Bioprocess Engineering, holds appointments in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his BS and MS degrees in Food Science, and his PhD degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Weller is licensed to practice engineering in South Carolina and Nebraska, and is responsible for teaching courses in food and process engineering. His research responsibilities are in the broad area of food engineering with particular attention on value-added processing of agricultural commodities and physical properties determination. Concentration of the research effort of Professor Weller has been on recovery and utilization of valuable lipids in grain sorghum, and predicting microbial growth in meat products based on time and environmental conditions. He has authored or co-authored over 100 refereed journal articles, and lectured and consulted about various aspects of food processing throughout the world. In 2010, Professor Weller received the AACC International Excellence in Teaching Award. Prior to his position in Nebraska, Professor Weller served on the faculty at Clemson University and in quality assurance roles in the baking and dairy industries.The Jefferson Science Fellowship program is based on the premise that science and technology make fundamental contributions to the security, economic, health, and cultural foundations of modern societies, and are integral to the development and implementation of foreign policy. It was established to create opportunities for the substantial engagement of tenured scientists and engineers from U.S. academic institutions in the work of the U.S. Department of State. Fellows serve one-year assignments working full-time in the Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development, then remain available as consultants after returning to their academic careers. Learn more by visiting: The National Academies website or The State Department website.