Chobani scientist pilots new U of I food science degree option

Mid-career food processing professionals throughout southern Idaho have a new option to boost their skills and ingenuity thanks to Peter Krell’s resolve to return to school.

Krell, 51, a senior food innovation scientist with Chobani, approached the faculty in University of Idaho’s expanded food science program about pursuing a master’s degree remotely while keeping his full-time job at the Twin Falls-based Greek yogurt plant. His instructors in U of I’s Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences expect more seasoned Idaho food processing employees will follow his lead and stay in the workforce while earning online graduate degrees to keep pace with industry changes.

“What I hope to gain from this is the ability to give back to Chobani and make a bigger contribution,” Krell said. “If I can learn and grow my knowledge and pass it on to the rest of the team, that’s the end goal.”

Bridging the distance

U of I’s Moscow campus is more than 300 miles from the state’s food processing hub in the Magic Valley. Krell’s faculty advisor, Ningjian Liang, assistant professor of food chemistry, believes the remote graduate degree option her student is pioneering will help the program close that distance and deliver workforce education and research that target industry priorities.

“Most of our food industry is located in the southern part of the state, so to bridge this geographical gap and better connect students with industry, we are trying something new,” Liang said. “Peter can learn remotely and gain hands-on experience on site, so he can not only work but also study and improve the company’s products. I think this is a win-win scenario for industry, students and the consumer.”

The food science program lapsed for about two years prior to fall 2025, when the university hired three new faculty members, including Liang, based on industry demand. U of I had long offered food science graduate degrees, but not remotely.

Liang, who specializes in milk processing methods that preserve healthy bioactive proteins, envisions each faculty member supporting three or four remote graduate students.

“We are definitely looking for more food science students who want to do a remote master’s or doctoral program,” Liang said, adding industry partners will play a key role in growing the program.

Focus on protein

Krell earned a bachelor’s in food science from Oregon State University in 1997 and joined Chobani in 2015 after working for a dairy company and a bakery. Chobani’s Twin Falls plant processes about 5 million pounds of milk a day into Greek yogurt and other products.

He’s part of a large innovation team developing new products, with recent emphasis on high-protein options such as a yogurt line that delivers 20 grams of protein per 6.7-ounce cup.

“This product is quite innovative and important for the company and its growth,” Krell said. “They say if you don’t innovate, the consumer gets bored.”

He will work closely with Liang to design a master’s thesis project examining how processing changes affect yogurt’s protein percentage and structure. Chobani is splitting the cost of the two-year study with Building University-Industry Linkages through Learning and Discovery (BUILD) Dairy — an industry-led initiative connecting dairy companies with western universities and researchers. The results will help Chobani communicate the health benefits of its products more clearly to consumers.

“We’re looking at different processing parameters we need to optimize,” Krell said. “There are things that can be done in Ningjian’s lab regarding testing of protein structure that we don’t have the resources to do here at Chobani.”

Balancing work, family and school

Krell completed a three-credit food chemistry course during his first semester back in school and is now taking a food product development class.

Weekdays are reserved for his full-time job, evenings for time with his wife and two young children and weekends for studying. He’ll also spend a few weeks on U of I’s Moscow campus, bringing food samples from Chobani for testing in Liang’s lab.

Krell began considering graduate school while representing Chobani at BUILD Dairy meetings at Oregon State and Utah State universities, where graduate students presented dairy research.

“Going to those meetings and being involved with those students intrigued me and gave me a little spark to think, ‘Wow, maybe I could do that,’” he recalled.

Krell heard about U of I’s major investment in its food science program while visiting the faculty at the Twin Falls Research and Extension Center. Liang was excited when he approached her about pioneering a new remote degree option.

Krell anticipates colleagues at Chobani and other mid-career food processing employees will follow his lead.

“There’s been a lot of growth in the industry, both at Chobani and in the Magic Valley. We’re becoming a powerhouse in the southern part of the state,” he said. “As we grow, the employees who run these companies will need a higher skillset. Instead of coasting, you have to think, ‘How can I continue to move up and gain more skills so I can contribute better?’”