Peter Gracey

All Disciplines Award - Master's in Food Science and Technology at Cornell University

During his bachelor’s in food quality, safety and nutrition at Queen’s University Belfast, Peter researched plant-based diets and their impact on nutritional adequacy, with an interest in influencing sustainable diets for the western population.

His interest in food began at A-level where he learned about the impact of food on athletic performance, which later resulted in him pursuing an internship with a leading UK retailer in 2019. This experience demonstrated the impact of research on not just retailers but on customer eating habits, this prompted Peter to pursue further study into vegan meat analogues, which highlighted the challenges that the food industry faces in terms of population growth, protein demand, and sustainability. With the Fulbright scholarship, Peter hopes to further his learning about consumer perception of food, and how these conceptions can be more positive towards sustainable diets.  

Outside of his studies, Peter has a passion for running and has been selected to represent Northern Ireland. As an elite athlete, Peter enjoys competing and has a personal best of 14.36 for running a 5K.