Rohini Desai Mulchandani was just 19 when she arrived in East Lansing from India in 1964 to pursue a master’s degree. Her parents supported her financially for the first year, but funding for the rest of her education was “up to her.”
If she maintained a B or better GPA in her first year, the food science department promised Rohini a research assistantship for year two. She did, and the rest is history. A second year at MSU and three years at The Ohio State University, all funded by research assistantships, helped Rohini finance her American education.
She says life on the MSU campus was a wonderful introduction to life in America, and she cherishes those memories to this day. After MSU, she earned her doctorate in dairy technology from OSU, started her career at Abbott Laboratories in Columbus, Ohio, and received notable awards for her outstanding achievements and scientific contributions. Recently, she was recognized with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean’s Pinnacle of Excellence Award.
After retiring from Abbott, she founded Arjay Gourmet Foods LTD, a specialty food business that developed a seasoning blend (garam masala) and 13 varieties of award-winning chutneys, garnering her the nickname “the Chutney Lady.” Indian-inspired cookies and snacks were added to the mix of offerings over time.
Inspired by her own experiences, Rohini first documented an estate gift to support the Rohini Desai Mulchandani Fellowship for Food Science at MSU. Wanting to experience the joy and impact of giving within her lifetime, she established a second graduate award to help four internationally engaged food science students pursue master’s degrees at MSU, in gratitude for the four years of financial assistance she received from two universities. The first of these four students graduated in April.
Ameen Mohamed Ziyad, a current Mulchandani Fellowship recipient who is researching blueberry preservation, says the support inspires him to achieve academic excellence and to make the most of the many opportunities offered at MSU: meeting new people, exploring new fields and developing the core skills for competency in the food industry.
“I do hope to do the same that she has done for me,” he says.
LEARN MORE about support for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources by contacting Senior Director of Development Jeffrey Martin at mart2767@msu.edu or by calling (517) 432-1576.
Story by Truman Langlois