Committee Members

Aline Theodoro Toci is a Professor at the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA), where she is a permanent member of the Postgraduate Program in Biosciences. She also collaborates with the Postgraduate Program in Food Engineering at UFPR and leads the research group Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Studies of Environment and Food (LEIMAA). She holds degrees in Chemistry and Petroleum Chemistry, along with a Master’s and PhD in Food Sciences. Her expertise spans Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Food Chemistry, with a strong focus on chromatographic and spectrometric techniques. Her research interests include Food Chemistry, Forensic Chemistry, and Environmental studies, particularly in areas such as food quality and adulteration, volatile compounds and aromas, bioactive compound quantification and changes during storage, drug traceability, and pharmaceutical quality. Internationally, she has worked as a researcher at the Council for Research and Experimentation in Agriculture – Research Unit for Viticulture and Enology in Italy. In 2020, she launched the extension project “What do we eat? The sciences behind food”, aimed at fostering students’ interest in chemistry.

Dr. Marko Vinceković is a full professor working in higher education for 20 years. He was a mentor to one Ph.D. student and 20 undergraduate and graduate students. Most of his competencies are related to colloid chemistry and applied chemistry in agriculture. Since 2003 he has been researching biopolymer molecular structure/function relationship and Physico-chemical processes in complex systems with biopolymers (oppositely charged polysaccharides, proteins and surfactants). Current research interest is in the investigation of intermolecular interactions in new biopolymer-based microcapsule formulations for plant nutrition/protection and functional food preparation. He was involved in one TEMPUS project, as an investigator on several national projects funded by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport, one COST and one postdoctoral project founded by UNAM (Universidad Autonoma de Mexico). Currently, he is a coordinator and partner of national projects funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, also he is a partner on one scientific project with the Republic of Kazakhstan. As an author or co-author, he published about 60 scientific journal articles Web of Science Index Expanded – total citations: 979, h-indeks 15.

Dr. Bonginkosi Eric Mthembu is working as a Head of Department of Community Extension, Faculty of Natural Sciences at Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban in KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa where he teaches Field Crop Production, Soil Science, Land Use Planning and Extension. He received Diploma in Agriculture: Crop Production and Agricultural Extension from Cwaka College of Agriculture, Empangeni, South Africa; Bachelor of Agriculture (Hons) from University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa.He was awarded scholarship to study in USA where he obtained MSc. (Plant & Soil) and MSc (Agric. Educ) degrees in North Carolina A & T State University. Prior to pursuing studies in USA, Bonginkosi worked as an Agricultural Extension Officer and then as an Agricultural Scientist at Eshowe, South Africa for about six years, after obtaining B Agric (Hons) qualification at University of Fort Hare, South Africa.He was then appointed as Lecturer at Mangosuthu University in 1996 after completion of his MSc studies in USA. In 1998 he was then appointed as Senior Lecturer until 2002. In 2003 he was appointed as Head of Department and he has served in this position until to date. He obtained a Ph.D. at the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Dr. Bonginkosi Mthembu is a Researcher and Reviewer. He has conducted 74 reviews for 24 Journals during the period from 2018 to 2023.