Professor Emeritus Raja Tannous , President of Lebanese Association of Food Scientists and Technologists( LASFT), who has been a member of the AUB Nutrition and Food Sciences Department since 1963, passed away on February 26, 2014, having been hospitalized since December. He was 80.
Professor Tannous established LAFST in 1996 with a group of Food Scientists and he headed the association since its inception . He played pivotal roles in the establishment of national and regional projects , and his expertise was solicited by Arab and American institutions alike. He remained an active member in academic, professional, and honorary societies and committees, at the national, regional, and international levels. In addition to his teaching career, publications, books, and consultancies.
An AUB alumnus, Tannous first joined the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) as assistant professor of food technology, and went on to become a professor of food technology and nutrition in 1988. In 2012, Tannous was named Emeritus Professor.
Tannous served intermittently as chairperson of the Nutrition and Food Sciences Department for 15 years and as acting dean of FAFS for five years. He also served on a variety of faculty and university committees and was a consultant on food technology to the industry, as well as to several institutions in the region and international agencies, such as FAO, UNICEF, and UNIDO. He served in the latter as chairman of the “Food Safety Panel” that prepared the first draft of a food safety law and food safety authority for Lebanon. A student of the International College and AUB, Tannous later earned his PhD in science, nutrition, and food science in 1963 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA.
FAFS Dean Emeritus Nuhad Dagher said in memory of his colleague, “Dr. Tannous has served his department, his faculty, AUB, Lebanon, and the region for over 50 years in a most dedicated and diligent way. His research in the nutrition and food science areas has helped improve the nutritional status of people all over the Middle East. Dr. Tannous always went out of his way to serve others. He will be greatly missed by students, faculty, staff, and his many friends and relatives.”
Professor Tannous is survived by his wife Lydia T. Haddad; daughter Lamia, married to Dr. Fadlo Raja Khoury; and son Izzat, married to Soha Nabil Kawar.
