Penn State graduate student Kehinde "Kenny" Kolapo is leading a statewide assessment of Pennsylvania's grain processing capacity as part of a summer fellowship with Team Pennsylvania, a public-private nonprofit organization focused on advancing economic growth across the commonwealth.
Kolapo, a dual-title doctoral student in entomology and microbiome sciences in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, is spending eight weeks as one of three Team Pennsylvania summer fellows. His project focuses on evaluating the state's food processing infrastructure, with an emphasis on grain milling and processing.
The assessment follows a 2025 Team Pennsylvania report that found only a small portion of the grain processed within the state is grown in Pennsylvania, despite the commonwealth's significant grain processing sector.
The study will evaluate industry interest and capacity for expanding grain processing, identify appropriate scales for growth and determine which markets could benefit from additional investment. The findings are expected to help guide business retention, expansion and infrastructure investment decisions.
Kolapo is collecting data from grain processing facilities of various sizes across the state. The assessment includes operations handling corn, soybeans, millet, sorghum and ethanol production.
The project will examine whether Pennsylvania has sufficient processing capacity, identify potential infrastructure gaps and recommend locations where additional facilities could strengthen the state's agricultural economy.
Beyond his fellowship, Kolapo's doctoral research focuses on improving crop resilience to insects and environmental stresses such as drought. His work explores plant, insect and microbiome interactions with the goal of developing crops that require fewer pesticide applications while maintaining performance under challenging growing conditions.
Originally from Ibadan, Nigeria, Kolapo developed an interest in agriculture while working on his family's maize farm, where he witnessed the impact of fall armyworm infestations. He later earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and worked as an entomologist and plant pathologist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture before beginning his doctoral studies at Penn State.
After completing his doctorate, Kolapo plans to continue agricultural research aimed at improving crop production in the United States and internationally, including in his home country. His work combines scientific research with practical applications that could support agricultural productivity and strengthen food processing systems.
Source: Penn State, "Doctoral student leads grain processing project for Team Pennsylvania"