Emily Dawson, a graduate student at Western Illinois University and a teacher in the Peoria Public Schools has been awarded the prestigious Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant to advance research and science education centered on cacao chemistry and chocolate history.
The funded $10,000 project, 'Cacao Chronicles: Writing Hawaii’s Chocolate Story Through Chemistry,' uses high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure the concentrations of theobromine, caffeine, and theophylline in Hawaiian-grown cacao. By comparing samples from Hawaii with cacao grown throughout the traditional Cacao Belt, the research aims to establish a chemical “fingerprint” that connects growing conditions, fermentation methods, and regional history to flavor chemistry.
According to Dawson, beyond laboratory research, the grant strengthens a unique partnership between WIU and Peoria Public Schools. Dawson is pursuing a master's degree at Western, and is integrating the project into hands-on science laboratory lessons for middle and high school students. She is a special education and science teacher in the Peoria School District.
As part of the initiative area high school students will join a research cohort to learn analytical chemistry techniques, cacao science, and cacao history; lesson plans and reproducible laboratory experiments focused on cacao chemistry will be developed for K–12 classrooms; and presentations and outreach events will reach students, educators and community members.
Mentored by WIU Chemistry Professor Brian Bellott, the project also supports undergraduate and graduate research training while expanding access to laboratory science experiences in public schools.
Through this partnership, the Chocolate History Grant supports both advanced analytical research and the next generation of scientists, proving that chocolate is not only a global commodity but also a powerful educational tool.
