Dean Oliver is the Director of Innovation and Technical Services for Riceland’s Research and Technical (R&T) Center in Stuttgart, AR. The R&T Center sets Riceland apart through its wide range of abilities in testing, analysis, and experiments conducted in-house to improve our products and operations. We also use this technology to help our customers with problem-solving and product development.
Dean graduated from UALR with a B.S. in Business and immediately went to work for Riceland Foods in 1993. He started as the Scheduling Coordinator for the packaging department, overseeing packaging lines for about a dozen products. When the opportunity arose, Dean moved to the R&T’s Pilot Plant, managing product development projects. Throughout this time, he became involved with the lab work and stepped into a management role, which led him to his director position today.
Over his long-standing career with Riceland, Dean says his favorite part about the job is the people. His team consists of many veteran members who have learned on the job and can step into various positions when needed. When he isn’t working with his team, Dean enjoys analyzing data to identify the story behind the numbers and solve problems.
“Rice is grown across the world, it’s easy to consume, and is a staple food for over half the world’s population,” Oliver explains. He says he often gets asked what his team could be doing with rice that requires an entire research building. TheR&T labs routinely evaluate rice cultivars for physical, chemical, and organoleptic properties. This data propels the rice industry by helping us understand not only the overall crop quality but also specific markets and opportunities for individual cultivars. Dean would venture to guess that one of the things most surprising to consumers is the complexity of rice from the farm to milling and processing to ensure that people are able to consistently receive a high-quality product that Riceland can be proud to provide. That complexity can also be seen among the purchasing options when you get to the shelf. From traditional long-grain white rice to aromatic varieties likeJasmine rice, all the way into parboiled rice, you can use any rice in your recipes. However, many people don’t realize that your rice choice can drastically change the recipe texture and flavor outcome.
Dean’s rice of choice is parboiled rice cooked on the stovetop. His favorite recipes reflect his southern roots, including rice and gravy, gumbo, jambalaya, and dirty rice, just to name a few. Want to cook a Dean-approved meal for dinner? Check out our Cajun Sausage and Rice Recipe from the kitchen of a Riceland farmer.
