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Fellows Nomination Material

Statement of Principles

The IFT Fellow designation is an honor bestowed upon an IFT member by their peers, recognizing exemplary professionalism in the field of food science. In a given year, no more than 0.3 percent of the professional membership is eligible, and even fewer than that will earn this honor.

The nomination of a fellow should include evidence for exemplary accomplishments in the areas of scholarly advancement, service to the food science and technology profession, inspiration of others to excel in the food science and technology field, primary responsibility for the success of a new food product, and/or improvement of the human condition via food science and technology.

How to Nominate a Professional Member for Fellow

1. You must be an IFT Member, Professional Member, Emeritus Member, or Emeritus Professional Member. Fellow Jury members may not nominate a candidate for Fellow.
2. Determine whether your nominee is eligible (see Qualifications).
3. Complete the Nomination Form and submit it to awards@ift.org by February 1st.
4. Forward Reference Forms and completed Nomination Form to five references selected from the List of Fellows. In order to meet the February 1st deadline and give references adequate time to complete the reference form, it is recommended that materials be sent to references by mid-December.

NOTE: If more than five reference forms are received for a single nomination, the date on the reference form will determine which forms will be forwarded to the jury members for consideration. And, the nominator may also serve as a reference.

Qualifications and Judging Criteria

The following qualifications for nominees for IFT Fellow are taken from the Rules and Regulations Governing the IFT Awards Program.

Election as an IFT Fellow is a unique professional distinction which shall be conferred only on a living person with outstanding and extraordinary qualifications and experience for his or her overall contributions in the field of food science and technology. The nominee must be a Professional Member who has been a member of IFT for at least 15 years. The Fellows Jury may waive the 15 year IFT membership stipulation for professional members who have spent all or a portion of their careers outside the United States and have demonstrated 15 years of service in food science organizations similar to IFT.

In addition, the nominee must have been in the active practice of the profession for at least 15 years and attained distinction as measured by performance over a period of at least 10 of these years. The judging will be based on the following criteria:

• Contributions to the profession of food science and technology in industry, academia, government, and/or related organizations
  Contributions may include but are not limited to: Research achievements, as evidenced by publications, patents, and presentations. Industry achievements, such as research management, innovation product and/or process development, inventions and patents, and innovations in safety and quality systems.
• Honors, awards and other evidence of recognition within the profession
• Other evidence of leadership and achievements within the profession
  For example: Organization of and/or participation in conferences or industrial, academic, governmental, and/or international committees; training programs; internal or external advisory activities; and promoting participation in IFT activities.
• Service to IFT
  This may include: National, Regional, Divisional, and other IFT-related activities. In the case of a member residing outside the United States, service to an IFT Allied Organization will be considered in lieu of or in addition to, service to IFT.
• References
  Three favorable Reference Forms must be received for the nomination to be considered by the jury. A maximum of five references per nomination may be forwarded to the jury.

Explanation

"Contributions to the profession" and "service to IFT" are intended to represent more than routine committee work, or routine contributions of other kinds, no matter how successfully they are undertaken. The nominee's record should show instances in which a worthwhile idea, approach, process, organization, etc., was successfully introduced by the nominee.

Reconsideration of Nominees

If your nominee is not elected a Fellow in any given year, you may re-nominate him or her in a subsequent year.

Instructions for Completing the Nomination Form

1. Type all information and submit the completed nomination to awards@ift.org by February 1st.
2. Be concise. Limit the nomination to four typed pages, not including the reference forms and cover page. Do not include company reports, reviews of papers, speeches, citations, newspaper clippings, support letters from Sections and/or Divisions, or the like. Unnecessary material will only hamper the jury's work in evaluating your nominee.
3. Be complete. Include all the information requested on the Nomination Form.
4. Contact the nominee to obtain information needed on the Nomination Form, if you are unable to obtain it elsewhere.
5. Ensure that references submit a completed Reference Form to IFT by February 1st (see below for additional reference information).

Nominee's Professional History

List the nominee's professional history in chronological order, beginning with his or her present position and going back at least through the ten or more years during which the nominee made his or her key contributions.

For each position held, provide concise details as to the name and location of employer, total number of employees, number of employees supervised, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Indicate the scope of responsibilities and the specific nature of the nominee's technical and personal contributions in each position held, not just the title.

References

Select five Fellows to serve as references for your nominee on the Nomination Form. This will ensure that at least three favorable references are received. When possible, contact them by telephone to request permission to list them as references. See the List of Fellows.

1. Members of the Fellow Jury (whose names are kept confidential) and IFT staff members are not eligible to serve as references. If we receive a Reference Form from an ineligible person, we will notify you (if time permits) so a Reference Form can be sent to another Fellow.
   
   The Fellows you choose as references should be personally and professionally acquainted with the nominee. A copy of the completed nomination form should accompany each reference form. Preferably, no more than one reference should be affiliated with the nominee’s employer.
   
   If your nominee lives outside the United States and you are therefore unable to give the names of five Fellows as references, the Fellow Jury may, at its discretion, accept as references other IFT Professional Members who are acquainted with your nominee and who are food scientists or food technologists of recognized standing. 

2. Type the name of your nominee on each Reference Form. Do not fill in any other part of the form.
     
3. In order to meet the February 1st deadline, and give references adequate time to complete the reference form, it is recommended that you forward the Reference Form (Word) and a copy of the completed Nomination Form (Word) to each reference by mid-December. *Ask the reference to notify you when he or she forwards the form to IFT. A suggested timeframe for follow up on those who do not respond is mid-January.
   
   Note: The name of the nominator is considered "Confidential" and is not provided to the jury members.
   

Deadline and Mailing Information

1. To be eligible for consideration by the Fellow Jury, the Nomination Form must be received by IFT by February 1.
2. At least three favorable Reference Forms must be received by IFT by February 1.
3. The Nomination Form and Reference Forms should be forwarded to awards@ift.org
   Questions? Please contact awards@ift.org