DR. RICHARD L. HALL SCHOLARSHIP IN FLAVOR SCIENCE
Through fifty years of dedicated service, Dr. Richard L. Hall has exemplified excellence in the flavor industry. Established in 2009 with generous contributions from the Flavors Extract Manufacturing Association (FEMA), the Dr. Richard L. Hall Scholarship is awarded to a graduate student pursuing research in flavor science during the 2011-2012 academic year. If you are interested in applying for this scholarship, please contact Anna K. Proctor at akproctor@ift.org.
ARE YOU A FOOD BLOGGER OR ASPIRING FOOD BLOGGER?
IFTSA is forming a work group to explore the possibility of starting a blog on the new IFT community. We could use some help and advice from our IFTSA members who are already involved in blogging. If you have a strong interest in blogging or already have some experience with blogging and you want to increase your involvement with IFTSA, please contact Anna Ylijoki at aylijoki@ift.org.
INTERESTED IN ONE FREE YEAR OF MEMBERSHIP?
Are you graduating soon and about to start your career? Do you have your first job lined up? Have your first industry job and want to stay on top of new information and industry trends? Upon graduating, sign up for IFT's FREE one-year transition membership for new professionals. Your FREE membership benefits include: - Attending the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo at the student rate
- Continuing education programs at complimetary or discounted prices
- Networking opportunities with food professionals
- Volunteer engagement options
- Employment services
- Accessing information on new products and consumer trends
- Ability to build your own peer network through the New Professionals online community
Sign up here for your FREE one-year transition membership today! CALL FOR 2012 SUBPANEL MEMBERS
IFT needs volunteers to serve as subject matter experts who shape the focus and priorities of the scientifc track for the 2012 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo. If you are interested in volunteering as a subpanel member for one of these scientific tracks, please complete this survey by April 21, 2011. Click here to view the survey. UNDERGRADUATE TECHNICAL WRITING COMPETITIONUndergraduate students are invited to submit a technical research paper on a food science related subject of concern to consumers. Eligible students are those majoring in food science, nutrition, meat science, or dairy science at any two or four year university. Winners receive $500 (first place), $300 (second place) or $150 (third place). All entries are due May 20th to Denise Skonberg.umit.maine.edu. The first place paper will be published in the Journal of Food Science. For more info on the criteria and how to participate, visit the IFT Education Division website. BIOTECHNOLOGY DIVISION TRAVEL GRANTS
The IFT Biotechnology Division is offering two travel grants ($500 each) to attend the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo. The travel grant will also include a free ticket to the Food Laws & Regulations Division and Biotechnology Division luncheon. This is a great opportunity for students who would like to attend the IFT AMFE and network with biotechnology members. Applications are due April 12 to mille216@illlinois.edu. Visit the BioTechnology Division website for the application. IFT MEMBER PROFILE: JAIME REEVES 
Snapshot of my life:
Howdy, ya'll, I'm a Texan (former Californian) working for Frito-Lay in Plano, TX. For the past four years I've been working as a Product Development Scientist developing new Doritos, Cheetos, dips and salsas. I love working in Research & Development because it's fast-paced and my activities vary from day to day. Throughout the development process, I work closely with cross-functional teams including marketing, consumer insights, finance, packaging and purchasing.
My hobbies include running and wine! I love to run – mostly for exercise and I have competed in several 10K's and half marathons. And of course after you've run that much, it's nice to kick back with a glass of wine. My favorite meal is super soggy cereal. I've traveled all around the world and tasted some amazing food, but nothing beats the soggy cereal. However, Tostitos chips and salsa run a very close second in my book. Where did I attend college?
I completed my undergraduate degree in food science at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo. It was a great school, not only because it was close to the beach, but also since the university's teaching philosophy is "learn by doing." Every class was hands on with equipment and instrumentation, and I had the chance to do everything from making salsa in the lab to playing with baby calves. For my master's degree, I moved across the country to attend the University of Georgia. I developed and patented a post-harvest stress application method for increasing resveratrol in peanuts. I produced a peanut butter using resveratrol-enhanced peanuts that was tested with consumers. I decided to continue my education in food science and pursued a PhD at the University of California Davis. For my PhD project I looked at food from the health and wellness perspective. My research focused on identifying the effect of "functional" compounds such as flavonoids and lycopene on xenobiotic biotransformation enzymes. In simple terms, these enzymes are responsible for helping cells fight off oxidative damage that could result in cancer and other diseases if not stopped. So I helped determine whether certain compounds (i.e. flavonoids and lycopene) found in the diet could naturally increase the "helpful enzyme" levels in the body. Our research found that certain flavonoids were beneficial at increasing the "helpful enzymes" … so eat your fruits and veggies! How did I become interested in food science?
As a high school senior, I had no clue what I wanted to do with the rest of my life; however, the only college I really, really, really wanted to attend (because it was 7 minutes away from the beach … remember I'm a native Californian) required me to choose a major when I applied. The food science program stood out to me because I was just completing home economics food class in high school that I really enjoyed, plus I love to eat! So I applied under that major and was accepted to the program. After my first semester of studying food science, I was hooked! In what other major do you get to eat your lab experiments? How did IFT/IFTSA help me transition from a student to professional?
I've been a member of IFT for 13 years and have served as a volunteer leader at the National, Section, Division and Student Association level. My involvement in IFTSA/IFT helped me transition from student to professional by allowing me to develop my project management skills. This is a critical skill that I use daily in my current job. Also it allowed me to develop my professional network which definitely helped during the job hunt! What are my success tips for students who might be entering the workforce for the first time?
Go into your first job knowing that there will be a big learning curve. Your employer knows that you've never done a job like this and doesn't expect you to know everything the first day. Definitely don't act like you know everything; it's ok to say you don't know something and be eager to learn. Also work hard at building your network within the company so you have good resources to tap into when you have questions or run into problems. 
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