2009 IFT Fellows

Fellow is a unique professional distinction conferred on individuals with outstanding and extraordinary qualifications and experience for their contributions to the food science and technology field. The nominee must have been an IFT Member for 15 years and a Professional Member at the time of nomination. The 15-year member requirement may be waived by the Fellows Jury for those nominees who have spent all or a portion of their careers outside the United States.

IFT has conferred the Fellow designation on a select number of Professional Members every year since 1970.

Catherine Adams

Catherine Adams, President and CEO, RdR Solutions Consulting, was honored for being a leader in the application of HACCP as a regulatory program and the implementation of ISO 9000 quality management systems for the global food industry.

Adams led the development and implementation of product lifecycle management information platforms for food companies, including Heinz and McDonald’s.
Integrating elements of food science and nutrition, Adams designed a nutrition strategy for McDonald’s that focused on incorporating the global restaurant chain’s suppliers to create innovative food solutions. She has advanced the use of public-private partnerships to improve food safety, well-being and corporate responsibility.

Ken Buckle

Ken Buckle, Emeritus Professor, University of New South Wales, was recognized for more than 30 years of service to the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (an IFT affiliate organization) and for his commitment to teaching and promoting food safety.

During Buckle’s presidency of AIFST, a national office for the organization was established that contributed to the financial viability and stability of the Institute and allowed it to more effectively manage its Annual Convention and publications.

Buckle has contributed his expertise in the area of food safety and food technology as a teacher and mentor for over 40 years. Over the course of his career, Buckle served as Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology at UNSW, Associate Dean (International Development) for the science faculties, and was UNSW’s first Director, China Relations. He was awarded a Centenary Medal by the Australian Government for ‘service to Australian society in food science and technology’. His international contributions include President of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (2001-03).

Alfred Bushway

Alfred Bushway, Professor, University of Maine, was honored for his contributions in the areas of food processing and food safety for fruits and vegetables, seafood, meat, and poultry.

During his 30-year career, Bushway has addressed issues affecting food production for local growers and processors in New England and Maine. His lowbush blueberry research program focuses on food quality and safety and product development, as well as uses for by-products of blueberry harvest. IFT honored Bushway’s commitment to these regional food production issues in 2003 with the Elizabeth Fleming Stier Award.
Bushway and colleagues are currently developing chemical and biocontrol methods to reduce the mycotoxin patulin in and on apples being stored for later processing.

James R. Coughlin

James R. Coughlin, President, Coughlin & Associates, was recognized for his leadership and contributions in national and international aspects of food and nutritional toxicology, risk assessment, scientific communication and regulatory affairs, covering food products, additives and contaminants.
For more than a decade Coughlin managed external toxicology, safety and regulatory affairs for Armour Foods, General Foods and Kraft Foods. He has been a key participant in the assessment and management of the California Proposition 65 law and regulations for over 20 years. Coughlin’s service to IFT has included three terms as Chair of the Toxicology and Safety Evaluation Division, FDA-contracted Food Defense activities and representation of IFT at Codex meetings on food additives and contaminants. Coughlin has served as President of the Association for Science and Information on Coffee and as Vice President of the International Society for Trace Element Research in Humans.

Theron “Tee” Downes

Theron “Tee” Downes, Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University, was honored for his studies in, and lifelong commitment to, the field of food packaging.
More than 40 years ago, Downes conducted pioneering studies on migration of chemicals from plastics into foods to help identify the risks associated with food packaging. During his career, he was frequently called upon to create innovative packaging solutions for the food industry, including specially designed aseptic packaging for Yoo-Hoo drink products and a liquid nitrogen injection system to maintain pressure in aluminum cans. Additionally, he was instrumental in improving package seal integrity as it relates to shelf life and permeability for multiple food products.
Downes shared his expertise in packaging design and selection on a global level through the establishment of a program of assistance to the food industry in Northern Ireland.

C. Patrick Dunne

C. Patrick Dunne, Senior Research Scientist, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, Department of Defense Combat Feeding Program, was recognized for his innovations in non-thermal processing of foods, and his promotion of national and international collaboration in food safety and security.
Through his work with the U.S. Army, Dr. Dunne has created combat ration options that have high levels of functional efficacy, have proven nutrient effectiveness, and meet food safety standards. He was instrumental in the formation of the IFT Nonthermal Processing Division, serving as the first Chair of the division in 1999. He has continued his involvement with the work of the division.

Kathleen Nelson Feicht

Kathleen Nelson Feicht, President, Asta Food Research, was honored for her work in advancing bakery technology and for her innovations in baked goods and foods for weight control.

Heading Asta Food Research for the past 23 years, Feicht has provided technical assistance to food industry professionals in the diverse fields of fat-free, low-fat, and low-carbohydrate foods, including new product development, shelf-life extension, and quality control. Kathleen has developed a number of familiar products, including edible papers for use in bakery decorating applications.

Throughout her career Kathleen has been an active member of IFT serving at local and national levels, with Divisions and Sections, supporting the food industry and students.

Luis Fernandez

Luis Fernandez, Applications Technology Leader, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Cargill, was recognized for his contributions in food ingredient applications as a researcher, director, and manager.

Fernandez is responsible for numerous ingredient application development achievements, including a powder mix to prepare gelatin free water jellies and meat analogs soy protein-based for vegetarian consumers. He has also advanced the food science profession through his volunteer commitments as Chair of the IFT International Division and as a member of the IFT Global Strategy Advisory Panel. He is currently serving as President-Elect for the International Union of Food Science and Technology.

John D. Floros

John D. Floros, Professor and Head, Department of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, was honored for his contributions to the field of Food Engineering and Packaging and for being an advocate for IFT and the food science profession.

Floros’ research has broadened the understanding of several complex physiochemical and biochemical phenomena that occur during food processing and packaging and affect product safety, quality, and shelf life.

As IFT President (2007–08) and through his numerous volunteer activities in IFT Sections, Divisions, and Task Forces, Floros has helped to advance IFT’s mission and its goals. As head of Food Science at Penn State University, Floros increased the number of enrolled graduate and undergraduate students, increased the number of outreach and distance education programs, and secured funding for and completed the construction of a new food science building.

Pina Fratamico

Pina Fratamico, Research Microbiologist/Lead Scientist, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, was recognized for her research on innovative methods for the identification and detection of food-borne pathogens.

Fratamico has conducted seminal studies toward understanding the attachment mechanism and virulence characteristics of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, and she pioneered the use of an immunomagnetic separation method for recovery and isolation of E. coli and Salmonella pathogens. She has also conducted research to meet the needs of regulatory agencies, the food industry, and the scientific community, helping to facilitate technology transfer and user-friendly methods for isolation and detection of pathogens.

In her continued research of food-borne pathogens, Fratamico participated in a 2008 E. coli Methodology Think Tank Meeting organized by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Stanley Gilliland

Stanley Gilliland, Regents Professor and Sitlington Endowed Chair, Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University, was honored for his research on probiotic cultures and their benefits for humans and livestock, as well as his role as an educator and student mentor.

Gilliland has contributed to the control of food borne pathogens through his studies on the role of probiotics in inhibiting the growth of Escherichia coli in cattle. He has isolated strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus capable of improving feed efficiency of cattle and pigs. Gilliland led the development of the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center (FAPC), which delivers technical and business information to help expand the food industry in Oklahoma. FAPC interacts with the food and agricultural industries in Oklahoma and has contributed to the growth and stability of more than 12,000 jobs in the state.

Fu-Hung Hsieh

Fu-Hung Hsieh, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Missouri, was recognized for his excellence in teaching and mentoring of food science and engineering students, as well as for developing food extrusion research program at the university. Prior to beginning his academic career, Hsieh was awarded several patents for his innovations in cereal and dried fruit while working as a senior research engineer for Quaker Oats Co. In addition to his work as a professor, Hsieh is a co-leader of the Food for the 21st Century Bioprocessing and Biosensing Center at the University of Missouri.

Yao-Wen Huang

Yao-Wen Huang, Professor, University of Georgia, was recognized for conducting innovative food safety and product development research on underutilized food sourcesand for promoting international cooperation and technology transfer to domestic and international food agencies.

Huang’s creative uses of food materials formerly viewed as underutilized materials include the development of a process that allows rapid conversion of cannonball jellyfish into a highly valued food product, the creation of pasta from sweet potato and soy-fortified peanut chips out of residual peanut meal, from the peanut oil industry.

Huang is a certified academic trainer in HACCP and SSOP, a ServSafe instructor for the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, and a certified New Product Development Professional (NPDP) from the Product Development Management Association (PDMA). Using his skills as a teacher and food safety expert, he has conducted HACCP/SSOP, ServSafe and product development training courses domestically and abroad including Thailand, China, Taiwan, Egypt, and Argentina.

John Marcy

John Marcy, Professor, University of Arkansas, was honored for his leadership in extension education for poultry processors and in retail food safety.

Marcy has developed educational workshops for the poultry and meat processing industries based on HACCP principles. He also designed a program to certify food scientists at Tyson Foods as Certified Culinary Scientists through the Research Chefs Association. The certification project was in keeping with Marcy’s combined interest in food science and culinary arts. It bridges the gap between the two professions and fosters respect on both sides.

Marcy also created a successful partnership between Extension faculty and the Departments of Health in Virginia and Arkansas to educate restaurant managers on food safety issues.

Joseph Marcy

Joseph Marcy, Interim Department Head and Professor, Virginia Tech, was honored for his research in food packaging and processing and his commitment to education in the food industry.

Working with the National Food Processors Association, Marcy developed standards for visible packaging defects in flexible containers. The standards were later adopted by the Food and Drug Administration for use in inspection.

Marcy is also a leader in aseptic processing training, organizing company-specific workshops and leading a Biovalidation Working group that brought together individuals in industry and academia as well as FDA scientists to develop procedures for aseptic multi-phase low-acid foods.

Marcy’s educational programs extend to the international sphere, as well; he led exchange programs for Food Science students in China and the West Indies.

Dennis Miller

Dennis Miller, Professor, Cornell University, was recognized for nutrition research focusing on trace minerals with the goal of reducing iron deficiency in populations.

During the past 30 years, Miller’s research has focused on understanding and improving iron bioavailability from foods and food fortificants. He has developed methods for measuring iron bioavailability and has applied these methods to assess iron bioavailability in a range of foods, both fortified and unfortified. In recent years, he has collaborated with HarvestPlus, a global research alliance dedicated to reducing micronutrient malnutrition in poor countries using plant breeding to “biofortify” staple food crops.

John Milner

John Milner, Chief, Nutritional Science Research Group, National Cancer Institute, was honored for his commitment to the discovery of bioactive food components in health promotion and disease prevention.  Through his work at the National Cancer Institute, Milner helps fosters research to define the importance of foods and their components as modifiers of cellular processes especially as related to cancer risk and tumor behavior. In the Food Science Dept at the University of Illinois and the Nutrition Dept at The Pennsylvania State University, his research focused on the promotion of functional foods and their components as a health alternative to drugs. Milner continues to be actively involved in promoting research regarding the uses of foods and their bioactive components at NIH as a strategy for health promotion.

Charles Sims

Charles Sims, Professor, University of Florida, was honored as a Food Science educator and mentor to generations of students.

During his academic career, Sims developed and taught courses in Introductory Food Science, Psychophysical Aspects of Foods, Quality Control in Food Systems, and Sensory Analysis of Foods. He was instrumental in creating an introductory course for distance education. Sims’ research on grapes provided sound science to a growing wine industry in the 1980s, which led to the expansion of many wineries and vineyards that produce grapes for the juice and wine market.

Fidel Toldrá

Fidel Toldrá, Research Professor, Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de Alimentos (CSIC), was recognized for leadership in the field of meat science.

Toldra’s research focused on the role of proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes in flavor development during processing of dry-cured meat products. Toldrá also developed rapid methods for pork quality detection as well as a new type of pork with a specific fatty acid profile for cholesterol maintenance or reduction.
His recent accomplishments include serving since 2003 in scientific panels on food additives, enzymes and flavorings for the European Food Safety Authority and participating as a member of the joint FAO/WHO expert panel studying the benefits and risks of the use of chlorine-based substances in food production and processing.

Pamela Vaillancourt

Pamela Vaillancourt, Vice President, Business Development, RQA, Inc., was honored for leadership in mentoring students as well as her expertise in quality assurance, product formulating, and business development.

Vaillancourt has been a dedicated member of IFT Sections, Divisions, Task Forces and Committees and was instrumental in establishing a supplier’s night event for the Puget Sound Section of IFT.

In her role as student mentor for the University of California, Davis, Vaillancourt has given future food scientists the benefit of her experience and helped secure sponsorship for their academic goals. Utilizing her expertise in product development and quality assurance, Vaillancourt has donated her time as a speaker at food science clubs at universities in California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Idaho. 

Purnendu Vasavada

Purnendu Vasavada, Professor, University of Wisconsin, River Falls, was honored for advancing food safety through his teaching, research, and outreach.
Vasavada developed a Rapid Methods Workshop at the university as a forum for expanding knowledge on rapid methods in food microbiology. He recently traveled to India, China, Brazil, and the UK to present workshops and seminars on food safety, dairy microbiology, and new approaches for rapid detection of foodborne pathogens.