Connecting With IFT Sections and Divisions

While the benefits of IFT membership are numerous, I have most profited from the meaningful connections I have made as a member, and now as president. And I am not alone in this view. In a recent member survey, IFT sections and divisions, along with student chapters, are considered the most important community benefit, demonstrating that members value personal contact with others. Facilitating these types of experiences through networking is a key promise within our strategic plan. No matter where you live or work, networking enables us to engage with our community and offers us the opportunity to transfer knowledge and communicate information crucial to our field and your professional development, all while making lasting friendships.

Over the last few months, I have had the distinct pleasure of connecting with many of you via my section visits—from the United Kingdom to Chicago, Texas (Alamo) to British Columbia. These visits were extraordinary in the energy, enthusiasm, and ingenuity I witnessed among the leaders and members at large. I was impressed by the diversity of activities undertaken to enable networking, exchange of information, and experiences. These visits enabled me to learn more about the day-to-day challenges of the leaders and ensure that they were fully up to date on the increasing support available from the IFT office and our committed staff. It was a special privilege for me to participate in the 75th anniversary celebration of the Chicago Section and to share my thoughts on the exciting opportunities for our profession and the important challenge we have of communicating more widely on the essential role that science, technology, and innovation have in the global food system. It was wonderful to meet with so many of you and connect in person, and I am looking forward to future visits.

As in my own case, networking often begins within IFT’s sections. This is where members connect locally. While each section is unique and has its individual projects, whether it’s sponsoring section-specific awards and scholarships or organizing events like Suppliers’ Nights, technical sessions, and philanthropic activities, they all share the common goal of promoting the science of food and its application in the global food system.

My visits are just a fraction of the work IFT is doing in conjunction with sections to make this vital member benefit even better. Through an initiative launched last year, IFT is committed to providing support to our 51 sections and section leaders by offering enhanced section training, updated communication tools, assistance with directors and officers insurance, and surveys to ensure we meet our community’s needs.

All IFT members are welcome to and encouraged to join their local section. If you are interested in joining a section near you, please review the complete listing of all of IFT’s sections on ift.org, and if you have additional questions, you can email them to [email protected].

Another way IFT members can expand their network is by joining a division. Our 24 divisions help our members transcend borders by connecting our community internationally, whether via our International Division or those based on interests in specific disciplines or areas of food science and technology. As an example of this, I had the opportunity to participate in a recent, highly successful meeting of our Nonthermal Processing Division held jointly, and back to back, with a meeting of EFFOST (European regional group of IUFOST) in Athens, Greece. Such an arrangement ensured an international list of delegates and some unique experiences in exchanging ideas on research in this area of the science and technology of food. Whether via face-to-face meetings or making virtual connections, the divisions nurture the IFT community through dynamic discussions, social events, competitions, leadership opportunities, and by contributing expertise through scientific session development, newsletter content creation, and more. Our division members also connect virtually on IFT Connect, our online community where members hold discussions, review research, and share insights in virtual sessions like “Ask the Expert.”

The unique opportunity to share professional interests, offer expertise, and contribute content to the work of scientists worldwide is available to IFT members at no cost through division membership. I encourage you to explore these benefits by visiting ift.org/divisions.

Our sections and divisions play a crucial role in connecting us and the work we do. Whether it’s geographically or by each of our unique interests, joining a section and/or division offers you the opportunity to bring more to your IFT membership and to your career and professional development opportunities.

Colin Dennis, CBE, PhD, CFS, CSci
IFT President, 2015–2016
Chairman, IFIS Ltd., Reading, United Kingdom
[email protected]