IFT announces leadership candidates; Getting to know Erica Boyd
IFT WORLD
IFT announces Leadership Election candidates
IFT is pleased to announce the launch next month of the 2018 IFT Leadership Election. The slate of candidates comprises the following talented individuals, each of whom offers a breadth of knowledge:
Candidates for President-Elect
• Pam Coleman, vice president, Research Services, Mérieux NutriSciences; president, Biofortis, United States
• Anne Goldman, vice president, Consumer Research, ACCE International, Canada
Candidates for the Board of Directors
• E.B. Russell, technical sales manager, Kemin Food Technologies, United States
• Gunnar Sigge, head of department and associate professor, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
• Enrique Palou Garcia, professor and director of the Center for Science, Engineering and Technology Education, Universidad de las Americas Puebla, Mexico
• Gordon Smith, professor and department head, Kansas State University, United States
• Joy Dell’Aringa, business development manager, bioMérieux, United States
• Ken Lee, professor and director of Food Innovation Center, The Ohio State University, United States
• Stacy Pyett, market team lead dairy and key account manager, NIZO, Netherlands
During the election period, which will take place from Feb. 1 to March 5, IFT’s voting membership will elect one member for president-elect and four members for the board of directors. Information on how to cast your vote will be emailed on Feb. 1. Please forward any questions about the slate, petition process, or the online election to Kate Dockins, staff liaison to the Nominations & Elections Committee, at [email protected].
Fermentation science students earn scholarships
Career aspirations for six Oregon State University fermentation science students received a boost when they were awarded the Jack Joyce Scholarship. Among the winners are three student members of IFT: Keisha Harrison, Evan Trapp, and Dean Hauser. The $60,000 award was divided among the six winners.
The scholarship, established by Columbia Distributing and Rogue Ales as a tribute to Rogue Founder Jack Joyce, has given away $245,000 in four years. Each year, the scholarships are built from generous donations from influential organizations in the beer industry.
“My favorite aspect of fermentation science is how liberating it is. It really gives you an opportunity to pull in science and flavor,” says Harrison. “It really allows you to explore the world through your eyes and most importantly through your tongue.”
IUFoST honors IFT members
The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) honored IFT members David Julian McClements and Emmanuel Hatzakis with the Lifetime Achievement and Young Scientist Awards, respectively.
McClements is a professor in the Dept. of Food Science at the University of Massachusetts. He specializes in the areas of food biopolymers and colloids, and in the development of food-based structured delivery systems for bioactive components. He received his PhD in food science at the University of Leeds (United Kingdom) in ultrasonic spectrometry.
Hatzakis is an assistant professor in the Dept. of Food Science and Technology at The Ohio State University. His research interests include applications of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in food science and nutrition. He received his PhD in food analysis from the University of Crete in Greece.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual for preeminence in and contributions to the field of food science and technology over his or her career. The Young Scientist Award recognizes an individual in the initial phases of her or his career for the potential to make outstanding scientific contributions to the field of food science and technology and the potential for future scientific leadership.
IFTSA members receive honors at Food Summit China
Three students representing Cornell University’s 2016–17 Institute of Food Technologists’ Student Association (IFTSA) & Mars Product Development Team received second-place honors last November at the Food Summit China conference hosted by the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Isabel Alster, Jessica Kwong, and Kaitlin Steinleitner were honored for their meat-inspired vegan product, Jack’d Jerky, created from shredded jackfruit and a hydrated pea protein base blended with tomato and herbs. The same product won first place last June in the 2017 IFTSA & Mars Product Development competition in Las Vegas.
IFTNEXT Food Disruption Challenge competition
Do you know of a start-up company looking for a high-profile opportunity to pitch its idea, product, or innovation, or the capital and resources to help fund and advance its latest innovation? The IFTNEXT Food Disruption Challenge competition is designed to help emerging and investment-ready science of food and technology related companies gain visibility and make strategic connections to help advance the science of food and its positive impact on the sustainability of our global food supply.
The winner will receive a cash prize and mentoring opportunities. Six finalists will be asked to pitch their innovation during a featured session at IFT18 in Chicago, with a $25,000 cash prize awarded to the judges’ selection of Future Food Disruptor. Other prizes include $5,000 for the audience choice and mentoring opportunities. Learn more here.
Getting to Know Erica Boyd
Each month, we meet one of IFT’s valued volunteers.
Since graduating from Virginia Tech in 1997 with a BS in food science, Erica Boyd’s volunteer activities have been an integral part of her professional life. A member of IFT since 1995, Boyd says a move to Cincinnati many years later prompted her to re-engage and “meet like-minded folks in my new home.”
Boyd is now in her second year of volunteering on the Ohio Valley IFT board. Last year she served as secretary, this year as chair-elect. “I am looking forward to the next few years in my leadership role with this team,” she says. In addition to organizing and supporting the Ohio Valley IFT Expo in April, she will be “serving on the Scholarship Committee, as well as supporting the planning and executing of two of our events for the 2017–2018 year.”
Boyd also serves as the Ohio Valley’s social media representative, managing the section’s Facebook page and working on building out its LinkedIn presence. Her involvement in IFT, she says, “has been a very valuable experience. Professionally, it has built my network, and I really feel like I am part of the food science community, particularly locally. Personally, it has really helped with my confidence in meeting new people and speaking out in group settings.”
A key development opportunity that arose from Boyd’s volunteer work was the chance to participate in the IFT Leadership Summit, a forum that engages volunteer leaders from across the organization. The summit aims to further develop participants and equip them with resources to advance the objectives of IFT while providing networking opportunities among the boards, sections, divisions, and workgroups. Boyd took part in the summit in 2016 and 2017. “I found it very beneficial to meet and talk to other volunteers from various regions,” she says. “I liked hearing fresh ideas for promoting our field.”
Juggling a career, volunteer activities, and personal commitments can sometimes be a challenge. Boyd nevertheless finds time to teach Jazzercise, participate in a community choir, golf, hike, attend sporting and theatrical events, and indulge her passion for food (“I love all things food [cooking but mostly eating!],” she enthuses). Striking a balance is not always easy, but Boyd’s philosophy is simple: “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Focus on the big picture and what it is that you want to accomplish in your life and career. So far, that has worked for me. I may not have the cleanest house and award-winning front yard, but those simply are not my priorities.”
When asked what advice she would offer other busy IFT members who are considering volunteering, she says, “IFT is a big, global organization and it certainly can be a little intimidating. So first and foremost, I suggest that you check out your local IFT section, attend an event, and get to know your local board members! There are so many opportunities to get involved locally, from serving on the board or a committee to even something small like helping to organize an event. We value everyone’s opinion and time. We want to grow the IFT network, and the easiest way to do that is by building connections in our back yard.”
Section Meetings
South Eastern
Feb. 6: Food Industry Expo. Smyrna, Ga. Click here.
New York
Feb. 13: Student night. New Brunswick, N.J. Click here.
In Memoriam
IFT notes the passing of the following members: Constance J. Geiger, Leonard V. Kondrot, John J. Majnarich, and Charles N. Standing.
Have some news to share about yourself or another IFT member? Email [email protected].