IFT WORLD
Become an IFT Leader
IFT is evolving into a flexible, nimble, and dynamic professional organization and needs your help in leading its members into new frontiers within food science and technology. In becoming an IFT leader, you have the ability to utilize your expertise, experience, and vision for shaping the future of IFT. The Nominations & Elections Committee seeks candidates like you for key national-level positions.
“We welcome new leaders who are passionate about furthering the mission and vision of IFT and can effectively and strategically lead IFT into the 21st century of food science,” said IFT Past-President Bruce Stillings, President of Food & Agriculture Consultants and incoming chair of the Nominations & Elections Committee. Candidates, he added, must be Professional Members who have previous volunteer experience in IFT. “Nominees must possess exemplary leadership qualities, a demonstrated commitment to IFT and its related professional organizations, and extensive background in the field.”
If you’ve ever wanted to take your volunteer involvement in IFT to the next level, now is the time. Self-nominations and nominations on behalf of colleagues are encouraged and are now being accepted for President-Elect and for Membership and Councilor Representatives to the Executive Committee for 2006–07.
• The Leadership Positions. The Executive Committee, IFT’s primary governing board, sets the future direction of IFT and ensures the availability of resources to direct IFT programs and services. As chief elected officer and chair of the Executive Committee, the IFT President is the primary steward of the strategic vision and plan leading IFT forward.
The Executive Committee comprises the President, President-Elect, Past President, six representatives of the IFT membership who are not Councilors, and six representatives selected from the IFT Council. Representatives of Council must be individuals who have served as a Councilor or Alternate Councilor within three years of their nomination to the Executive Committee. Two Membership Representatives and two Councilor Representatives will be elected next year.
Each of IFT’s elected leaders serve three-year terms to ensure continuity, oversight, and ongoing progress of his or her important volunteer work. The Executive Committee consistently meets three times a year, in March, at the IFT Annual Meeting, and in October. Ongoing communication continues throughout the year as policies and programs are implemented.
• The Nomination Process. It is quite easy to submit a nomination online. Visit www.ift.org and login to go to “Member Center” to complete the Volunteer Leadership Nomination Form. A form can also be requested by contacting Heather Lang in the IFT Executive Office at [email protected].
Completed forms for nominees to the offices of President-Elect and Membership and Council Representative to the Executive Committee for the term beginning September 1, 2006, are due October 15, 2005. All completed nomination forms are confidential and reviewed by only the Nominations & Elections Committee to develop a final slate of nominees for election.
We encourage you to complete the nomination form today. In doing so, you demonstrate your commitment to IFT and the future of sound science and to the continuing excellence of the food science and technology profession.
McLellan named Dean for Research
Mark McLellan was recently named Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
He previously served as Director of Texas A&M University’s Institute of Food Science and Engineering; Associate Director and Director of Cornell University’s Institute of Food Science; and Chairman of Cornell’s Dept. of Food Science and Technology.
McLellan, 2002–03 President of IFT, earned his B.S. degree in food science from the University of Massachusetts and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in food science from Michigan State University.
Symposia proposal deadline extended
The deadline for symposium proposals for the IFT Annual Meeting Technical Program has traditionally been September 1, but the deadline this year is tentatively being postponed until December 1.
The Task Force on the Annual Meeting Scientific Program—which is focusing on developing a new and improved scientific program to provide members with an engaging learning environment that will support quality interaction and a continuous exchange of ideas and new developments—is expected to submit a proposal with its improvements to the Executive Committee in October. Therefore, the deadline for symposium proposals is being postponed until after the Executive Committee meeting.
More information about the symposia proposal process will be available in a future issue of Food Technology and on www.ift.org.
Chapman wins research award
Many in the wine industry believe that crop yield is closely tied to wine quality, the thought being that low crop yields result in finer-quality wines. IFT Member Dawn Chapman is shaking up conventional thoughts with her recent publication, “Sensory Attributes of Cabernet Sauvignon Wines Made from Vines with Different Crop Yields.” This paper was chosen as the best viticulture research paper in 2005 by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture.
Her research suggests that the reduction of Cabernet Sauvignon crop yield by pruning decreases potentially desirable wine aromas and flavors, while reduction of crop yield by deficit irrigation increases potentially desirable wine aromas and flavors. She found that the reduction of crop yield by summer cluster thinning has little effect on wine aromas and flavors. Some of these results are in contrast to traditional industry thinking.
Chapman is Project Leader in the Sensory Research Dept. at National Food Laboratory, Dublin, Calif.
Rutgers honors Morse
At the 4th Annual Rutgers Food Science Community gathering, Roy Morse, 1987–88 President of IFT, was honored for his contributions to the field of food science and the Dept. of Food Science at the university.
His professional accomplishments include innovations in meat processing as Director of Research at Kingan and Co.; new product development at William J. Strange Co.; advances in instant tea products and processes as Vice President of Research for Thomas J. Lipton Inc.; and the development of the plastic soda bottle as Vice President of Research at PepsiCo, Inc.
Morse has taught at several universities, including Rutgers (1969–80), where he also served as Chairman of the Dept. of Food Science (1955–59). While at Rutgers, he championed the formation of the IFT Student Association. He earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Massachusetts.
Min receives Macy Award
David B. Min, Professor, Ohio State University, has won the 2005 Harold Macy Award in recognition of his work in the food science field.
Min, a Professional Member of IFT, worked with Harold Macy, former Dean Emeritus of the University of Minnesota and a Founding Member of IFT, more than 40 years ago. It was Macy who encouraged Min to pursue a career in the food industry and academia.
Throughout the years, Min has studied lipids and flavor chemistry. While his research accomplishments alone are impressive, it has been Min’s subsequent partnerships with industry that resulted in substantial benefits to the food industry. For more than 25 years, Min has served as a consultant to more than 10 major food companies, including General Mills, Procter & Gamble, and Frito-Lay.
His research on edible oils has led to changes in the way major U.S. vegetable oil processing companies process soybean oil. He has also investigated singlet oxygen formation in meats and dairy products and evaluated its effects on flavor quality in many foods. As a result of this research, food scientists now understand the mechanism of riboflavin degradation. During the 1990s, Min worked with Archer Daniels Midland and Kraft Foods to facilitate the transfer of his research findings through the development of processing technologies that eliminate reversion flavor.
CORRECTIONS
• The sources of several photos in the June 2005 issue were incorrectly identified. The Cajun foods photo on p. 28 was provided by Chef John Folse & Co., Gonzales, La. The iced tea photo on p. 38 was provided by Treatt USA, Inc., Lakeland, Fla. And the packaged pineapple photo on p.70 was provided by Dole Packaged Foods, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
• The third paragraph on p. 12 of the July 2005 issue stated that granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) is “the enzyme responsible for making amylase” and that since the deficient forms of the gene for GBSS cannot make GBSS, “no amylase is made.” “Amylase” should have been “amylose.”