Student Chapters
IFT Student Association (IFTSA) Chapters are officially IFT‑recognized campus organizations or clubs that bring their local food science community to life supporting networking, competitions, leadership development, and community building.
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Find International and Domestic Student Chapters
Explore and engage with Student Chapters. Use the directory below to find active chapters and reach out directly to chapter leaders.
International Student Chapters
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Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral |
Universidad San Francisco de Quito – USFQ |
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Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Querétaro |
University of Alberta |
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McGill University |
University of British Columbia |
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Middle East Technical University (Turkey) |
University of Guelph |
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Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Monterrey |
University of Manitoba |
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Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola – USIL |
Stellenbosch University |
Domestic Student Chapters
| Alabama A&M University President: Kaleb Jackson Advisor: Lamin Kassama |
North Carolina State University President: Kaira Sidhwa Advisor: Paige Luck |
University of Connecticut |
| Brigham Young University President: Sabrina Siu Advisor: Laura Jefferies |
North Dakota State University President: Hailey Messmer Advisor: Anuradha Vegi |
University of Florida President: Marisa Maas Advisor: Herschel Johnson |
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Cal Poly Pomona President: Alexander Gomez |
University of Delaware President: Alexandra Falcone Advisor: Kali-Kniel |
University of Georgia |
| Cal Poly SLO President: Kelly Benner Advisor: Samir Amin |
Oklahoma State University |
University of Idaho/Washington State University President: Lauren Crisostomo Advisor: Adam Quinn |
| California State University, Fresno President: Paige Mercer Advisor: Erin Dormedy |
Oregon State University President: Alexa Webb and Molly Hagen Advisor: Cole Cerrato |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign President: Alysha Haverkos Advisor: Sihui Ma |
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California State University, Long Beach |
Purdue University President: Samuel Weber Advisor: Hanyu Chen |
University of Kentucky President: Audrey Wirasakti Advisor: Rachel Schendel |
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California State University, Northridge |
Rutgers University President: Christopher Wippich Advisor: George Carman |
University of Maine President: Samantha Barker Advisor: Jennifer Perry |
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Chapman University |
San Jose State University President: Alexander Tran Advisor: Alex Feng |
University of Maryland President: Kiara Andino Advisor: Abani Pradhan |
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Clemson University |
South Dakota State University President: Grant McMillan Advisor: Steven Beckman |
University of Massachusetts Amherst President: Madeline Murphy Advisor: Matthew Moore |
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Cornell University |
Texas A&M University President: Kade Gorman Advisor: Rebecca Buckley |
University of Minnesota President: Scarlet Valarezo Advisor: George Annor |
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Delaware Valley University |
Texas Tech University President: Genesis Flores Advisor: Leslie Thompson |
University of Missouri-Columbia President: Sophia Sapp Advisor: Andrew Clarke |
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Florida A&M University |
The Ohio State University President: Amanda Adams Advisor: Mary Kay Folk Pohlschneider |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln President: Elijah Wald Advisor: Byron Chaves |
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Illinois Institute of Technology |
The Pennsylvania State University President: Katie Rupert Advisor: Josephine Wee |
University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Campus President: Camila Lamberty Advisor: Maria Plaza |
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Iowa State University |
Tuskegee University President: Cayden Bowe Advisor: Adelia Covell-Benjamin |
University of Tennessee Knoxville President: Gabby Adkins Advisor: Vermont Dia Grants |
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Kansas State University |
University of Arizona President: Hoang Nguyen (Nguyen) Dang Advisor: Yonarki Garcia Varela |
University of Wisconsin-Madison President: Sophia Delgado Advisor: Rich Hartel |
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Louisiana State University |
University of Arkansas President: Cason Frisby Advisor: Morgan Denzer |
Utah State University President: Taelie Kennedy Advisor: Bob Ward |
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Michigan State University |
University of California, Davis President: Jonah Messinger Advisor: Bwalya Lungu |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University President: Brian Singewald Advisor: Brian Wiersema |
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Mississippi State University |
University of Central Oklahoma President: Anagha Bindu Advisor: Kanika Bhargava |
Wayne State University |
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Become a Student Chapter
Clubs or associations at accredited colleges and universities are eligible to become official IFT Student Association (IFTSA) Chapters. As an IFTSA Chapter, your organization gains access to valuable online resources, competitions, and networking opportunities.
To qualify as an IFTSA Chapter, your club must meet the following requirements:
- All club officers are current IFT student members.
- At least one faculty advisor is a current IFT member.
- The club has been established for at least one year and has held a minimum of three (3) announced meetings during that time.
- The club is officially recognized as a campus organization by your college or university.
- The club has formal, documented bylaws.
Your club must prepare a petition letter that includes:
- The names and IFT membership numbers of all officers and faculty advisors.
- The founding date of your organization on campus.
- The dates of your last three meetings.
- The signature of at least one faculty member.
Once complete, submit your petition letter along with a copy of your organization’s bylaws to the IFT Staff Liaison, Stephanie Walaszek.
📝 Submit all required materials
Your club submits the petition letter and bylaws.
📞 The VP of Chapter Engagement schedules a meeting
You’ll meet to share more about your club and confirm eligibility.
🗳️ IFTSA Student Board of Directors reviews and votes on your petition
The Board determines whether to recommend your club for chapter status.
✔️ Recommendation sent to the IFT Board of Directors
If approved by IFTSA, your petition is forwarded to the IFT Board of Directors.
Final approval depends on meeting schedules for both boards. The IFT Board of Directors can only approve in November, March, June, or August.
All IFTSA Chapters must submit the following yearly updates:
- Chapter Renewal Form (due in August) which confirms that:
- All club officers are current IFT student members
- At least one faculty advisor is an IFT member
- Chapter Health Survey 1 (due in January)
- Chapter Health Survey 2 (due in May)
Chapters that do not meet these expectations for consecutive years may be terminated.
Terminated chapters must reapply for approval from both the IFTSA Board of Directors and the IFT Board of Directors before they can regain official IFTSA Chapter status.
[IFTSA] made us feel included despite being a new chapter, giving us the opportunity to attend workshops and apply for event grants.
The access to networking opportunities and professional development materials has been incredibly beneficial.
IFTSA has communicated well about competitions, which has helped our chapter to be able to participate in all they have to offer.
Apply for a Chapter Event Grant
Review the rules and guidelines to determine your eligibility and understand all application criteria.
Student groups are encouraged to apply for funding to support special events that might otherwise be cost prohibitive. A minimum of six (6) grants of up to $250 each (between $50 to $250 USD) will be awarded annually. Grant recipients will be recognized in the IFTSA Student Lounge at IFT FIRST.
A. The student group must be an official IFTSA Chapter and complete the minimum Chapter requirements.
B. Chapter officers must be IFT student members in good standing.
C. Faculty advisor must be an IFT member in good standing for the current academic year.
D. There must be proof of matching funds from another source/partner.
Application deadlines will occur in four cycles:
October 1, 2026
November 1, 2026
February 1, 2027
April 1, 2027
Provide a description of the event with the elements below.
A. General Information
Chapter Name: name of your IFTSA Chapter or student group.
Event Title: The name of the event for which you are seeking funding.
Contact Information of Chapter President, Event Coordinator (if different) and Faculty Advisor
B. Event Description: Provide a detailed description of the event (maximum 750 words). Include the following elements:
Event Objectives: Clearly state the purpose and goals of the event. Include how it aligns with the IFTSA strategic objectives to prepare the future and celebrate the community.
Audience: Define the target audience (e.g., students, faculty, industry professionals, etc.) and estimate the expected number of participants.
Event Format: Describe the format of the event (e.g., workshops, networking, panel discussions, etc.); provide an agenda, if available.
Outcomes: Describe the anticipated outcomes of this event and how it will benefit the participants and your IFTSA Chapter.
C. Budget
Budget Breakdown: Provide an estimate of expenses for the event. Note which costs the grant will cover and explain additional funding source(s) that will match the funds provided by IFTSA.
D. Other Supporting Materials
Marketing Plan: Outline how the event will be promoted to ensure maximum participation. Also indicate how IFTSA logo and sponsorship will be incorporated in your event.
Partnerships: If you are partnering with other organizations, clubs, departments, or companies list them and explain their role in the event. Identify the partner/source that is providing matching funds. If selected, you may be asked by IFT Staff to provide further proof of matching funds.
A committee, led by the IFTSA Office of the President and designated IFT staff members, will review and score applications. Applicants will be notified of their status by the date outlined in the schedule.
Applications will be assessed based on the following rubric:
| Criteria | Description | Weight |
| Alignment with IFTSA Mission | The event effectively embodies IFTSA’s mission to prepare the future and celebrate the community by growing student network connections and advancing professional aptitude to enable career success. | 30% |
| Clarity of Event Objectives | Objectives are clearly aligned to address a specific need or opportunity within the IFTA Chapter or student community. | 30% |
| Impact on IFTSA Chapter and Participants |
The event engages a meaningful number of targeted students and will have a lasting impact on the chapter, participants, and the broader IFT/IFTSA community. | 20% |
| Feasibility of Budget and Proof of Matching Funds |
The proposed budget is clear and realistic. There is proof of matching funds from another source. | 20% |
Grant recipients are required to submit a post-event report within 30 days of the event's conclusion.
The report should include (maximum 500 words):
A. Event Summary: A brief description of the event, including attendance and feedback.
B. Photos and Media: Include at least three photos or media from the event. One photo must showcase the IFTSA logo in marketing/event materials.
C. Impact: Describe how the event met its objectives and contributed to the chapter and student community.
By submitting these materials, the recipient agrees that IFTSA has the right to use photos and event information for social media purposes (LinkedIn, Instagram) and other IFTSA promotional materials.