Keeping the Pipeline Open for Future Food Scientists

Every two weeks as a graduate student at Rutgers, I stood in front of three professors and a roomful of peers, heart pounding, to present and defend a research paper at what we called Journal Club. There was no PowerPoint, no soft questions—just discussion, debate, and sometimes discomfort. I can still picture my mentors, Dr. George Carman, Dr. Mike Solberg, and Dr. Bruce Wasserman, encouraging us to question everything, back up our positions with data, and communicate science clearly.

That experience taught me what it means to belong to a community of scientists—one built on rigor, mentorship, and trust. Those lessons shaped how I have approached every challenge throughout a long and rewarding career, from product development to quality assurance to corporate leadership. And they remind me how essential it is to protect and sustain the academic environments that make such growth possible.

Today, that environment is under pressure. Across higher education, PhD programs are shrinking, faculty retirements are accelerating, and research funding is becoming harder to secure. The online news service Axios reports major universities cutting PhD admissions in the sciences by as much as 75%. And within food science specifically, data from IFT’s 2025 Academic Knowledge Base study signal fewer students choosing academic careers in our field and declining confidence about job prospects.

Meanwhile, the world’s need for food scientists has never been greater. We face complex challenges in food safety, sustainability, and nutrition that depend on research, collaboration, and innovation. Yet if fewer students pursue graduate study—and fewer faculty are available to teach and mentor them—we risk losing not only talent but the institutional knowledge that drives discovery itself.

We can’t afford to let that happen.

Science is not a solitary pursuit, but a shared commitment to discovery, improvement, and truth.

Peggy Poole

President, IFT

That’s why IFT is working to keep the pipeline open—by inspiring students, connecting them to industry, and continuing to defend the overarching value of science as a public good. Each year at IFT FIRST, for example, students test their skills in product development and research competitions, many sponsored by leading food companies eager to meet the next generation of innovators. Through the IFTSA Chapter Event Grant program, we’re funding campus events that connect students with mentors and professional networks. The Excellence in Leadership Scholarship helps students advance their education and attend IFT FIRST. Webinars with partners like PepsiCo and Mars, along with the Early Career and Internship Meet and Greet at IFT FIRST, offer practical insights and job connections that launch careers.

Yes, these programs build résumés, but more importantly, they build confidence and community. They remind students that science is not a solitary pursuit, but a shared commitment to discovery, improvement, and truth.

That commitment extends beyond the classroom. Through our communications, educational programs, and outreach efforts to policymakers, IFT continually champions sustained investment in research and education, for policies that strengthen food science programs, and for public communication that restores trust in science. As misinformation spreads faster than data, we are—and continue to be—a voice rooted in evidence, clarity, and collaboration.

My own career was shaped by mentors who believed in open dialogue, constructive challenge, and curiosity without boundaries. We owe that same opportunity to the next generation. Whether you’re a faculty member, industry professional, or retired scientist, you can play a role—by volunteering as a mentor, offering an internship, supporting a scholarship, or simply taking the time to share what you know.

The future of food science depends on people. Let’s invest in them—so that today’s students can become tomorrow’s teachers, researchers, and leaders.ft