IFT NEWS
2001–02 Congressional Science Fellowship Applications Due January 26
If you have ever wished the laws coming out of Congress had a better scientific basis, the IFT Congressional Science Fellowship presents the perfect opportunity to share your scientific expertise with legislative decision-makers.
The fellowship, administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, offers an IFT member the opportunity to spend a year in Washington, D.C., working for a member of Congress, a Congressional committee, or another Congressional organization. IFT formed the fellowship to provide food science expertise to Congress, raise the visibility of IFT among policy makers, increase opportunities for IFT to participate in legislative developments, and educate members about the ways in which science is either incorporated into or ignored in food policy.
Although the Fellow is viewed as an ambassador of the food science and technology community, IFT Fellows are not engaged in lobbying activities and are not expected to participate in government communications on IFT’s behalf. Previous IFT Congressional Science Fellows have come from leadership positions in industry and academia.
The ideal candidate has a thirst for science policy and an accomplished record or promising future in food science, food technology, or a closely related field. Specific qualifications include a doctoral degree in food science, food technology, or a related field, or a master’s degree and five years postgraduate professional experience; IFT membership; and U.S. citizenship. Federal employees are not eligible.
The Fellowship year begins Sept. 1, 2001. IFT provides a stipend and a relocation allowance, and additional support from other sources, such as a present employer, is permitted. Applications are due no later than January 26, 2001.
Questions and requests for additional information should be directed to Mary Helen Arthur, Information Specialist, Institute of Food Technologists, 221 N. La Salle St., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601-1291 (phone 312-782-8424, ext. 217; fax 312-782-8348; e-mail: [email protected]).
Mass Media Fellowship Offers Graduate Students a Unique Summer Experience
As an organization devoted to bringing scientific perspective to the public discussion of food issues, IFT reaches out to the media in a variety of ways. A fellowship that advances this goal and at the same time creates a unique and valuable experience for a promising scientist is a natural fit for IFT. Sometimes it’s just a “winwin” situation.
The IFT Mass Media Fellowship offers graduate students a chance to spend the summer improving their communications skills while enhancing the connections between science and the media. Coordinated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and now entering its third year, the fellowship places an advanced student of food science, food technology, nutrition, or related field at a U.S. newspaper, consumer magazine, or radio or television station in a program designed to enhance coverage of science-related issues in the media to improve public understanding and appreciation of science and technology.
Fellows have the opportunity to participate in the process by which events and ideas become news, improve their communication skills by learning to describe complex technical subjects in a clear manner to non-specialists, and increase their understanding of editorial decision making and effective dissemination of information by working for ten weeks in the summer as reporters, researchers,and production assistants in mass media organizations nationwide.
Applications are due no later than January 15, 2001, for the fellowship beginning in June 2001. A stipend is provided for travel and living expenses.
Questions and requests for additional information should be directed to Mary Helen Arthur, Information Specialist, Institute of Food Technologists, 221 N. La Salle St., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601-1291 (phone 312-782-8424, ext. 217; fax 312-782-8348; e-mail: [email protected]).
Corrected bio of Achievement Award winner John Luchansky
IFT Achievement Award winners for 2000 were profiled in the August issue of Food Technology (pp 84–94). The University of Wisconsin has requested that the description of John Luchansky, winner of the 2000 Research and Development Award, be republished as follows:
John B. Luchansky, formerly associate professor of food microbiology and toxicology of the Food Research Institute, and of food science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, recently received the Research and Development Award from the Institute of Food Technologists. The award recognizes significant research and development contributions to the understanding of food science; the work was done by Luchansky while he was at the Food Research Institute.
Luchansky was honored for his contributions to methodology for identification of Listeria monocytogenes and for distinguishing between virulent and avirulent strains of the pathogen. Further research by Dr. Luchansky involved use of bacteriocins to inhibit growth of food pathogens and behavior of Escherichia coli O157:H7 during the manufacture of some types of sausage.
John Luchansky received the B.S. (1980) degree in microbiology from The Pennsylvania State University and M.S. (1983) and Ph.D. (1987) degrees in microbiology from Iowa State University. After two years of postdoctoral work at North Carolina State University, Luchansky in 1989 joined the faculty of the Department of Food Microbiology and Toxicology as an assistant professor; he was promoted to associate professor in 1995. In 1999, Luchansky moved to the Eastern Regional Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he is a research leader.
Candidates sought for the 2001 Harold Macy Award
The Minnesota Section of IFT is seeking nominations for suitable candidates from all IFT sections for the 2001 Harold Macy Food Science and Technology Award.
The award, established in 1981, is given annually for an outstanding example of food technology transfer or cooperation between scientists or technologists in any two of the following settings: academic, government, and private industry. The purpose of the award is to advance the profession and practice of food technology and to honor Harold Macy, former Dean Emeritus of the University of Minnesota and a Founding Member of IFT. The award consists of a $2,000 honorarium and travel expenses, and the awardee will be invited to address the Minnesota Section at the annual Macy Award meeting, to be held in April 2000 in Minneapolis, Minn.
The deadline for nominations is January 15, 2001. Nomination forms may be requested via regular mail, fax, or e-mail (preferred), and completed forms should be sent to Scott D. Peterson, Chair of the Macy Award Committee, The Pillsbury Company Technology Center, 330 University Avenue S.E., M.S. 9931, Minneapolis, MN 55414 (phone 612-317-1966; fax 612-330-8261; E-mail: [email protected]).
Regional Section & Division News
Dogwood
Mary K. Schmidl, IFT President, came to the Section’s fall meeting on September 14, 2000, held at North Carolina State University in conjunction with the award-winning NCSU Food Science Club’s annual Fall Kick-Off.
She presented a fascinating seminar entitled “Trends and Directions in the Food Industry” to a packed house, in which she stated that the food industry’s focus for the 21st century will be the integration of food science and technology with biotechnology and medicine to create useful, convenient, high quality products. To implement this focus in creating new products, especially those oriented toward health, one will need a global perspective and understanding of the relevant regulations with respect to structure-functional relationships, i.e., consumer safety and health/disease claims.
Schmidl then presented honors to the Food Science Club and members as follows: NCSU Food Science Club—IFT Chapter of the Year; National College Bowl Winners—Logan Buck, Jack Davis, Amanda Dees, Jon Firebaugh, Nick Huemmer, Jeff Resch, Chris Wilcox, and coach Allen Foegeding; IFT Student Association Distinguished Chapter Award; Poster Competition Winner Awards—Lisa Papageorge, Chris Wilcox, and Hany Girgis; Winning Dairy Food Paper Competition—Melissa Fenn; IFT Fellow—Todd R. Klaenhammer; Distinguished Service Award—Peggy Foegeding; Scholarship and Fellowship Recipients—Caitlin Boon, Logan Buck, Rebecca Clark, Heather Hudson, Christina Sabliov, Tracey Tuler, and Rob Lombard. The Dogwood Section awarded undergraduate scholarships to Jessica Powell and Jon Firebaugh.
Karottki joins IFT as Assistant Editor
IFT welcomes its newest editorial staff member with the addition in October 2000 of Sara Langen Karottki as Assistant Editor of Food Technology. She replaces Betsy Baird, who was recently promoted to Senior Editor, Journal of Food Science.
In this position, Karottki will be responsible for all news departments of Food Technology, as well as writing feature articles as assigned, maintaining the photo library, and ordering Food Technology reprints.
Most recently, she was a staff reporter for The Smithfield Herald in Smithfield, N.C., a McClatchy Newspapers publication. She has a B.A. in journalism and art history from Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
by BETSY BAIRD
Assistant Editor