IFT NEWS

Stone becomes IFT’s 2004–05 President
Herbert Stone, President and Co-Founder of Tragon Corp., Redwood City, Calif., was chosen by the members of IFT to be President of the Institute of Food Technologists for 2004–05. He became IFT’s 65th President when he took office September 1, 2004.

Stone holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. He served as Department Chair at Stanford Research Institute from 1962 to 1974. He was also President and Co-Founder of Etel Inc. from 1978 to 1982.

An active member of IFT, Stone has served on a number of committees, including the Task Force on Electronic News Magazine (Chair 2000); Editorial Board of World of Food Science Magazine (Chair 2000); ad hoc Committee on IUFoST (Chair 1997–99); Publications Committee; Goal D Task Force on Strategic Plan (Chair 1998); Publications Committee (Chair 2001–02); Executive Committee (Membership Representative 1994–97); Fellows’ Affairs Committee (Chair 1992–93); Fellows’ Affairs Award Jury; Sensory Evaluation Committee; Long Range Planning Subcommittee (Chair 1992–96); Task Force on World Sensory Net; Student Awards Committee; and Committee on Nominations and Elections. He also served as a Scientific Lecturer in 1978–80 and 1996–98 and as Associate Editor of the Journal of Food Science from 2000 to the present.

Stone is also active in the Marketing and Management Division, where he served as Chair, and the Sensory Evaluation Division, where he has served as Chair, Co-Founder, Alternate Councilor, and Executive Committee Member. He has also been a member of the Northeast Section and the Northern California Section, where he has served as Chair of the Section Coordinating Committee.

Stone has received a number of honors, including being elected an IFT Fellow in 1984 and a Fellow of the UK Institute of Food Science and Technology in 2001. In addition to IFT activities, Stone is active in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, Phi Tau Sigma, American Society for Enology and Viticulture, American Chemosensory Society, and European Chemoreception Research Organization.

In his new leadership position within IFT, Stone plans to focus his efforts on increasing the use of the Internet as the platform by which IFT communicates with its members, working to attract new members, and increasing dialogue with international members and affiliated organizations.

Lawson chosen IFT’s 2004–05 President-Elect
IFT members have chosen Margaret A. Lawson to be their next President-Elect. She will succeed Herbert Stone as IFT’s 66th President when she takes office September 1, 2005.

Lawson is Technical Services Manager at T. Hasegawa USA, Cerritos, Calif. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in food science and technology from the University of California at Davis.

Lawson began her career in 1978 as a Food Technologist at Hunt Wesson Foods and later with Ralston Purina Co. She then moved to the Kelco Division of Merck in 1980, where she began as a Staff Chemist and worked her way up to Food Applications Manager. She then served as Research Manager at New Zealand Milk Products in 1990. In 1995, she moved to FMC Food Ingredients Division, where she served as Group Leader Product Development, Technology Manager, and Global Business Development Manager, before moving to her current position with T. Hasegawa.

An active member of IFT, Lawson has served on a number of national committees, including Committee on Codex Alimentarius Activities (2002–05), Task Force on New Business Opportunities (2002–present), Nominations & Elections Subcommittee (Chair 2002), ExCom Strategic Plan Subcommittee (2001–02), Council Issues & Agenda Committee (2001–02), Executive Committee Member Representative (1999–2002), Awards and Fellows’ Affairs Committees ExCom Liaison (1999–2002),Task Force on Database Content (1999–2000), Publications Committee (1997–99), Scientific Lectureship Committee (1992–97, Chair 1995–96), ad hoc Strategic Planning Process Committee (1990), Committee on Membership and Professional Affairs (1987–91, Chair 1990–91, 1989–90), and Freshman & Sophomore Scholarship Jury (1985–88).

Lawson is also active in the Southern California Section (SCIFT), where she has served as Councilor (2003–06, 1983–86) and been involved with the Student Mentor Program (2003–04), Finance & Audit Committee (2002–present), Tellers Committee (2001–02, Chair 1985–87), Annual Planning Committee (2000–03), Distinguished Achievement Awards Committee (2000–01), and Student Outreach (Chair 1998).

Lawson has received a number of awards and honors during her career, including IUFoST SCIFT Ambassador Sponsorship (2003), Global Exchange (Cuba 2002), IFT Fellow (2001), Scientific Volunteer (Mexico 1998), Best Practice for Global R&D (Chair, Wellington, NZ 1994), International Ingredient Symposia: Best Speaker Recognition (Shanghai 1993, Beijing 1992), UC Davis Short Course Faculty (1993), China-US Scientific Exchange Representative AIC (1985), Tribute to Women and Industry Honoree (1985), First Place IFT Graduate Research Paper Presentation (1979), Graduate IFT Fellowship, Ralston Purina Food Science Fellowship, and Del Monte Scholarship. She has also been granted eight patents.

Green to assume Student Association presidency
Rodney Green, a graduate student at North Carolina State University, began in September his term as President of the IFT Student Association (IFTSA).

Green joined the association during his sophomore year as an undergraduate student at Purdue. He held positions as Midwest Area Rep. and Finance Committee Chair before deciding to run for President.

“I wanted to be that next person that was the leader. At each level I got more and more enticed. I liked the positions of leadership and the society, and I liked the persona of people who were coming out of presidency,” said Green.

Green’s experience as an uninvolved freshman food science major has inspired one of his goals for his IFTSA presidency: more undergraduate involvement in the organization. Green plans to target programs, events, and competitions to potential undergraduate members.

Just like its parent organization, IFTSA operates with a “Three Presidents” model, with President-Elect, President, and Past-President serving synonymously. In the course of this three-year tenure, Green plans to complete his Master’s degree in food chemistry—completing his thesis on the antioxidant activity of peanut plant extracts by mid August—and return to Purdue to obtain his doctorate.

No matter where he lands professionally, Green looks to the leadership path blazed by current IFT President Anne Hollingsworth, who once served as IFTSA President.

After earning his doctorate, Green said that he wants to become a Professional Member and serve as a Section or Division Chair, member of Council, and ultimately, President of IFT.

Ballot proposes streamlining the election process
A ballot consisting of a series of amendments to the IFT Constitution is being mailed to IFT members. The proposed amendments are intended to streamline the process for electing the President-Elect and the Membership Representatives to the IFT Executive Committee. Candidates nominated by the Committee on Nominations and Elections would be put before the membership for direct vote, bypassing the involvement of the Council. The Council approved the proposed amendments by a wide margin at its meeting on July 12. Don’t forget to return the ballot by the deadline date.

Iraqi scientists seek donation of IFT publications
IFT has received a request from Paul A. Savello, U.S. Advisor to the Directorate of Agriculture Research and Food Technology of the Iraqi Ministry of Science and Technology, asking for donations of past volumes of Journal of Food Science and Food Technology to help rebuild Iraq’s R&D efforts.

The large research park southeast of Baghdad where all the Iraqi research and development efforts were conducted is slowly being renovated so the scientists can return to research efforts. The facility has a magnificent library, Savello said, and fortunately was only slightly looted during the conflict of 2003, but its holdings are old due to the sanctions against Iraq during the decade of the 1990s, during which period the Iraqi scientists were not permitted to receive any publications from the “outside.”

Consequently, donation of Journal of Food Science and Food Technology from 1990 to the present are being solicited. Anyone wishing to provide these publications should contact Neil Mermelstein at [email protected]. Shipping costs will be paid for.

Savello, based at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, also said that scientists at the Directorate have reestablished the Iraqi Society of Nutrition and Food Science, which had been out of operation throughout the 1990s due to the conflict and embargo against Iraq, including non-permitted communication with their colleagues around the world. Haytham Jaddou, Director General of the Directorate, is President of the Iraqi Society. IFT will provide additional support to help Iraqi food scientists reconnect to the worldwide scientific community.

Santerre appears on NPR’s Science Friday program
IFT Professional Member and Science Communicator Charles R. Santerre appeared July 30 on National Public Radio’s program, Science Friday. Santerre, Associate Professor in the Dept. of Food Science and Nutrition at Purdue University, discussed IFT’s Annual Meeting + Food Expo^® held in Las Vegas, Nev., and recent advances in food technology and the food industry. To listen to the show, visit www.sciencefriday.com and click on the “archive” tab on the left side.

Correction
In the table on p. 21 of the July 2004 issue, accompanying the Science, Communications, & Government Relations column, “IFT Issues Update on Foodborne Pathogens,” the word “home-made” should have preceded the terms “sauces” and “dressings” where foods potentially contaminated with Salmonella spp. are identified. The clarification distinguishes home-made items—which may potentially contain unpasteurized eggs and no or insufficient acidification for destroying pathogen—from properly prepared and commercial products with a proven safety record. The following are the corrected portions of the table.

by KAREN BANASIAK
Assistant Editor
[email protected]