IFT WORLD
Join thousands of food industry professionals from around the globe as they convene in Anaheim, Calif., to experience the latest developments in scientific research, technologies, new products, and consumer trends.
The IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo®, held June 6–10, 2009, features new ingredients, tools, technologies, and techniques at the Food Expo; cutting-edge scientific research at the Scientific Program; in-depth, practical education at the Pre-Annual Meeting Short Courses; the IFT Food Expo Innovation Awards; employment opportunities at the Employment Bureau; student and new professional activities; the IFTSA/IFT Foundation Fun Run; and networking opportunities.
Plenty has changed since IFT last visited Anaheim in 2002. Thanks to a $700 million investment, Anaheim/ Orange County has become a world-class destination for business events like the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo. Here, you will find updated convention facilities, new hotels, and a variety of dining options, as well as landscaping and convenient pedestrian access.
Registration and housing will open on Feb. 16, 2009.
For more information about the event as well as exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.ift.org/IFT09.
Vitas named VP of IFT Foundation
Robert A. Vitas has been named Vice President of the IFT Foundation. He will play a leading role in the Foundation’s goal of connecting people, resources, and information to raise the standard of food science and technology in the world.
“I’m very pleased to lead the IFT Foundation so that we can continue to build on its success and generate new opportunities for food scientists for generations to come,” he said.
A Certified Fund Raising Executive, Vitas has worked in nonprofits and foundations for most of his professional life, including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Great Books Foundation. He was also Regional Training and Development Manager for Eastman Kodak’s photofinishing subsidiary.
Vitas earned his Ph.D. in political science from Loyola University of Chicago, and he is a Visiting Scholar at Northwestern University. He has published four books and authored more than two dozen articles, chapters, and reviews in his field. He served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve.
IFT announces leadership nominees
The Institute of Food Technologists’ Nominations and Elections Committee announces the 2009 IFT slate of candidates for President- Elect, Board of Directors members, and nominees for the Nominations and Elections Committee.
The nominees for President-Elect are Lamartine (Lam) Hood and Robert (Bob) Gravani. The nominees for board member are Barry Swanson, Bruce Ferree, Catherine Adams, Colin Dennis, Conrad Rebello, Justin Shimek, P. Michael Davidson, and Zey Ustunol. The nominees to serve as members of the Nominations and Elections Committee include Amanda Lathrop, John Siddle, Jonathan Merkle, Nancy Nagle, and S. Suzanne Nielsen. One member is elected for President-Elect, four members are elected members of the board, and three members will be elected for positions on the Nominations and Elections Committee.
Please forward any questions about the slate, petition process, or the online elections to Erin Carter, staff coordinator for the Nominations and Elections Committee, at [email protected].
Huffman joins Maple Leaf Foods
Randall Huffman has been named Chief Food Safety Officer at Maple Leaf Foods, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he will be responsible for leading food safety and quality programs for the company.
Huffman, a Professional Member of IFT, was most recently the president of the American Meat Institute Foundation. He is also on the Cornell University Institute of Food Science Advisory Council, the Food Safety Research and Response Network Advisory Board, and the Kansas State University Animal Industries Advisory Council.
Keenan, IFT members receive awards
During the 14th World Congress of Food Science and Technology’s opening ceremony on Oct. 20, 2008, the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST) presented its Friendship Awards to industry professionals who have fostered growth in China’s food industry. Among the recipients was IFT Executive Vice President Barbara Byrd Keenan, honored for her contributions to advancing the relationship between IFT and CIFST. Five other IFT members also received the award: Mary Schmidt, former IFT President (2000–01); Herbert Stone, former IFT President (2004–05); Colin Dennis, Director General, Campden BRI, UK; Walter Spiess, Director Emeritus, Universität Karlsruhe; and Alan Mortimer, Founder and Managing Director, ABC Blending, Australia.
Cash for college available
Students, there is still time to apply for undergraduate and graduate scholarships sponsored by companies in the food industry, organizations, IFT Divisions, IFT Sections, and the IFT Foundation. Applications for the 2009–10 academic year must be submitted to the student’s department head by Feb. 1, 2009 (graduate, senior, and junior students); Feb. 15, 2009 (freshman students); and March 1, 2009 (sophomore students). Applications and instructions are available at www.ift.org under “Awards.” For more information, contact Anna K. Proctor, IFT Foundation Coordinator, at [email protected].
Profiling achievement: Scholarship recipient update
This occasional article will provide an update on former IFT scholarship recipients.
Koushik Adhikari, Assistant Professor of Sensory Analysis, Kansas State University, first learned about the IFT Foundation Scholarship Program while attending the University of Missouri, Columbia, as a doctoral student. As a college intern, he worked at a dairy processing facility that was capable of producing 25,000 gallons of milk per day. His first official job in the food industry was as a management trainee at Alfa Laval, Pune, India.
What is Adhikari’s dish of wisdom for students and young professionals starting careers in food science? “Food science is one of the best interdisciplinary programs,” he notes. “You can find your niche depending on your interests.”