Leah Doctor: From Lab Bench to Brand Launch

Name: Leah Doctor

Preferred Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown & Current Town: Selinsgrove, PA/Harrisburg, PA

Graduation Year: BS 2023

Major & Minor: BS Food Science, Minor in Nutritional Sciences

Current/Most Recent Professional Title: Senior Research Scientist, Chocolate Product Development (Reese’s R&D Team)

Name of Employer: The Hershey Company

Brief Description of Your Role: I support the commercialization of new products from concept through full production in our manufacturing settings.  We start by mocking up ideas from our marketing team's tested concepts or other market trends in our labs on the benchtop scale. Then we follow through with a scale-up process to make sure that any idea that we're working on can be made at the manufacturing level successfully, in partnership with our Engineering and Manufacturing teams. Along the way, we make a lot of individual samples, hands-on in the lab. I use a lot of chocolate in piping bags, cookie cutters, and typical home kitchen equipment to make samples. Then we work in our manufacturing plants to ensure startup for these items is smooth, and then we transition the product to the manufacturing team.

I like that every day is really different between sample-making in the labs, supporting project meetings, and attending trials and startups at manufacturing facilities. I like to stay on my toes and see and do many different things. It can be a lot to keep track of with multiple projects, but I learn a lot along the way.

Why did you choose Penn State?

I grew up in central Pennsylvania, but my family wasn't from the area. I didn't expect to go to Penn State, but when I was in high school, I toured the Food Science Department with Dr. Chris Sigler. His tour of the department, personality, and the way he welcomed me to the program really made me fall in love with Penn State Food Science. I was also excited to be accepted to the Schreyer Honors College to dive further into hands-on research in my field.

I started by pursuing a double major with music (Bachelor of Arts in Music) and was grateful to have auditioned and been accepted to the music program with a focus in clarinet performance. It was a combination of studying both food science and music, as well as the Schreyer Honors College that made Penn State seem like a great choice.

Admittedly, I was a little overwhelmed with the idea of going to such a big university, but being in Ag Sciences made it feel so much smaller. Having a lot of the same classes with the same students over the course of the years brought us together and led to a lot of close friends. That made it all really special.

What inspired you to pursue your degree?

I have always been interested in cooking and baking. I grew up spending a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom and my family and enjoyed trying new recipes to see the varying results. I was briefly interested in becoming a chef but decided the fast-paced and competitive lifestyle wasn’t the best fit for me. I also really liked chemistry and the other science fields. Once I learned food science was an option during a job shadowing program I did in middle school, I was hooked!

What did you do your thesis on for the Schreyer Honors College?

My thesis advisor was Dr. Federico Harte, a Food Science professor focused on dairy science and processing. I worked in his lab under the mentorship of Dr. Grace (Lewis) Voronin. We previously explored using a custom-built continuous protein monitoring unit (CPMU) system to separate dairy proteins into individual components using emulsifying salts. After measuring each protein component at different stages through the process, we found that the proteins could re-associate to their original structure depending on the processing temperature and concentration of salt present.

For my thesis, I tested almond proteins within the same system to compare how plant proteins behaved for use in stabilizing plant-based beverages. We ran many experiments on the same CPMU system, exploring multiple factors to determine any effect on stability. Overall, my findings were that almond milk did not behave like dairy proteins and that the emulsifying salt sodium citrate did not have a strong stabilizing effect in this matrix, although it still caused dissociation of the original protein structure. The difference wasn't a huge surprise as almond protein is present at a much lower content than dairy protein and stabilization may occur through alternative interactions; however, it was interesting to have that inquisitive, lab-based experience and to write the thesis as well.

Why would you recommend students have an undergraduate research experience?

I think that classroom-based learning provides a strong background, but individual research teaches autonomy especially in a laboratory setting. It encourages open-ended thinking and problem-solving, which is much closer to how industry and academic roles operate. Moving from following a lab manual to designing your own protocols and methods was a big shift—and one that led to a lot of personal growth.

There can be a lot of frustration along the way for research, and it's really important to have a supportive mentor that you trust. Dr. Harte was wonderful- he challenged me to think outside the box and keep trying different variables and experiments, but was incredibly supportive when I got frustrated. I really encourage the research process as a different type of learning than students might experience from classroom settings only.

What clubs, organizations, or leadership roles were you involved in?

I was heavily involved in the Food Science Club. I held multiple leadership roles as the PR Chair, Vice President, and was the President in my senior year. I was also heavily involved in Jewish life multiple different organizations, particularly Hillel, and that provided a really strong community.

I then merged Jewish life and food science with Challah for Hunger, an organization that raises money to address food security by baking challah, a traditional Jewish bread. My involvement with Challah for Hunger was special as it allowed me to use my food science and food safety knowledge to revamp our program to make sure we were providing more consistent and safer loaves of bread as a student organization while connecting further with the Jewish student and State College community.

What is a favorite Penn State memory?

I'm really grateful for a lot of different aspects of my Penn State experience. There were a lot of educational aspects that I think were top tier. I'm thankful to have had those opportunities, including doing undergraduate research and having the chance to write a thesis.

I was also grateful that Penn State was broad enough to allow me to pursue both music and food science, which are two very different paths. I changed my minor to nutrition during my sophomore year and was grateful to have the adjacent knowledge to enhance my food science background.

Overall, it's not a specific memory but the people that I was with at Penn State that made it special. The community is very caring and welcoming overall, which made a big difference coming in as a first-year and throughout the challenging COVID years. I was also a resident assistant for two years, and having the responsibility and opportunity to mentor others was inspiring.

Can you talk about the RA experience?

I was an RA in North Halls for two years, particularly for the special living option Earth House. My floor was a combination of first-year students and individuals with an interest in science and agriculture. I really enjoyed helping craft a community and creating events to bring students together while also prioritizing safety. Personally, it was great living so close to the College of Ag and all of my classes too!

It's a lot of responsibility being an RA, but was also really gratifying. There were definitely challenges along the way – 2 am fire alarms caused by burnt breadsticks, herding 30+ students to commencement, and navigating support during mental health concerns. I never knew what I might experience! Building those connections and helping Penn State feel like home to new students coming in was one thing I really enjoyed about being an RA.

How has your Penn State education influenced your career?

One of the things that really distinguishes Penn State is its alumni community. I had two internships during my time at Penn State. Each time, I was able to closely connect with alumni at the different organizations I worked at, first with the J.M. Smucker Company and then with The Hershey Company. There's a shared sense of identity among alumni that creates common ground and makes professional relationships develop more naturally. Penn Staters genuinely look out for one another, and I've always appreciated that built‑in connection as it's there from the start, regardless of where someone's career path has taken them.

What are one or two of your proudest accomplishments in which your Penn State education played a role?

Reaching this point in my career three years after graduating and working on the Reese's brand at Hershey is something I'm really proud of. Over the past few years, I've had the opportunity to contribute to several national launches, including being part of the Reese's Oreo team, which launched last September. I've also worked on a number of seasonal products like Reese's Sugar Cookie Cups, Reese's Red Velvet Cups, and Hershey Grinch bars.

Knowing that my Penn State education helped prepare me for a role where I can walk into a grocery store and see the products I worked on sitting on the shelf is incredibly rewarding. At the same time, my background was very dual‑focused, and the music side of my education is still very important to me. While I didn't finish a degree in music (largely due to disruptions from COVID), I'm proud to now be a member of the Hershey Symphony and participate in several ensembles. It has always been my goal to build a career as a food scientist while continuing to play in a community orchestra, and I'm thrilled to be able to do both.

What has been the best advice you've ever received?

I learned this the hard way and heard it from multiple channels at Penn State- be careful not to burn yourself out. It's great to be involved in a lot of different things, especially as keeping those interests alive can motivate you to stay on top of academics as well. Learning how to say no to things, balancing priorities, and navigating time management are important.

Especially at Penn State, there are so many different options to become involved that it's easy to become overwhelmed. Attending the Involvement Fair and seeing everything available can make you want to do it all. But there are only so many hours in a day. I think it's great to try different things out and explore, but it's important to find the things that truly bring you joy so you don't become too overwhelmed.

What collegiate advice or professional development tip would you give to a current student?

I think it's really important to seek out-of-classroom opportunities as early as you can, whether that's research or an internship. I'm grateful for the professors and classroom teaching that I had, but for a degree that's most likely to lead to a very hands-on job after college, it's great to get that type of learning as soon as you are able.

Increasing interest in undergraduate research is important, and using time over the summer for more research or internships is a good way to boost your education. It can be intimidating to try to get an internship early on, but there's no harm in reaching out to a company or asking someone if they have an opportunity. It's better to ask and be told no, than to not ask at all and never know.

Why are you proud to be a Penn State Ag Sciences alum?

Being a member of the community of alumni and knowing we all have that connection as I navigate the rest of my career is special. Knowing the contributions I make within food science at Hershey or otherwise are also credited to my food science background at Penn State is something that makes me proud. Every time that I have a product launch or that I’m able to interact with someone who's a fellow Penn Stater, that's something that makes me remember how glad I am that I chose Penn State.