Pathways to Careers in Food

Fifty undergraduate students will explore career opportunities in food science and nutritional sciences thanks to a $750,000 grant to the College of Agricultural Sciences. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture as part of an $11.6 million investment in its Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates program.

Helene Hopfer, associate professor of food science, will lead a program engaging participants from several institutions through research, professional skills development and networking to consider careers at the human-food interface. The program seeks students from chemistry, biology, engineering, psychology and related disciplines.

"We know from our own experiences that students entering college often do not know about food science or nutritional sciences, although they might be interested in the science of food and the science behind eating," Hopfer said.

Potential careers span sensory and consumer science, ingestive behavior, food analysis, and food quality. Specific examples include food product development, quality assurance and quality control, public health education, nutrition extension, and food marketing.

"Through this program, we hope more students learn about the many available career options," Hopfer said. "We also aim to provide critical interdisciplinary training, with the goal of more students discovering research careers. Our recruiting aims to broaden educational access."

—Kelly Jedrzejewski