UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For the members of Penn State’s Food Science Club, the organization isn’t just a way to share a passion for the discipline — it’s a way to build their academic and professional careers.
The Food Science Club is a student-based group in the College of Agricultural Sciences composed of undergraduate and graduate students across all the colleges at Penn State. The club mainly promotes the interactions between food science students, faculty and the food industry through various events held throughout the year, but it is also an opportunity for students to advance their academic and professional careers.
Sydney McMurray, a third-year food science student and co-president of the club, said her involvement in the group started well before she enrolled at Penn State, thanks to Christopher Sigler, assistant teaching professor in food science and faculty club adviser.
“I knew from high school that I wanted to go into food science, and my mom suggested the program at Penn State,” McMurray said. “During our campus visit, Dr. Sigler was handing out free chocolate and gave me a tour of the building and told me all about the club and the major.”
Sigler said he’s proud of what the club has accomplished for its members.
“I am beyond impressed with how this club has provided countless internships and employment opportunities to its members,” he said. “As advisers to the club, Dr. Josephine Wee and I are proud of how well they have created and fostered a family-centered culture for its members.”
The Food Science Club meets once a week to discuss club business and activities. These meetings feature guest lecturers and presentations from food companies, where they host a dinner social for students as well. The club also hosts social activities like the annual Food Science Tailgate, scooping ice cream at Harvestfest in DelGrosso’s Amusement Park, and career workshops, among others.
Ultimately, McMurray said, the club’s goal is to help drive its members’ academic and career success.
“The purpose is to connect students with their peers, their professors and potential employers,” she said. “It gives them an open space to talk about the industry and discover where they want to be in the future.”
McMurray said the club also values building the community, as many alumni return to talk about their careers. Because most of the speakers who come to the club’s weekly meetings have graduated from Penn State's Food Science program or a related field, there is always opportunity to build connections between graduates and students, she added.
Kacie Czyszczon, a third-year student in food science and vice president of the club, has been involved with the organization since she came to Penn State, and was the social chair during her second year. She said her experience with the club has been very positive, and the group is welcoming of all students and fields of study, despite it being centered around food science.
“One of the big parts of the Food Science Club is the community it creates, and how it can bring everyone together,” Czyszczon said. “We have so many activities throughout the year — like candle-making, pumpkin-painting for Halloween, decorating Valentine cookies and holiday bingo — in addition to those based on food science.”
While both Czyszczon and McMurray are food science majors, Christina Giavadi is a second-year architecture student who got involved with the Food Science Club through one of its social events.
“I think the concept of food science is very interesting,” Giavadi said. “I have a chronic illness that makes it so that food is medicine for me, so focusing on what I eat is very important. I feel that food science is all about understanding what goes into foods and how people react to them, so that is why I really enjoy the club!”
While talking about the club’s alumni and its connections to Penn State, Giavadi noted that she felt very supported despite not majoring in food science or being directly associated with the discipline.
“Even though I am in a different field, the network helps me in many ways,” she said. “A lot of companies that come to the meetings have internship opportunities available. While most of them are food companies, they have many departments and a lot of connections that can be made for students in other majors.”
In discussing the academic and professional benefits that the Food Science Club has to offer, McMurray said that speaking with alumni and learning about the kinds of opportunities that are available in this field helped her to develop confidence in what she was looking for beyond her undergraduate career.
“Many of the alumni will emphasize taking classes you don’t think you are going to want but could help you somewhere in your career development,” she said. “The club gives you a safe place where you don’t feel like you are reaching out to strangers to ask for advice, but to people who have been exactly where you are, and they care about where you are going.”
Czyszczon also said that just speaking with other older members of the club helps provide a sense of mentorship, given that they have been involved with the Food Science program longer, and they have experience with classes and internships.
The Food Science Club meets every Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the Keeney Commons, which can be found right above the Penn State Creamery. Anyone can join and more information about the club and its mission can be found on the organization’s Instagram.