Food Science Focus Evolves as Enrollment Thrives

Maxine Roman, a senior in food science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is a product of the recruiting processes underway at several of the universities. “I participated in a summer program during high school called the research apprentice program at the University of Illinois that exposed me to possible careers in the agricultural, environmental, and consumer sciences,” Roman told Food Quality. “As soon as I heard about food science, I knew it was the career for me.”

Similarly, Matt Ranieri discovered the major through recruiting efforts. Now a second-year PhD student at Cornell, Ranieri also earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in food science at Cornell. “I was able to take a course that introduced high school students to different science and professional fields, and one of the weekend courses was run by graduate students from Cornell University. … I was interested in getting a science and/or engineering background at the time. I thought that the overall education that Cornell University offered and the food science program fit what I was looking for.”

Many of the students who pursue graduate degrees in food science come from other science disciplines and are looking for a way to apply their basic science backgrounds. Reid Ivy, a fourth-year PhD student in food science at Cornell University, was looking for an application for his bachelor’s in microbiology and master’s in cell and molecular biology from the University of Arkansas. His experience working in a food microbiology lab was what ultimately led to his decision to pursue a PhD in food science.

Food is so complex, and I really enjoy applying my strong basic science background to a multifaceted item. — Crystal Goshorn, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Daina Ringus, in her second year as a PhD student at Cornell, obtained her bachelor’s in literature from Yale University before deciding to pursue food science. Like the other students, her interest began with food. “I was really interested in food production … and found out about food science through the Internet,” she said. Ringus decided to go back to school for her bachelor’s in biochemistry, and then obtain her PhD in food science.

Crystal Goshorn holds a bachelor’s and master’s in chemistry and is now in her fifth and final year of the PhD food science program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Food is so complex, and I really enjoy applying my strong basic science background to a multifaceted item,” Goshorn said. “Food science allows me to understand the bigger picture. You get that in all sciences of course, but the food science program that we have allows me to draw from other departments and put all that knowledge into practice.” ■