UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Stephanie Doores, associate professor of food science, has received the 2001 Excellence in Academic Advising Award from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society. The award commends faculty for outstanding service to students in academic advising, career planning and personal counseling. Candidates are recommended by faculty, students, administrators and alumni.

Doores has chaired the departmental job placement committee since 1991, and became undergraduate program coordinator in January 2001. She also holds regular workshops and presentations on resume writing and interviewing skills for undergraduate students. Doores originated the department's first food microbiology course in 1980; total enrollment for the lecture and laboratory components of the course has exceeded 2,000 students.

"It is especially fitting that a student took the initiative to nominate Dr. Doores for this award," says Donald Thompson, professor of food science and former department head. "She is one of the most dedicated advisers on the food science staff, which, as a group, takes this responsibility very seriously. Dr. Doores is an exceptionally dedicated teacher as well, one who has the students' well-being foremost in her mind. She also has been the primary department contact for summer internships and job placements."

"Dr. Doores leads by professional example and consciously tries to impart that singular personal characteristic to her students," says James Mortensen, the college's associate dean for undergraduate education. "She invites groups of women students in food science into her home for discussions, and has worked hard to transfer a sense of academic excellence to her advisees."

"It is a great privilege for me to nominate Dr. Doores for this award," says undergraduate student Anne Panko. "She was not my assigned advisor, but she always had her door open for me. My freshman year, I approached her because she was the only woman available for me to consult at that time. Now, as a graduating senior, I approach her as a friend and colleague."

Doores earned a bachelor's degree in biology at the College of St. Elizabeth in 1971, a master's degree in microbiology at the University of Maryland in 1973 and a doctorate in food science from the same institution in 1979.

She researches the thermal resistance of microorganisms and microwave inactivation of pathogens; characterization of Sporolactobacillus and other Bacillus-Lactobacillus intermediates; and growth and survival of Listeria in dairy foods. In addition, she participates in a variety of extension teaching opportunities, including the Pasteurizer Operators Workshop, the Penn State Sanitation Short Course and the Penn State Ice Cream Short Course.

She has participated as a Star Teacher in the Ms. Wiz program sponsored by Penn State's College of Engineering, which encourages science appreciation in fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade girls through hands-on laboratory experiments with female academic role models.

Doores is a member of the American Society for Microbiology, Institute of Food Technologists, International Association for Food Protection and U.S. Federation of Culture Collections. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and currently serves on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods.

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