The Sweet Taste of Success

At the Penn State Berks Campus, food scientist Hassan Gourama (second from right) leads a food mycology workshop for extension agents. The Berks Campus offers food science courses for first- and second-year students as well as the two-year Food Technology Credit Certification Program for for industry professionals.

They work for chocolate and confectionery companies; snack food manufacturers; processors of meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products; bakeries; cereal companies, fruit and vegetable processors; and regulatory agencies that oversee food manufacturing. Some work to improve the nutritional value of the foods we eat. Others monitor food quality and safety, or supervise the purchasing of agricultural materials. Still others develop or market new products to meet consumer demands.

"Food scientists play a crucial role in the food system, processing and transforming agricultural commodities into food," says Don Thompson, head of the food science department. "A host of career opportunities are available to our graduates, and in many areas, there are more positions open than graduates to fill them." According to the 1995 Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service-USDA report Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in the Food and Agricultural Sciences, over the next five years opportunities will be strong for graduates with expertise in food manufacturing and marketing.

Penn State's food science major appeals to a wide range of students who are interested in a career in the food system and have proficiency in math and science. About 120 students are enrolled in the baccalaureate program, and many are recipients of scholarships given by the department, which awards $50,000 annually. In their first two years of study, food science majors take chemistry, microbiology, and other courses at either the University Park Campus or the Penn State Berks Campus. In their junior year, they focus on food chemistry, food analysis, food microbiology, the physiology of nutrition, and the physics of food processing. By the time they reach their senior year, students are prepared to study the processing of plant, muscle, and dairy foods and food quality management.

Undergraduates have many opportunities to learn about the industry and gain experience through the Food Science Club and internships. Interns work in both large and small companies, doing everything from assisting with quality control to working on new product development. Often these internships lead to jobs after graduation. "Through their coursework, laboratory research, and internships, our students learn to take a scientific approach to problem solving and to handle widely diverse responsibilities," says Thompson. "This strong foundation gives them a lot of flexibility in their careers."

"When I got my first job, I found that I could immediately put to use what I had learned at Penn State," says Colette Williams, a 1989 graduate. Just a month after getting her bachelor's degree, Williams began working at North Side Foods, which employs about 300 workers and supplies pork products to restaurants, food service firms, and schools. She started out as a quality assurance manager, inspecting products to ensure that they conform to specification. She has steadily climbed the career ladder at North Side, moving from inspector to employee trainer, market researcher, and, most recently, logistics planner. She now works at North Side Distribution, a branch of the company that sends products to businesses across the United States and Canada. "My job is to make sure our products meet international quality and safety standards and that we fulfill all the requirements for shipping," she explains. "It's interesting work, and I couldn't have come this far without my Penn State education, as well as courses I've picked up along the way. I'm now pursuing my MBA so that I can advance further."

Because Penn State's food science undergraduates get both academic and hands-on experience, they also are well prepared for graduate school. "About 48 students are in our graduate program," Thompson says. "Some have a B.S. in food science, while many others have bachelor's degrees in related fields, such as microbiology, chemical engineering, biology, or chemistry. Our graduate program is extremely multidisciplinary, and our students are well on their way to becoming respected researchers in their fields. This academic year, three were selected for highly competitive Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Graduate Fellowships, and two received fellowships from the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC). No other food science department in the nation has had more than two IFT fellows."

Jeff Klucinec, who received fellowships from both IFT and AACC last year, began pursuing a master's degree while completing his bachelor's degree in Penn State's Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate Degree Program. He is planning to complete his M.S. in the spring of 1997. Klucinec, who wants to get his Ph.D. and teach at a university, researches corn mutants that produce starch molecules with unique structures. "These starches affect the gelling properties of certain foods," he says. "They can be used instead of modified starches to improve the texture of products such as gummy candies, and they can encapsulate flavors. In snacks, for instance, flavors often are mixed with fats and sprayed onto the food, so using starches instead of fats could reduce fat content. There also could be nonfood applications–polymer scientists may be able to incorporate the starches into plastics to make them more biodegradable. It's extremely satisfying to do research that has industry applications."

For those who already have a degree or have years of experience in the food industry, getting a baccalaureate or graduate degree in food science may not be necessary or possible. A two-year Food Technology Credit Certificate Program offered at the Penn State Berks Campus near Reading is geared to food industry professionals who want to further their education while continuing to hold a full-time job. Many of the students in the Certificate Program are managers, quality-control specialists, marketers, or business representatives. "Currently, 12 students from various companies in Pennsylvania are enrolled, and a lot more are showing interest," says food scientist Hassan Gourama, who has coordinated the program since 1992. "The majority of the state's food processors and retailers are concentrated here in southeastern Pennsylvania. This program provides an important educational opportunity for employees in those companies."

Students in the Food Technology Certificate Program take 25 credits in science, communication, and business, including classes in chemistry, microbiology, economics, and business administration. They also take courses in basic food science, food-processing plant sanitation, and food quality improvement. Most classes are held in the evening so that it is easier for those with full-time jobs to attend. "My courses are giving me the information I need to help our company enhance the quality of its products and ensure food safety," says Debra Julia, a quality-control manager at Heller Seasoning and Ingredients in Bethlehem. "The class is getting up-to-date information on quality specifications and regulations set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. We also visit different food processing companies to learn about their procedures. It's been so interesting that I'm now considering getting a B.S. in food science. The certificate program has gotten me off to an excellent start."

- Rose Pruyne