Newswise — CHICAGO—Professionals in food science and food technology work diligently to help ensure the world’s food supply is safe, abundant, nutritious and affordable.
To highlight this important commitment, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) recognizes outstanding achievements in food science and technology through annual awards. The awards will be presented at IFT’s Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans, La. June 11th, 2011. The recipients are as follows:
Awards for Research & Development
Nicholas Appert AwardMalcolm Bourne, PhD, Cornell UniversityThe Nicholas Appert Award honors preeminence in, and contributions to, the field of food technology. Malcolm Bourne, emeritus professor of food science at Cornell University, received the 2011 Nicholas Appert Award as one of the first scientists to apply the rigor of physics to analyze food texture. Bourne adapted a strength-of-materials testing machine to measure textural properties of foods and as a result, a sizeable industry has grown.
Babcock-Hart AwardRui Hai Liu, PhD, Cornell UniversityThe Babcock-Hart Award recognizes an IFT member whose contributions to food technology have resulted in improved public health through nutrition. Rui Hai Liu, professor at Cornell University, received this award for integrating medical and nutritional research with analytical chemistry and food chemistry research. Liu’s contributions demonstrate the importance of combining aspects of food science, nutrition, and health and have had a significant impact on practical food industry applications and public health policy.
Samuel Cate Prescott AwardSoo-Yeun Lee, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe Samuel Cate Prescott Award is given to an IFT member who has shown remarkable ability in research in any area of food science and technology. Soo-Yeun Lee, associate professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, received this award for her sensory science research program that applies sensory evaluation methods to producing health-targeted food products and also studies how to conduct sensory tests more effectively. The program led to the formulation of improved high-protein soy-based food products. Food Technology Industrial Achievement AwardMicroThermics, Inc.The Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award recognizes a company or organization for an outstanding development that represents a significant advance in the application of food science and technology to food production. MicroThermics received this award for its laboratory-scaled UHT/HTST Direct-Indirect Process System (DIP) with Full Automation. The use of the process simulator system significantly reduces the time-to-market and the developing, manufacturing, and processing costs of new products resulting in advanced quality, safety, and efficiency of food product production.
Bor S. Luh International AwardGleyn Bledsoe, PhD, University of IdahoThe Bor S. Luh International Award acknowledges an IFT member or an institution whose efforts result in international exchange of food technology ideas; better international understanding of food technology; and/or successful, practical transfer of food technology to an economically-depressed area. Gleyn Bledsoe, provost at Lahore American University, and adjunct professor at the University of Idaho, received this award for his international, professional, and philanthropic activities. Over the past 20 years, Bledsoe has volunteered at least two months every year to improve food-based businesses in economically-depressed areas around the world, most recently in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. His work has improved the quality, safety, and sustainable production capacity of aquatic food products resulting in increased value of aquaculture and fisheries products and exports into international markets and the creation of many new jobs.
Research and Development AwardMicha Peleg, PhD, University of MassachusettsThe Research and Development Award recognizes an IFT member or team of members who have made a recent, significant research and development contribution to the understanding of food science, food technology, or nutrition. Micha Peleg, professor at the University of Massachusetts, received this award for encouraging the scientific community and food industry to re-evaluate the methods that predict microbial inactivation and adopt a nonlinear kinetic approach to sterility calculations. Peleg’s research team’s more precise characterization of inactivation kinetics could reduce over-processing of foods and help improve nutritional value and quality without sacrificing safety.
Awards for Service & Teaching
William V. Cruess Award Jeff Culbertson, PhD, Washington State UniversityThe William V. Cruess Award honors an IFT member for excellence in teaching food science and technology. Jeff Culbertson, professor at the School of Food Science at Washington State University and the University of Idaho, received this award for his steadfast commitment to being an advocate for students and the food science profession. More than 600 food professionals in the United States have participated in the several online master’s degree programs and an online certificate program Culbertson developed.
Carl R. Fellers AwardChristine Bruhn, PhD, University of California, DavisThe Carl R. Fellers Award acknowledges a member of IFT and Phi Tau Sigma who has brought honor to the profession of food science and technology through a distinguished career displaying exemplary leadership, service, and communication skills that enhance the effectiveness of all food scientists in serving society. Christine Bruhn, cooperative extension specialist at the University of California, received the 2011 Carl R. Fellers Award as an international authority on consumer attitudes toward food irradiation and other novel technologies. Bruhn presents overviews of food safety and risk to national and international audiences and encourages the scientific community to consider research-based perspectives of consumer attitudes. She has improved the food science profession through her service and leadership within IFT, the International Association for Food Protection, as well as state, national, and international agencies and organizations.
Elizabeth Fleming Stier Award Fatemeh Malekian, PhD, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension CenterThe Elizabeth Fleming Stier Award rewards an IFT member for pursuit of humanitarian ideals and unselfish dedication that has resulted in significant contributions to the well-being of the food industry, academia, students, or the general public. Fatemeh Malekian, associate professor at the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center and adjunct faculty at Louisiana State University, received this award for committing her professional career to making changes in people’s attitudes toward living healthier lives regardless of race, age, culture, gender and socioeconomic background.
Myron Solberg Award Colin Dennis, PhD, Campden BRIThe Myron Solberg Award recognizes an IFT member for leadership in the establishment and successful development and continuation of an industry/government/academia cooperative organization. Colin Dennis, professor and retired chief executive officer at Campden BRI, received this award for dedication to developing collaborative efforts between industry, government, and academia. During his career at Campden BRI, Dennis negotiated a government-funded energy conservation project for the food canning industry that demonstrated how companies could save on energy bills with little or no capital investment. He also initiated the employment of university students for industrial training, created an industrial training partnership program for post-graduate students, and worked with industrial and academic partners to establish a shared-cost research program between industry and government that included a university as a partner.
Calvert L. Willey Distinguished Service AwardHerbert Stone, PhD, Tragon CorporationThe Calvert L. Willey Distinguished Service Award honors an IFT member or staff member who has provided continuing, meritorious, and imaginative service to IFT. Herbert Stone, co-founder and past president of Tragon Corp., received this award for his enthusiasm and dedication to the food science profession through his service at IFT. For more than 42 years, Stone has been actively involved with IFT. He served on more than 25 committees, juries, and task forces. Stone was the IFT President (2004–2005) and served on the Board of Directors. Stone also spearheaded efforts to establish a closer relationship with the Chinese Institute of Food Science & Technology.
A complete list of award recipients can be found on the IFT web site at http://www.ift.org/about-us/awards-and-recognition/achievement-awards/award-winners.aspx.
About IFTThe Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a nonprofit scientific society. Our individual members are professionals engaged in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT’s mission is to advance the science of food, and our long-range vision is to ensure a safe and abundant food supply, contributing to healthier people everywhere.
For more than 70 years, the IFT has been unlocking the potential of the food science community by creating a dynamic global forum where members from more than 100 countries can share, learn, and grow. We champion the use of sound science across the food value chain through the exchange of knowledge, by providing education, and by furthering the advancement of the profession. IFT has offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit ift.org.
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