Rutgers Department of Food Science 75th Anniversary Virtual Celebration
How did Food Sciences come to Rutgers? How else but via the old boy network. The Dean in 1946 was William Martin who called his old friend at UMass. The two men had been Grad Students at Rutgers together. Dr. Fellers was chairman of the Food Science Department at UMass, the first in the country. Dr. Martin was interested in getting away from the production agriculture which had been of major concern for generations and into the new field dealing with post-harvest, post-slaughter handling of fruits, vegetables and meats. He asked Dr. Fellers for a recommendation and he suggested Walter Maclinn who had been the first to receive a Ph.D. in Food Technology at UMass. Dr. Maclinn was then in Chicago. He officially started working on July 1, 1946 after being interviewed by Prof. Skelley and Marie Dettmer, but actually came in September.
(Elizabeth (Libby) Stier)
Rutgers Food Science IFT Virtual Student and Alumni Celebration 2021
The Rutgers Department of Food Science and the Food Science Alumni Committee held their annual event virtually in conjunction with the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo on July 19, 2021. Keynote speaker, Lou Cooperhouse RC'83 (Microbiology), GSNB'87 (Food Science), CEO and Co-founder of cell-based seafood company BlueNalu and former Director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center (FIC), presented, "BlueNalu: a Pioneering Company in the Global Transformation of Our Food Supply." His presentation discussed his innovative career path in the food industry and the growing industry of alternative proteins, such as plant, fermentation, and cell-cultured foods. The event also included updates from department chair, Karl Matthews, a word from current students, an alumni and student awards presentation, and remarks from the Food Science Alumni Committee.
Covid-19 and the Food Supply
On July 13, 2020, the Rutgers Food Science department and alumni committee held a virtual event, in conjunction with the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo. Keynote speaker, Dr. Don Schaffner, distinguished professor in the Food Science department and extension specialist, discussed how COVID-19 is spread. His presentation, “Covid-19 and the Food Supply,” focused on how the disease is transmitted and how it is affecting the supply chain. Additionally, the presentation included updates from the department chair, two current students, and the alumni and student awards presentations.
