Food Science Students Receive Industry Recognition from NAFFS

November 15, 2013

Congratulations to food science graduate students Sabrina Davis and Brendan Wong! The two were recognized by National Association of Flavor and Food-Ingredient Systems (
NAFFS
) and awarded the association’s 2013 west coast scholarship award. Patrick Imburgia, West Coast Scholarship Chair and Flavor Chemist of
Mission Flavors
, presented the NAFFS West Coast scholarship awards to Davis and Wong at a ceremony held on campus.

“I am deeply honored to receive the National Association of Flavors and Food-Ingredient Systems scholarship, and I am grateful to Chapman University and Dr. Prakash for nominating me for this honor,” said Davis of her award.

Bringing Graphic Design to Food Science

Davis also added that the scholarship award is of great assistance in her pursuit of a
Masters of Science in Food Science
. As an undergraduate graphic design student at Chapman, Davis worked with
Dr. Anuradha Prakash
, professor and director of the Food Science program, to create a traffic-light nutrition labeling system for each station at Randall Dining Commons, the University’s cafeteria. “Because it is an innovative way to post nutrition information in cafeterias, Dr. Prakash encouraged me to continue researching the topic and write a manuscript for submission in
The Journal of Foodservice Management and Education
,” continued Davis. Her submission was accepted and published earlier this year.

Award Demonstrates Chapman’s Strong Industry Relationships

Scholarship recipient Brendan Wong was equally enthusiastic about receiving this award and recognition from NAFFS. He also noted how this award represents the strong industry relationships Chapman’s Food Science program has with practitioners like Mr. Imburgia, Mission Flavors and NAFFS:

“At Chapman, the food science students I have met are all very intelligent, passionate, and eager to learn, and the NAFFS scholarship award shows that industry professionals care about and are willing to invest in these students… I believe a strong connection between the food industry and academia is key in preparing the next generations of food scientists… It was great to learn that Mission Flavors had been supporting student learning through scholarships over the last eight years. Over lunch, I learned that they are one of four flavor companies here in Southern California, and they each have their own niche. When I thought about how many flavors each company produces, it really made me realize how large the food industry is.”

Wong comes to the program with a background in Biology, which he described as a lot of “analytical testing, memorization, and understanding various processes.” While these are essential, Wong remarked that Chapman’s Food Science program rounds out his technical knowledge by including coursework in Product Development, which develops entrepreneurship, market research, and presentation skills. “It is quite different from the typical science class, but I find that we are learning valuable teamwork, business, and interpersonal skills… It is challenging, but I feel that we are picking up tools that we will be able to call upon later in our careers.”

Also in attendance at the scholarship ceremony were: Dr. Anuradha Prakash, Schmid College Dean
Dr. Janeen Hill
, Schmid College Development Manager Karen Bustamante, and Mission Flavors staff Maria Ceja Olson (’93), Brenda Hannon, and Chapman alumna Lauren Mayberry (’00).

NAFFS is a broad-based trade association of manufacturers, processors, and suppliers of fruits, flavors, syrups, stabilizers, emulsifiers, colors, sweeteners, and related food ingredients. Read more about the organization
here
.

From left to right: Professor of Food Science and Program Director Dr. Anuradha Prakash, Schmid College Dean Dr. Janeen Hill, Patrick Imburgia of Mission Flavors & Fragrances, Food Science student Brendan Wong, Food Science student Sabrina Davis, Maria Olson of Mission Flavors & Fragrances, Brenda Hannon of Mission Flavors & Fragrances and Lauren Mayberry (’00) of Mission Flavors & Fragrances.