IFT’s Feeding Tomorrow Fund Announces Food Science Student Scholarship Recipients

CHICAGO – The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, announced the recipients of 95 undergraduate and graduate scholarships totaling over $200,000.

The scholarships are courtesy of IFT’s Feeding Tomorrow Fund, which encourages, promotes and rewards the excellence of students pursuing careers in food science. Since 1985, IFT’s Feeding Tomorrow Fund has awarded more than 2,800 scholarships and over $3 million to food science students across the globe.

The Feeding Tomorrow Fund scholarship program, which is one of the largest in the nation for food science students, provides undergraduate and graduate academic scholarships in various areas, including financial need, community college transfer, first-generation college enrollment, and in fields like food engineering, sensory and consumer science, and pediatric nutrition.

Additionally, travel scholarships are available for students to attend IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo, the annual food science and technology event being held July 13-16 at McCormick Place in Chicago. One of the highlights every year at IFT FIRST is the Feeding Tomorrow Fun Run + Walk Fundraiser, which also supports students and young professionals in their career development.

“IFT’s Feeding Tomorrow Fund is proud to support this year’s student recipients as they grow into the next generation of leaders in food science and shape the future of food," said Nina Steele, IFT director, engagement, inclusion and volunteer development. "We congratulate each winner and look forward to supporting them on their academic and professional journeys as they help create an accessible, safe and nutritious food system."

This year’s recipient of the Elwood F. Caldwell Graduate Fellowship, which awards a $25,000 stipend, is Rahul Rathee, a Ph.D. student at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. The fellowship is open to students enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program in food science focused on research that addresses the needs and demands of the global food system. Caldwell, a longtime IFT member, is widely recognized as one of the pioneers in cereal science for his work as director of research and development for Quaker Oats, followed by his leadership role within the University of Minnesota’s Department of Food Science and Nutrition.

Rathee began his academic career at Guru Jambheshwar University in Hisar, Haryana, India, where he earned his undergraduate degree in food science before earning a graduate degree in food process engineering at National Institute of Technology Rourkela in Rourkela, Odisha, India. He pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., before transferring to the University of Arkansas.

The PepsiCo and IFT Academic and Travel Undergraduate Hybrid Scholarship was awarded to Trang Nguyen, an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. This hybrid study-and-travel scholarship offers a $5,000 academic scholarship in addition to a $1,000 travel stipend to IFT FIRST. In 2024, Nguyen served as a food science summer researcher at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., where she worked as a research assistant in the university’s Sensory Evaluation Center.

Last year’s recipient was Josiah Muriuki from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, who was recently reelected to the IFT Student Association (IFTSA) as a member at large. IFTSA is a student-governed community of over 2,400 IFT members spanning 65 chapters in 60 countries.

At IFT FIRST, Nguyen and other students will have the opportunity to attend the PepsiCo Meet & Greets at the IFTSA Student Lounge. Through its sponsorship of the IFTSA Student Lounge, PepsiCo is connecting its research and development professionals with the attending IFTSA community interested in pursuing R&D as a career path. Attendees can network with PepsiCo employees; ask questions about the company's products, culture and career opportunities; and gain insights into the latest trends and developments in the food and beverage industry. Some attending IFTSA members will also participate in IFTSA competition finals, including the 35th Annual IFTSA and Mars Wrigley Product Development Competition, the Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Product Development Competition, the Smart Snacks for Kids Product Development Competition and the 40th annual College Bowl competition.