The IFT Fellow designation is an honor bestowed upon IFT members by their peers for outstanding, sustained accomplishment in the field of food science. It recognizes exemplary advancement, service to the food science and technology professions, inspiration of others to excel in the food science and technology field, primary responsibility for the success of a new food product, and/or improvement of the human condition via food science and technology. Nominations are made by IFT members and must include a reference from a current IFT Fellow. The IFT Fellows Jury evaluates the credentials of each proposed new Fellow and votes annually.
The 2016 IFT Fellows are as follows:
- Bruce Ferree, CFS, Compliance Manager, California Natural Products
- Catherine Cutter, PhD, Professor & Food Safety Ext. Specialist, Pennsylvania State University
- Elizabeth Sloan, PhD, President, Sloan Trends, Inc.
- Enrique Palou, PhD, Professor, Universidad de las Americas Puebla
- Fatemeh Malekian, PhD, CFS, Professor of Food Science & Nutrition, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Baton Rouge, LA
- James Behnke, PhD, Business Consultant
- Jorge Welti-Chanes, PhD, Dean of Graduate Studies, Tecnologico de Monterrey
- Louise Slade, PhD, Consultant/Owner, Food Polymer Science Consultancy
- Michael McCarthy, PhD, Chair & Professor, University of California, Davis
- Nagendra Shah, PhD, CFS, Professor of Food Science & Technology, University of Hong Kong
- Peter Hutt, JD, Senior Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP
- Scott Lineback, PhD, CFS, VP, Technology COE, ConAgra
Compliance Manager, California Natural Products
Throughout Ferree’s 33 years of IFT professionalism, he has impacted food scientists and the community of IFT in numerous ways. His primary focus has been on the future—students and new professionals—working on the Higher Education Review Board committee, judging and moderating College Bowls, and collecting funds for scholarships at the IFTSA Fun Run. He has served at local and national levels, coordinated training courses, and inspired the creation of a new IFT section. He is a highly dedicated, gifted, and enthusiastic supporter of all things food science and has positively impacted the food science community through his actions.
Catherine Cutter, PhD
Professor and Food Safety Extension Specialist, Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Catherine Cutter is an accomplished professor of food science at Pennsylvania State University. Her contributions to food science include the development of educational materials and extension programs that will be used by food industry professionals to improve the overall safety of the food supply, both nationally and internationally. Cutter has led innovative activities focused on understanding and mitigating food safety issues resulting from the sale of products through farmers markets. In addition, her applied and practical research program has helped many small meat processing establishments across the United States comply with USDA food safety regulations.
A. Elizabeth Sloan, PhD
President, Sloan Trends
Dr. A. Elizabeth Sloan has been a contributing editor to Food Technology magazine for nearly 20 years and initiated its state-of-the-Industry reports, which include the Top 10 Food Trends and What America Eats. She has authored more than 400 articles and co-authored two college textbooks on nutrition and has appeared on many radio and television programs, including TODAY and Good Morning America. Sloan was formerly editor in chief of McCall’s magazine, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute/Seal, and director of nutrition communications and technical services at General Mills, among other roles. Her consulting company, Sloan Trends, has focused on creating new market opportunities for U.S. and global food and beverage marketers for 20 years.
Enrique Palou, PhD
Professor, Universidad de las Américas Puebla
An award-winning professor at Universidad de las Américas Puebla in Mexico, Dr. Enrique Palou continues to contribute to food science through his diverse research interests. Palou, an internationally recognized expert on emerging technologies and predictive microbiology, applies fundamental knowledge to fruit processing aimed at inactivating or inhibiting pathogens and spoilage microorganisms, especially mycotoxin-producing molds. His scientific innovations have had an impact on furthering food science and technology knowledge in several areas while helping to develop nonthermal technologies for use in the food industry.
Fatemeh Malekian, PhD, CFS
Professor of Food Science, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center
An accomplished professor at Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Dr. Fatemeh Malekian continues to make exemplary contributions to food science and technology through her innovative research, teaching, and extension/outreach programs in the area of obesity and food safety nationally and internationally. Throughout her career, Malekian has demonstrated her exceptional communication and leadership skills. She is a highly dedicated professional who motivates people from different cultures and backgrounds to strive for excellence in the area of food science and technology. She has committed her life, research, and vocational interests to the improvement of the health and well-being of people as impacted by nutrition and a safe food supply.
James Behnke, PhD
Business Consultant
Dr. James Behnke is a consultant to the food industry, and in his previous roles, he served as chief technical officer of the Pillsbury Co. and on its board of directors. There, he was responsible for worldwide activities in R&D, strategic technology development, process engineering, packaging, food safety, regulatory affairs, environmental affairs, scientific services, knowledge management, and consumer relations. He is proud of the quality of the organization he helped run and his role as a champion for women and diversity in the workplace. In addition, many of his graduate students have gone on to earn leadership positions in companies across the food industry.
Jorge Welti-Chanes, PhD
National Dean of Graduate Studies, Engineering and Science School, Tecnológico de Monterrey
Dr. Jorge Welti-Chanes is a Mexican researcher, professor, and leader behind the understanding and application of food engineering. An internationally recognized scientist, Welti-Chanes now works with the new generation of researchers as dean of graduate studies at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. He is a true pioneer on topics such as nonthermal technologies, water activity, and the development of shelf-stable/clean label nutritious foods. He has been contributing as well to basic science to better establish the pillars of the food engineering profession, and he is a prolific author of fundamental books on transport phenomena, dehydration, water activity, and minimal processing.
Louise Slade, PhD
Consultant/Owner, Food Polymer Science Consultancy
In her 37-year-long career, Dr. Louise Slade has pioneered a “food polymer science” (FPS) approach to studies of water-plasticized food systems and championed the concepts of glass transition and their applicability to both industrial and academic R&D. Slade also developed a global FPS short course that she has presented publicly 28 times since 1987. She has received several prestigious awards from IFT and the American Association of Cereal Chemists and several major company awards. Slade has 45 granted patents, 35 of which have been industrially commercialized, for novel food ingredients, products, and processes. She also has more than 250 publications and presentations, with more than 6,000 citations.
Michael McCarthy, PhD
Chair and Professor, University of California, Davis
A professor in both the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Engineering at the University of California, Davis, Dr. Michael J. McCarthy leads an innovative research group in process analytical technology, focused on food processing. McCarthy, as department chair of a world-renowned food science and technology program, has provided visionary leadership for the rapidly growing and evolving department. He is recognized as an international expert in magnetic resonance imaging and in the application of this technology to provide food process control and food product analysis.
Nagendra P. Shah, PhD, CFS
Professor of Food Science and Technology, University of Hong Kong
An accomplished professor at the University of Hong Kong, Dr. Nagendra P. Shah continues to make exemplary contributions to food science education and assist several universities in improving their quality of education, publication, and citations records. He has received several international awards for his pioneering work in probiotics and their genomes, prebiotics, mozzarella cheese, and isoflavones. He has published 302 papers and book chapters and has been listed as a top 1% scholar by the University of Hong Kong and deemed a Highly Cited Researcher and one of The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds 2015 by Thomson Reuters. Shah has also edited several books and serves as associate editor of Journal of Food Science.
Peter Barton Hutt, AB, LLB, LLM
Senior Counsel, Covington & Burling
Peter Barton Hutt is recognized as the unofficial dean of food law. In private practice and as chief counsel to the FDA, he has had a major impact on how food is regulated. Hutt established nutrition labeling, the GRAS process, how carcinogens are regulated, health claims, and much more. He wrote the legal textbook for food law and has taught his popular Harvard Law School course for 23 years, and he was in the first group elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Hutt delivered the IFT keynote address in 1985, published 10 articles in Food Technology, and delivered talks at more than 50 IFT section events.
Scott Lineback, PhD, CFS
Vice-President, New Technologies, ConAgra
Dr. Scott Lineback is a seasoned industry veteran with more than 21 years of food and beverage experience spanning multiple functions of research and development. He has an outstanding track record of technology innovation, new and renovated product launches, and coaching and mentoring fellow scientists. Lineback has been involved in IFT for more than 25 years, serving in a wide variety of positions, including on the IFT and Feeding Tomorrow boards, and was a key leader in founding the Product Development Division and establishing the IFTSA Product Development Competition. He continues to be passionately dedicated to IFT and advancing the science of food.
Professor of Food Science, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center
An accomplished professor at Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Dr. Fatemeh Malekian continues to make exemplary contributions to food science and technology through her innovative research, teaching, and extension/outreach programs in the area of obesity and food safety nationally and internationally. Throughout her career, Malekian has demonstrated her exceptional communication and leadership skills. She is a highly dedicated professional who motivates people from different cultures and backgrounds to strive for excellence in the area of food science and technology. She has committed her life, research, and vocational interests to the improvement of the health and well-being of people as impacted by nutrition and a safe food supply.
James Behnke, PhD
Business Consultant
Dr. James Behnke is a consultant to the food industry, and in his previous roles, he served as chief technical officer of the Pillsbury Co. and on its board of directors. There, he was responsible for worldwide activities in R&D, strategic technology development, process engineering, packaging, food safety, regulatory affairs, environmental affairs, scientific services, knowledge management, and consumer relations. He is proud of the quality of the organization he helped run and his role as a champion for women and diversity in the workplace. In addition, many of his graduate students have gone on to earn leadership positions in companies across the food industry.
Jorge Welti-Chanes, PhD
National Dean of Graduate Studies, Engineering and Science School, Tecnológico de Monterrey
Dr. Jorge Welti-Chanes is a Mexican researcher, professor, and leader behind the understanding and application of food engineering. An internationally recognized scientist, Welti-Chanes now works with the new generation of researchers as dean of graduate studies at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. He is a true pioneer on topics such as nonthermal technologies, water activity, and the development of shelf-stable/clean label nutritious foods. He has been contributing as well to basic science to better establish the pillars of the food engineering profession, and he is a prolific author of fundamental books on transport phenomena, dehydration, water activity, and minimal processing.
Louise Slade, PhD
Consultant/Owner, Food Polymer Science Consultancy
In her 37-year-long career, Dr. Louise Slade has pioneered a “food polymer science” (FPS) approach to studies of water-plasticized food systems and championed the concepts of glass transition and their applicability to both industrial and academic R&D. Slade also developed a global FPS short course that she has presented publicly 28 times since 1987. She has received several prestigious awards from IFT and the American Association of Cereal Chemists and several major company awards. Slade has 45 granted patents, 35 of which have been industrially commercialized, for novel food ingredients, products, and processes. She also has more than 250 publications and presentations, with more than 6,000 citations.
Michael McCarthy, PhD
Chair and Professor, University of California, Davis
A professor in both the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Engineering at the University of California, Davis, Dr. Michael J. McCarthy leads an innovative research group in process analytical technology, focused on food processing. McCarthy, as department chair of a world-renowned food science and technology program, has provided visionary leadership for the rapidly growing and evolving department. He is recognized as an international expert in magnetic resonance imaging and in the application of this technology to provide food process control and food product analysis.
Nagendra P. Shah, PhD, CFS
Professor of Food Science and Technology, University of Hong Kong
An accomplished professor at the University of Hong Kong, Dr. Nagendra P. Shah continues to make exemplary contributions to food science education and assist several universities in improving their quality of education, publication, and citations records. He has received several international awards for his pioneering work in probiotics and their genomes, prebiotics, mozzarella cheese, and isoflavones. He has published 302 papers and book chapters and has been listed as a top 1% scholar by the University of Hong Kong and deemed a Highly Cited Researcher and one of The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds 2015 by Thomson Reuters. Shah has also edited several books and serves as associate editor of Journal of Food Science.
Peter Barton Hutt, AB, LLB, LLM
Senior Counsel, Covington & Burling
Peter Barton Hutt is recognized as the unofficial dean of food law. In private practice and as chief counsel to the FDA, he has had a major impact on how food is regulated. Hutt established nutrition labeling, the GRAS process, how carcinogens are regulated, health claims, and much more. He wrote the legal textbook for food law and has taught his popular Harvard Law School course for 23 years, and he was in the first group elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Hutt delivered the IFT keynote address in 1985, published 10 articles in Food Technology, and delivered talks at more than 50 IFT section events.
Scott Lineback, PhD, CFS
Vice-President, New Technologies, ConAgra
Dr. Scott Lineback is a seasoned industry veteran with more than 21 years of food and beverage experience spanning multiple functions of research and development. He has an outstanding track record of technology innovation, new and renovated product launches, and coaching and mentoring fellow scientists. Lineback has been involved in IFT for more than 25 years, serving in a wide variety of positions, including on the IFT and Feeding Tomorrow boards, and was a key leader in founding the Product Development Division and establishing the IFTSA Product Development Competition. He continues to be passionately dedicated to IFT and advancing the science of food.
