Food Science Senior Spotlight - Grace Alleman

Hometown: Portland, Oregon

Major: Food Science

Minors: Fermentation Science

Why did you choose Purdue Food Science: I always knew that I wanted to work with food, and I found food science to be the perfect balance of my love for food and my passion for STEM. Purdue's food science program is well known in the industry, and I wanted to learn from the best!

What made your Purdue experience great?: The people I grew to call my friends within the department really made my time at Purdue worthwhile. You spend so much time with them through the years. We have experienced each other's ups and downs, and they truly helped me get through those tough classes.

Favorite Purdue Tradition: Spring Fest

Favorite memory of your time at Purdue: Fermentation Frenzy 2023 was the first time I was able to see so much of my work as the President of the Fermentation Club pay off.

Favorite club/organization: Fermentation Club

What other activities or organizations did you participate in while at Purdue?: Other than Fermentation Club, I was a part of the Food Science Club, Japan Student Association, and my sorority, alpha Kappa Delta Phi.

Favorite spot on campus: The Java House in ABE

Favorite thing about Purdue Food Science and/or the College of Agriculture: The opportunities to take interesting and niche topic classes.

Favorite professor or staff member: Allison Kingery

Places you have been as a Purdue student:

• Spring 2022 - Study Abroad in Italy for a food tour through Ag Econ
• Summer 2022 - R&D Internship at Tillamook Creamery
• Fall 2022 - Harvest Internship at Domaine Serene Winery
• Summer 2023 - R&D Internship at Tree Top Inc.

 Favorite class: Boilermaker Sauces and Pickles (FS 490) was so fun because it let students experience the entire product development process and use their creativity to create a product that is uniquely theirs. It also incorporated fermentation, which I am always excited about. It was different than the Capstone class because everyone was treated as equals in a team setting. Professors and other experts in their respective fields helped us collaborate to build this "business" from the ground up.

Biggest accomplishment at Purdue: Co-founding the Fermentation Club

Future plans after graduation: I will be attending grad school at University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Long term career goals: I plan on entering the food industry in Research and Development.

Advice for underclassmen: Utilize the resources available in your department (as there are many!), and learn quickly and early how to plan out your time and balance school, social, and extracurricular activities. They all play a huge part in your overall college experience, but one aspect does not outweigh another.

Biggest takeaway from your time at Purdue: Classroom time and academic activities are not everything. I truly started enjoying Purdue (and doing better in my classes!) when I learned to balance school with my other activities, and I took risks with extracurriculars that I never would have expected for myself in high school.