Food Science Alumni and Friends

The Honorary Degree is an academic degree for which Purdue University has waived the usual requirements. This degree is conferred in a way to honor those who have established a national reputation of accomplishment in their careers. Very often, these persons have been previously honored by national and international organizations; their work has been cited by peers, again on a national level, and in all cases the candidates are recognized as leaders from a very broad perspective.

2014 *Willis James "Jim" Harper, retired J.T. Parker Chair in Dairy Foods, Department of Food Science & Technology, Ohio State University

2007 William T. Boehm, Senior Vice President, The Kroger Company

2005 Joseph S. Hatfiled, Founder & CEO, Fieldale Farms Corporation

2000 *Ronald R. Rice, Senior Vice President, The Kroger Company

1996 Elaine R. Wedral, President of Research & Development Centers, Nestle

1993 *Robert L. Sellars, Senior Vice President, CHR. Hansen’s Lab, Inc.

1988 Kenneth N. May,  CEO, Holly Farms

1990 *Robert Carbonell, President & CEO, DelMonte Foods – R.R. Nabisco, Inc

1986 *Arnold E. “Bud” Denton, Senior Vice President, Campbell Soup Company

1985 *Roy L. Whistler, Professor Emeritus, Hillenbrand Distinguished Professor

The Distinguished Agriculture Alumni Award was created in 1992 to recognize mid-career alumni of Purdue's College of Agriculture. Honorees must have a demonstrated record of outstanding accomplishments, have made significant contributions to his/her profession or society in general, and exhibit high potential for future professional growth. Selections are made by a committee comprised of the Dean of Agriculture, associate deans, assistant dean, department heads and unit directors. Typically, ten or fewer alumni are selected to receive the award. The following is a list of Distinguished Agriculture Alumni from the Department of Food Science.

2024 Jennifer Crandall, CEO and Founder, Safe Food En Route

2023 Jeff Grogg, Managing Director, JPG Resources

2022 Katie Rippel, Global Director, Supply VPO, Anheuser-Busch InBev

2019 Nancie Corum-Oxley, Vice President and Winemaker, St. Julian Wine Company, Inc.

2017 George Abide, Founder and Explorer, The Abide Idea Company

2016 Martin Berry, Senior Principal Research Engineer, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.

2015 Victoria Finkenstadt, Lead Scientist, United States Department of Agriculture

2014 Nicholas L. Rozzi, Director of Global Commercialization, Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.

2013 D. Scott Lineback, Vice President Process Innovation, ConAgra Foods

2012 Liangli “Lucy” Yu, Professor and Acting Chair, Department of Nutrition & Food Science, University of Maryland

2011 Gary Chenoweth, Vice President – Customer Relationship Leader, Bunge Oils

2010 Mona Baker Wolf, President, The Wolf Group

2009 Glenn Armstrong, Vice President, Corporate and Business Innovations, Alticor, Inc.

2008 Yonas Gizaw, Principal Scientist, Proctor and Gamble, Co.

2006 Mark E. Kimmel, Senior Vice President of Total Quality and Research and Development, Stanislaus Food Products

2004 Tracy A. Baker, Vice President of Innovation and Beverage Development, PepsiCo Beverages and Foods

2003 Sharrann E. Simmons, Vice President & General Manager, Colloides Naturels

2002 William R. Aimutis, Principal Scientist, Cargill, Inc.

2001 Robert W. Wotzak, Vice President of Research and Development, ConAgra Grocery Products Co.

2000 Marion P. Williams, Senior Vice President of Technology, Welch Foods, Inc.

1996 David Hettinga, Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, Land O'Lakes, Inc.

1994 *Ronald R. Rice, Group Vice President, The Kroger Company

1993 John H. Nelson, Vice President of Science and Technology, McCormick and Company, Inc.

1992 Darrell G. Medcalf, Vice President of Research, Kraft General Foods

1992 Elaine R. Wedral, President and Chair, Westreco, Inc.

This award was created by the faculty in the year 2000 to pay tribute to individuals who have established an outstanding record of achievement in industry, academia, or government thus impacting the field of food science and the Department. An alphabetical list of recipients is also available. 

2024

• Jennifer Crandall, CEO/Founder, Safe Food En Route
• Emil Shemer, Director of Research and Development, Red Gold

2019

• Jung Han, Vice President of Food Safety, Compliance and Future Portfolia, Pulmuone Foods
• Matthew Moudy, North America Procurement Head, Mars Foods
• Jonathan Stapley, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Dynamic Food Ingredients Corp.

2018

• Richard Carlson, Vice President of Quality, Hormel Foods
• Mary Carunchia, Principal Scientist, PepsiCo
• Jonathan Gray, Senior Director of Research & Innovation, Danone North America
• Matthew Schaefer, Global Director of Quality & Commercialization, Bloomin' Brands
• Lilian Were, Associate Professor, Chapman University

2017

• Robert Culler, Principle, Culler Consulting, LLC
• Kurt Villwock, Director of Research and Development, Fiberstar, Inc.
• Julia Watterson, Principal Scientist, The Hershey Company

2016

• Milda Embuscado, Senior Principal Scientist, McCormick & Company
• John McKeehen, Innovation, Technology and Quality Director of Cereal Technology, General Mills
  
• Katie Rippel, Senior Brewmaster, Anheuser Busch​

2015

• Rebeca Buckner, Chief Implementation Manager, FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
• Jeff Grogg, Managing Director, JPG Resources​

​2014

• Christopher Fosse, Vice President of Quality for the Branded and Private Branded Business, ConAgra Foods
• Maria Oria, Senior Program Officer, Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences
• Nancy Quan, Global Research and Development Officer, Coca Cola Company
  

2013

• Nancie Corum-Oxley, Head Winemaker, St. Julian Winery
• Claudia Fajardo-Lira, Professor of Food Science, Department of Family Consumer Sciences, California State University Northridge
• Diane Hnat, Senior Technical Manager, DSM Nutritional Products
• Mohamed Obanni, Senior Director of Technical Services, Aseptic, and Refrigerated Business, The Hain Celestial Group
• Dianne Ripberger, Research & Development Director of Quality Innovation, Information Systems, and Ingredient Quality Assurance, Frito Lay North America division of Pepsico

2012

• Curt Emenhiser, Vice President of Global Technology Management, Nestle
• Garry Hellmich, Quality and Regulatory Operations Director for Baked Goods, General Mills
• Kerry Huber, Professor, School of Food Science, University of Idaho
• Lee-Ann Jaykus, Distinguished Professor, Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Science, North Carolina State University
• Xiaoming "Lucy" You, Director of Compliance & Documentation, CSM Bakery Product North America

2011

• George Abide, President, The Abide Idea Company
• Renée Mellican, Director of Product Development in Research, Quality, and Innovation, ConAgra Foods
• Nicholas Rozzi, Director, Global Commercialization, Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.
• George Sadler, Chief Technical Officer, Prove It, LLC
• Liangli “Lucy” Yu, Professor and Acting Chair, Department of Nutrition & Food Science, University of Maryland

• Dane Bernard, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Keystone Foods, LLC
• Anita Colglazier, Director of Quality, Butterball, LLC
• *James Kincaid, Principal Scientist, Kellogg Company
• David Lesley, Principal Scientist, Ball Corporation
• D. Scott Lineback, Vice President of Process Innovation, ConAgra Foods

2009

• Gloria Cagampang, Research Fellow, Department of Research, Quality, and Technology, Kellogg Company
• Delva “Kay” Cooksey, Professor, Department of Packaging Science, Clemson University
• Athlula Ekanayake, Principal Scientist, Procter & Gamble
• Bruce Pearson, Senior Director of Operations, King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• *George Somkuti, Lead Scientist and Research Chemist, USDA Eastern Regional Research Center
• Norihisi Takada, Director of Research & Development, Del Monte Company

2008

• Kathleen Berry, Global Marketing Manager, Pall Corporation
• Martin Berry, Senior Principal Research Engineer, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
• Gary Chenoweth, Vice President of Food Processor Sales, Bunge Oils
• Mona Baker Wolf, President, The Wolf Group

2007

• Yonas Gizaw, Principal Scientist, Fabric and Home Care Technology Division, Proctor and Gamble
• James S. Jones, Vice President of Research and Development, Rich Products Corporation
• David K. Park, President, Food Defense
• Oscar A. Pike, Head of the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science, Brigham Young University

2006

• Glenn S. Armstrong, Senior Director for Science and Technology, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
• William P. Mickelberry, former Manager of Product Development, Oregon Freeze Dry Foods, Inc.
• *Willis James Harper, Parker Chair in Dairy Foods, Department of Food Science and Technology, Ohio State University

2005

• William R. Aimutis, Research Fellow and Group Manager of Food Technology Development Center, t Cargill, Inc
• *Fred Babel (Posthumous) Former Professor of Dairy Bacteriology, Purdue University
• Tracy A. Baker, Vice President of Non-Carbonated Beverages for PepsiCo, Inc
• Glenna Matthews, Process Technology Manager, FMC Technologies, Inc.
• Keith Neer, retired Vice President of Corporate Food Technology and Regulatory Compliance, The Kroger Company
• Robert W. Wotzak, Vice President of Global Research and Development, Griffith Laboratories

2004

• J. Richard Heron, Senior Process Engineer, Del Monte Foods
• Alan R. Kimbell, Chairman of the Board, Distribution Management Associates
• Mark E. Kimmel, Senior Vice President, Stanislaus Food Products
• John S. Morgan, Owner, Morgan Foods
• Marshall J. Myers, former Corporate Vice President of Research and Development, McCormick and Company
• Gary W. Naab, Director of Operations / Engineering Supply Chain, General Mills, Inc.
• Brian L. Reichart, CEO, Red Gold, Inc.
• Richard A. Roop, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for the Food Service and International Divisions, Tyson Foods
• Sharrann E. Simmons, Vice President and General Manager, Colloides Naturels, Inc.
• James Swi-Bea Wu, Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University

2003

• Alfred A. Bushway, Professor and former Chair of the Department of Food Science, University of Maine
• John N. Butts, Vice President of Research, Land O’Frost
• *S. John Davies (Posthumous), Chairman of the Board, Enerfab, Inc.
• Theodore E. Hartung, Associate Vice Chancellor Emeritus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Clayton S. Huber, Professor and former Dean of the College of Biology and Agriculture, Brigham Young University
• *Peter W. Mauger (Posthumous), former President, Naas Foods
• Kenneth N. May, President and CEO, Holly Farms Poultry Industries, Inc.
• Darrell G. Medcalf, former President, HealthComm, Inc.
• Gale Shemwell Rudolph, Senior Scientist and Director of Food Product Development, USANA Health Services, Inc.
• *Marion P. Williams, Senior Vice President of Technology, Welch’s

2002

• Fredrick W. Billerbeck, former Director of Administration and Services, Gerber Products’ Research Division
• William A. Gorman, former Vice President and Director, Kraft, Inc.
• David H. Hettinga, Chief Technical Officer and Vice President of Corporate Research, Technology, and Engineering, Ag Research and Technology and Fleet, Land O’Lakes
• David R. Lineback, Director of the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, University of Maryland
• *John V. Luck, former Senior Vice President and Technical Director, General Mills
• John H. Nelson, former Vice President of Science and Technology, McCormick and Company
• Paul A. Seib, Professor, Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University
• *Robert L. Sellars, former Senior Vice President of Technology and Quality Assurance, Chr. Hansen’s Laboratory, Inc.
• Vernon L. Singleton, Professor Emeritus, Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California
• Elaine R. Wedral, President of Research and Development Centers, Nestle

2001

• *Gale A. Ammerman, Professor Emeritus and former Department Head of Food Science and Technology, Mississippi State University
• *Robert J. Carbonell, former Vice Chairman of RJR Nabisco, Inc.
• *Arnold E. “Bud” Denton, former Senior Vice President of the Campbell Soup Company
• *Bernard J. “Bernie” Liska, Professor Emeritus and former Dean of Agriculture, Purdue University
• Thomas A. Ravencroft, Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions, Dean Foods
• *Frances L. Reichart, former President, Red Gold, Inc.
• *Ronald R. Rice, Senior Vice President, Kroger Company
• *William R. Scholle (Posthumous), former President, Scholle Corporation
• *William J. Stadelman, Professor Emeritus, Department of Food Science, Purdue University
• *Roy L. Whistler, Professor Emeritus, Department of Food Science, Purdue University

* Deceased