The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a vibrant community that has been shaping the discourse on food science and technology for more than 70 years. Individuals who are active in any aspect of the food profession and are interested in supporting IFT’s objectives are invited to join our organization.
Membership in IFT is handled by the National IFT office. Realizing that one size does not fit all, IFT has designed membership options to provide you with the resources, programs, services, and networking opportunities you need at different phases of your career. To explore even more about the value of membership and the various membership options, please click here.
Our Northern California section (NCIFT) has additional section dues that are added to price of membership during registration. These dues help our section put on local networking events, fund student scholarships, and help advance the science of food in Northern California. All members of NCIFT also receive copies of our quarterly Hornblower magazine.
Your IFT Membership dues are a solid investment in your career, both now and in the future. No other organization has IFT’s ability to advance the science of food or to advance the careers of professionals like you.
If you have additional questions about membership, please contact the NCIFT Membership Secretary directly.
Section Outstanding Volunteer Award:
Dr. Xi (Alex) Feng
Email: xi.feng@sjsu.edu
Current Position in Section: Director-at-Large
Alex has been volunteering with NCIFT through various capacities as he is always willing to step in where needed! His professionalism, excellent teamwork and behind the scenes effort in supporting student events as SJSU, identifying speakers for Suppliers' Night, volunteer judging the student poster competition at Suppliers' Night, and overall attending NCIFT events is exceptional and outstanding. Having him responsible for a task, means nothing will be amiss. He will do what is needed, when it needs to be done and reach out to whom he must reach out to make sure the work is completed, and all in a humble way. We would like to nominate him to be recognized as the outstanding section volunteer.
Section Service Award: Mr. Bruce Ferree
Email: insightfoodsafety@gmail.com
Current Position in Section: Suppliers' Night Chair
In addition to serving as Suppliers’ Night Chair for the past years, Bruce has been a longtime volunteer with NCIFT, even serving as President in 1999-2000. Bruce is present at most events as a participant or organizer, whether in person or online. He has been a great guide for all new volunteer leaders and members, constantly making connections and answering questions. We would like to thank Bruce for his years of dedication, hard work, and constant service.
PRESIDENT
Dr. Vivian Wu
USDA-ARS
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Jagriti Sharma, PhD
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Dr. Zhongli Pan
UC Davis
SECRETARY
Dr. Gabriela John Swamy
SJSU
TREASURER
Dr. Nishtha Lukhmana
Premier Nutrition Company
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
Ms. Erin Evers
SPI Group
DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE
Leigh Schmidt
Shayanti Minj
Karen Dawes
Marika Lodle
NOMINATING & ELECTIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR
Parastoo Yaghmaee
SUPPLIERS' NIGHT EXPO CHAIR
Karen Dawes
George Chiala Farms, Inc.
GRANTS COMMITTEE CHAIR
Charlwit Kulchaiyawat
NEW PROFESSIONALS GROUP CHAIR
Ms. Erin Evers
SPI Group
VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE CHAIR
Poonam Bajaj
SCIENCE FAIR AWARDS CO-CHAIR
Ms. Rachael Hung
Impossible Foods
SCIENCE FAIR AWARDS CO-CHAIR
Jagriti Sharma, PhD
SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIR
Meredith Morris-Gaudreau
EDUCATIONAL CHAIR
Dr. Ashwini Wagh
Clorox
STUDENT POSTER COMPETITION CHAIR
Parastoo Yaghmaee
GOLF TOURNAMENT LEAD CO-CHAIR
Daniel Andrews
Elite Spice Inc
GOLF TOURNAMENT CO-CHAIR
Mr. Jaspreet Walia (Jas)
AEMTEK
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES
University Liaison
Dr. Vivian Wu
USDA
UC Davis:
Summer Plepalakon
Undergrad Student
Jonah Messinger
Undergrad Student
Yu Wang
Grad Student
Natalia (Nati) Ribeiro
Grad Student
Ms. Stephanie Myers
Campus Contact
CSU San Jose:
Dr. Xi (Alex) Feng
Campus Contact
CSU Chico:
Dr. Maria Giovanni
Campus Contact
OTHER IMPORTANT CONTACTS
HORNBLOWER EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Ms. Jaime Lawrence
Barentz
HORNBLOWER CO-EDITOR
Ms. Anissa Lee
INW Pro-Form Laboratories
DEIB AMBASSADOR
Ari Kenney
JOB LISTINGS:
Ms. Imelda Vasquez
NCIFT Office at Marketing Designs
NCIFT OFFICE
Ms. Imelda Vasquez
NCIFT Office at Marketing Designs