Outstanding Alumnus
JoAnna Foegeding
The NC State Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences is pleased to honor Mrs. Joanna Foegeding as its Outstanding Alumni for 2009. Joanna earned her B.S. degree in our department followed by her certification as a registered dietitian at the University of Virginia. Over the past 30 years, JoAnna has been an integral contributor to the research, extension and teaching efforts of the department. Her research areas have included enology, poultry and eggs, meats and dairy enzymes. She has authored and presented papers at numerous national and international conferences. JoAnna has also been active in both the local and national IFT association, serving as Secretary for the Dogwood Regional Section and Chair of the Information Technology Committee.
Currently, JoAnna administers the department’s entrepreneurial assistance program which provides consulting, product testing and nutritional labeling for new food companies. Her honors are numerous: Award of Excellence from NCSU-CALS, C.E. Howes Award of Excellence from National Egg Quality School, Texture Technologies Support Personnel Award and the Outstanding Faculty/Staff award from the CALS Alumni Society. However, some of her most valuable work has been with our students. Her advise is greatly valued by students. They honored her as the first staff member to be an advisor to the Food Science Club. Additionally, her contribution as the Departmental Distance Education Coordinator has made this an important aspect of our department’s undergraduate and post-graduate education. We are honored to have Mrs. Foegeding as our 2009 Outstanding Alumni.
Outstanding Young Alumnus
 Dr. Mary Carunchia Whetstine
Mary Carunchia Whetstine has been named the department’s 2009 Outstanding Young Alumni. Mary’s graduate work in Dr. MaryAnne Drake’s lab covered a wide array of sensory properties using instrumental and descriptive analysis of dairy products, in particular, cheese. During her graduate tenure, she won second place in the ADSA Graduate Paper Competition and published 13 journal articles and book chapters. Her graduate work was funded partially by the M.E. Franks Dairy Recognition and Education Foundation Fellowship. Dr. Whetstine has done well in her career at Frito-Lay in Plano, Texas. She has advanced quickly from her initial position as a sensory scientist to Tostitos brand innovation product developer.
Mary was active in the NCSU Food Science Club during her time at NCSU. This experience has proved influential to Mary as she continues to be supportive of the department’s current students. This year the product development team has benefited from her review of their product proposal and her help in addressing marketing concerns. Dr. Whetstine initiated the Frito Lay Graduate Award in Food Science, which is awarded based on academic excellence and continued potential for outstanding work in new product development.
Mary values her education and professional relationships at NCSU and IFT. In particular, she continues to advocate for the success of young food science professionals. Dr. Whetstine has established herself as a leader and represents NCSU, CALS and the department well.
Past Winners |
