Hetian Hu was awarded a Seligman APV Travel Bursary to attend the Conference of Food Engineering (CoFE) 2024 held in August 2024, in Seattle, USA. Read his report below.
"Additionally, I attended various technical sessions that broadened my eyes as a researcher. One of the most-mentioned topics during CoFE’24 was sustainability, and researchers have reported on various approaches to help improve the overall sustainability of the food industry. For instance, using non-thermal food processing technologies (e.g., cold plasma, membrane filtration, high-pressure processing) or advanced thermal processing techniques (e.g., ohmic heating, microwave processing) could potentially help supply more nutritious food products (with less thermal exposure), while reducing the overall environment impact. The use of by-products and wastes was also discussed in depth. It is also worth noting that cell agriculture and precision fermentation have gained more attention, and it is possible that those technologies may be used by the industry to produce ingredients or meat substitutes in the future. Attending the technical sessions helped me understand the current and future trends of food engineering and could help me prepare for my future career as a young researcher.
"As the secretary of the student division of The Society of Food Engineering (SoFE-SD), I worked closely with the organisation committee of CoFE’24. As a volunteer, I helped with attendee registration and technical session preparation to ensure a smooth flow of the entire conference. Serving as a volunteer provided me a better chance to network with students and guest speakers (from universities and industries) attending the conference, which could be beneficial for my career development. The student division also organised a student-led panel discussion to help student members of SoFE prepare for industrial careers. We invited panelists from various CPG and food processing companies (such as ConAgra Brands, Olam Food Ingredients, and The J.M. Smucker Company) to introduce their career paths and share their experiences with the students. As a student interested in pursuing an industrial career following graduation, attending the panel discussion helped me learn more about the operations and mindsets of food processing industries. Such information is generally hard to obtain within the academic environment, so I found the panel discussion extremely beneficial. As a member of the organising committee (SoFE-SD), preparing and moderating such a panel discussion improved my organisation and communication skills, as we needed to invite industrial speakers, convey the logistics of the sessions, and ensure a fruitful discussion for all the student members.
"Reflecting on my experience at CoFE’24, I am grateful for the opportunities it provided for personal and professional growth. The chance to present my research, connect with colleagues and professionals, and enhance my leadership, organisation, and communication skills was invaluable. This experience, and the support I received from the Seligman APV Travel Grant, has better prepared me for my future work. I extend my sincerest appreciation to The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) for their support."
Hetian Hu
PhD Candidate
Ohio State University
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