Greetings from the Chair

As Chair of the Department of Food Science and Management, it is my privilege to tell you a bit about our history and accomplishments. The Department has existed at Delaware Valley College since the 1940’s, when it was originally called the Department of Food Industry, concentrated primarily on the dairy food sciences. In the 1980’s, to better reflect the actual content of the program, the name was changed to Food Science and then, in the 1990’s, we added two more majors: Food Technology and Food Management. Most recently, we’ve added coursework in an entirely new area: Food and Pharmaceutical Packaging.

Many people ask the question, “What does a food scientist do?” The answer is complex. If you walk down the aisle of an average supermarket, you’ll see thousands of items lining the shelves. Each one of those items has a food scientist involved in multiple aspects of its creation, quality assurance and packaging. A food scientist has a hand in every stage of the process that brings the product to the market shelf. Recent graduates of the program go on to work for world-wide food and beverage companies, including Pepsi – Frito Lay, ConAgra Foods, Campbell’s, Kraft and Coca Cola. Graduates of the Department of Food Science earn some of the most competitive salaries among all DelVal graduates.

Food Technology is similar to the Food Science track, requiring slightly fewer courses in science and mathematics, and is ideal for the individual with career aspirations in the food industry who is not planning to attend graduate school. Food Management covers many aspects of the food industry, and our students go on to many different careers. This is primarily a business degree, specialized in the food industry. A quick look at the catalogue reveals paired course offerings designed to develop a strong foundation of business knowledge along with skills specific to the food industry. For instance, students are required to study food industry law as well as business law and marketing for the food industry along with a course in business marketing.

The philosophy of the Department mirrors that of DelVal’s founder, Dr. Krauskopf, who believed in learning by doing. And the Department of Food Science and Management does a lot. Students create and develop food product lines to be sold at the DelVal Farm Market or to be presented as gifts for alumni and college guests. Recently, they’ve produced specialty relishes, vinegars, mustards, wine, beer and hard apple cider. The Department is responsible for planning, preparation and serving food at many events on campus, such as the Annual Alumni Homecoming Picnic, the yearly Library Fundraiser Tea,and the Bootleggers’ Ball, which is the gala fundraiser for our student travel scholarships. Every year, the Department plans a student trip abroad. In past years, they have journeyed to Athens, Greece and Paris, France.

We are fortunate to have a faculty made up of excellent teachers who are not only experts in their respective fields, but who also bring with them a wealth of real-world industry experience. We boast a wonderful network of alumni who participate vigorously in the life of the Department. All the professors who teach in the Department are here to help students reach their potential, not only as future professionals within the food industry, but as global citizens. We emphasize respect for food, people and cultures as foundations for the science and management skills they will acquire at Delaware Valley College.