Section Awards

Elizabeth Fleming Stier Award Recipients

Purpose: To honor an IFT member for pursuit of humanitarian ideals and unselfish dedication that have resulted in significant contributions to the well-being of the food industry, academia, students, or the general public.

2025

Purnendu C. Vasavada, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin-River Falls and PCV & Associates, LLC

“Dr. Elizabeth Stier was a strong advocate for students at Rutgers. My career and work has focused on education, especially undergraduate students, so this award means a great deal to me.”

Has received the Humanitarian Award for Service to the Science of Food in honor of Elizabeth Fleming Stier, sponsored by the New York Section of IFT, which honors an individual who has demonstrated the pursuit of humanitarian ideals and unselfish dedication to the food industry, academia, students, and/or the general public.

2021

Robert Gravani, Ph.D., CFS, Cornell University

Dr. Robert Gravani received a B.S. in food science from Rutgers University where he was an advisee of Dr. Stier. Further, he received an M.S. and a Ph.D. in food science from Cornell University where he is currently professor emeritus of food science. Dr. Gravani has worked with all sectors of the food system, developing innovative food safety programs for constituents in production agriculture, food processing, food retailing, and foodservice, as well as for regulatory agencies and consumers. He is a past president, past treasurer, and Fellow of IFT and has received several other IFT Achievement Awards. He is also the past president and a Fellow of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP).

2019 AWARD RECIPIENT
Mary Kay Pohlschneider, Ph.D, The Ohio State University

Dr. Mary Kay Pohlschneider is the 2019 recipient of the Elizabeth Fleming Stier Award. Dr. Pohlschneider is a senior lecturer at The Ohio State University in food science and technology, where she teaches Introduction to Food Processing, HACCP, Food & Health Controversies, Caffeine Science, and Chocolate Science. In ten years as a faculty member, she has become known for her passion for the science of foods—notably cookies, ice cream, coffee, and especially chocolate. She is a mentor for the campus-wide Second-year Transformational Experience Program and excels at advising food science undergraduates. She is a tireless student advocate, an effective ambassador for the science of food, and a remarkably pleasant person. Her love for her work and for her students is reflected in her election as 2017 Teacher of the Year.

PAST WINNERS