Our 2025 spring graduating students have been given an opportunity to share with us some of their favorite memories of their time at Ohio State in this special edition newsletter. Many also took the opportunity to give a shoutout to those that supported them, befriended them, and helped make the journey one to remember.
Congratulations to all the students from the Department of Food Science and Technology who have graduated this semester. We are proud of all that you have accomplished and hope that you will stay connected. Come back to visit and be sure to meet up with us as we continue to engage in various professional food science forums around the world. Just remember, you are a #BuckeyeForLife
Be sure to check out the SP25 Graduate Photo Album, too.
Undergraduates:
Sulaiman Alghothani - [Food Business Management]
Rachel Berk - All of my favorite memories have to do with my friends. From making ice-cream, hanging out in Parker's lobby, to going to football games. There are many memories and relationships that I will cherish. [Food Science and Technology]
Arianna Borton – [Food Science and Technology]
Zack Burton – [Food Science and Technology]
Hazel Calis – [Food Science and Technology]
Alicia Cave – My favorite memory at Ohio State was my first week on campus, just experiencing the world in a whole new way for the first time was awesome. [Food Business Management]
Megan Chludzinski – It's hard to pick one memory! Some of the best memories have been from hosting the Food Science Club events with the Eboard. We have had a lot of laughs and have become great friends through the FSC activities. [Food Science and Technology]
Christopher Dible – My favorite memory at OSU has to be the OSU vs Tennessee football game from the playoffs. It was the first football game I had ever been to, and I never knew just how much fun I was missing out on. I must thank the entire FST staff for their support over the years, but I would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Pohlschneider and Jeff Stimmell for introducing me to this industry in high school, I would have never ended up in this industry if it wasn't for them! [Food Science and Technology]
Fuanyi Fobellah – [Food Business Management]
Kritika Gaur – One of my favorite memories at OSU has been forming lifelong friendships, celebrating Indian festivals, and actively participating in various clubs. I'm grateful to my family; despite being miles away, they never stopped supporting me through all the ups and downs of this journey. [Food Science and Technology]
Scott Green – I would like to personally thank Dr. Pohlschneider, Emilia Louy, and my family for being my very important support system throughout my entire time at Ohio State. [Food Business Management]
Isabelle Kocz – My favorite memory at Ohio State was competing at powerlifting nationals for the club team here. I got to push myself at the gym and see the limits could push. I want to shout out my research advisor Dr. Wang for helping me with my project and guidance through my undergraduate time and my parents for supporting me and my future career. [Food Science and Technology]
James Kwon – The best memories I made at this school weren't the parties or club events but the late nights spent in the library at 3 am just goofing off with a few friends till the sun came up. Though nothing organized or special, these memories are the ones that made my 4 years here all the more special. [Food Science and Technology]
Jessica Lau – [Food Business Management]
Malachi List – [Food Science and Technology]
Connor McGowan – [Food Science and Technology]
Mackenzie Milka – [Food Science and Technology]
Kylie Mullins – Planning food science club events, celebrating game days & birthdays with friends, and disappointing numerous professors in lab with constant jokes (thank you all!) are some of my favorite memories from OSU. I’m extremely grateful to the family I found here over the past 4 years for making even the most boring days so memorable & special and I hope to keep those connections strong moving forward! [Food Science and Technology]
Gage Norris – [Food Science and Technology]
Kavya Nuthulapaty – My favorite memory at OSU is hanging out in the Parker lobby between classes and becoming close friends with all my fellow future food scientists. I also enjoyed making ice cream for dairy processing and tasting all the flavors everyone came up with. I want to thank Dr. Rodriguez-Saona for supporting me in my undergraduate research, and my friends and family for helping through this journey! [Food Science and Technology]
Jack Pettit – My favorite memory here at Osu was definitely travelling to Osu games, both home and away! I also loved spending so much time with my friends who I've grown so close with over these four years. here are some photos of me and some people who I am super thankful for! [Food Science and Technology]
Natalie Rash – [Food Science and Technology]
Joshua Reape – [Food Science and Technology]
Matthew Savoy – [Food Business Management]
Amelea Sese – [Food Science and Technology]
Madelin Shaver – Doing environmental swabs to find Pseudomonas spp. in my last semester Food Microbiology Lab in the same processing plant that my first food science lab for Intro to Food Processing took place in, full circle moment! (Shoutout Dr. Pohlschneider for that Food Processing lab and the passion for food science that she shared with us. Shoutout Dr. Yousef for that Food Micro lab and his confidence in us to always push for excellence in the field.) [Food Science and Technology]
Mira Smith – My favorite memories during my time at Ohio State are centered around meeting new people through clubs or extracurriculars and forming so many wonderful relationships along the way. I'm thankful for the time I spent interacting with and learning from everyone across the food science department and would like to give a special thank you to my family and fiancé for supporting me through my college career. [Food Science and Technology]
Sophia Thompson – My favorite memory from my time at Ohio State is when I got to design and make an ice cream flavor with my friends, Amanda, Kylie, and Megan, in Dr. Jimenez’s Dairy Processing class. We had so much fun designing our "Your Redness" ice cream and dressing up in red wigs and outfits to present to the judges. [Food Science and Technology]
Mirabella Valle – While I have made so many happy memories during my time at OSU, my favorites would have to be the opportunities that I was able to get in and out of the classroom. I was able to take fun classes, learn cool things during summer internships, and I also spent a semester in Italy learning about Food, Sustainability, and the Environment. Above all I am grateful to have made so many amazing friends during my four years here! [Food Science and Technology]
Graduate Students:
Cameron Rich – Cam received a master’s degree and was advised by Dr. Luis Rodriguez-Saona.
Joel Borcherding – Joel received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Devin Peterson.
Allison Howell – It feels close to impossible to pick a favorite memory after 9 years at OSU! My involvement with the FoodSURE program has truly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic experience. I’ve appreciated the commitment from graduate students, staff and faculty in FST to creating an environment where students are encouraged to pursue their academic interests and supported in their efforts. I have had the pleasure to meet so many bright students with diverse interests through my role as a graduate coordinator, and I can’t wait to see how they continue to excel in their academic and professional endeavors. Allison Received a PhD and was co-advised by Dr. Nicole Arnold and Dr. Barbara Kowalcyk.
Ashley Li – Ashley received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Rachel Kopec.
Yutong Li – One of my favorite memories at Ohio State was serving as a Teaching Assistant for the Food Fermentation class. I had the opportunity to guide students through hands-on projects where we made sauerkraut, apple cider, yogurt, and summer sausage together. It was incredibly rewarding to see students learn, experiment, and enjoy the process of creating fermented foods. And I also want to thank my lab colleagues and friends for supporting me throughout this journey. LOVE YOU! Yutong received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Hua Wang.
Irene Wang – Irene received a PhD and was advised by Dr. Devin Peterson.
