ISBT 2017 Scholarship Recipients

The International Society of Beverage Technologist is pleased to announce the Scholarship winners for 2018.

In addition to announcing the ISBT scholars for 2018, we are pleased to say that one winner, a former Scholar, Zen Kramer with Erin Hankel of Talking Rain Beverage Company, will host the New to the Industry Luncheon on Monday of BevTech. If you are attending BevTech, please take a moment to stop by and say hello.

Eric Brunk

Eric is a senior in the school of Packaging at Michigan State.

My name is Eric Bunk, and I am currently a senior in the School of Packaging here at Michigan State. I will be graduating this semester; however, I will be continuing my education by pursuing a Masters in Packaging as well (also at MSU!). Previously, I have participated in two co-op programs — the first being with PepsiCo in the Chicago area. While at PepsiCo, I was part of their Discovery and Applications team and had the opportunity to work on non-carbonated beverage brands such as Gatorade, Tropicana, and Naked Juice. This co-op really helped me become familiar with a variety of beverage processes/filling operations, and the packaging requirements that go along with that. I was actually able to visit several plants and see first-hand how these operations take place. I specifically took part in a project that was introducing a new technology in Gatorade bottles to alleviate the vacuum caused by hot-filling, and I led a light-weighting initiative for a new single serve concentrate that is hot-filled into PET pods. My second co-op was with Unilever in Trumbull, CT. At Unilever, I worked on the Skin Cleaning team and worked primarily with body wash products.

Jacalyn Barry

Jacalyn is a sophomore at the Clemson School of Packaging with a 3.25 GPA.

I would like to start off by thanking you for the ISBT scholarship in 2016, as well as, the opportunity to apply for the 2017-2018 academic year. I was able to use the scholarship to continue my education and expand my knowledge of the packaging industry. I have been involved in Creative Inquires on campus, I represented Clemson Packaging Science at Pack Expo and I have experienced some hands-on lab testing with different materials. This past year was challenging and fulfilling, taking 18 credit hours each semester. I maintained my Dean's list status and will be participating in Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honors Organization this fall. My favorite subjects continue to be both Chemistry and Physics.

I am respectfully requesting consideration for the ISBT Scholarship for 2017 I anticipate co-op'ing next fall. I intend to graduate in May 2019, where I plan to pursue a career in the beverage-packaging field. Once again, thank you for your past support and future consideration. Please feel free to contact me at any time.

Jenna Miller

My name is Jenna Miller. I am a senior pursing a degree in Food Science as well as a minor in Pet Food Processing. I am getting the minor because of my love for my pets and animals in general. It allows me to include some animal science classes into my curriculum while still overlapping heavily with what I learn in my major classes.

Outside of research I am involved in the Food Science department through the Envoy program which hosts prospective students and gives them a student perspective of the program as well as life at Purdue. I am also serving as the secretary of the Food Science club, and am looking forward to planning events for the club throughout the upcoming school year. I am involved in my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, as the Recruitment Foods Chair, meaning I am the head of a kitchen crew that organizes and prepares the snacks given out to hundreds of girls during formal recruitment.

My undergraduate research is in a laboratory that focuses on water-solid interactions in foods. My research specifically focuses on the the two most common synthetic forms of vitamin B1, thiamine mononitrate and thiamine chloride hydrochloride. These synthetic thiamine salt forms are commonly added to food and beverage products to both replace the vitamins lost in processing as well as to fortify food and beverages with additional thiamine content. However, thiamine is one of the most heat unstable vitamins. It is often destroyed during food processing and, in addition to heat, is also sensitive to alkali, oxygen, radiation, sulfites, and its food matrix. While loss of vitamin activity on degradation is obviously of concern, thiamine degradation also causes a major sensory impact with degradation products contributing potent odors and off-flavors to the food products and beverages in which they are contained. It is therefore very relevant to study the stability of thiamine, especially concerning storage conditions and its food or beverage matrix.

---

---