Key Takeaways
- The Institute of Food Technologists will honor new IFT Fellows and Achievement Award recipients at IFT FIRST Annual Event on July 12.
- IFT Fellows is the organization’s highest honor, recognizing significant contributions to food science, with a limit of ten new selections annually.
- Achievement Award winners receive up to $5,000 and a crystal award, acknowledging their influence in the food science community.
IFT FIRST Annual Event and Ceremony
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) will recognize the new Class of IFT Fellows and Achievement Award recipients at the IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo on July 12, 2026. Scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. CT at McCormick Place in Chicago, this event will celebrate leaders and innovators who have significantly impacted the global food system.
The IFT Fellows program, initiated in 1970, distinguishes individuals for their substantial contributions to food science and IFT. Each year, a maximum of ten Fellows are elected, evaluated based on their leadership, service, and advancements in food science. To date, the IFT has more than 700 Fellows.
Achievement Awards are highly regarded within the food science community. Each winner receives a crystal award and up to a $5,000 honorarium. Notably, “We are honored to recognize this year’s IFT Fellows and Achievement Award recipients,” stated IFT CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean. The event aims to unite the food science community in recognition of these influential figures committed to addressing major food challenges.
### 2026 IFT Fellows
The following individuals will be inducted as IFT Fellows:
– Valente Alvarez, PhD, Ohio State University
– Adelia Bovell-Benjamin, PhD, Tuskegee University
– Roman Buckow, PhD, La Trobe University
– Sarah Kirkmeyer, PhD, MBA, The Kroger Company
– Xiaonan Lu, PhD, McGill University
– Olive Yao Li, PhD, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
– Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, PhD, South Dakota State University
– Cristina Sabliov, PhD, Louisiana State University
– Justin Shimek, PhD, Mattson & Co Inc.
– Marcia Walker, PhD, Oregon State University
### 2026 Achievement Award Recipients
Notable 2026 Achievement Award recipients include:
– Jianping Wu, PhD, University of Alberta – Distinguished Career Award
– David Julian McClements, PhD, University of Massachusetts – Distinguished Lipid and Flavor Science Award
– Shyam Sablani, PhD, Washington State University – Food Packaging Award
– Tamanna Ramesh, MS, MBA, The Coca-Cola Company – Award in honor of George Washington Carver
– Rui Hai Liu, PhD, Cornell University – Lifetime Achievement Award
– Abigail Snyder, PhD, Cornell University – Outstanding Young Scientist Award
The event reflects IFT’s commitment to advancing food science and highlights the contributions of its members in shaping sustainable and innovative food solutions. For more information, visit ift.org.
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