Student opportunities abound in food science

Heather Struchen ’12 never heard of food science until she took a nutrition course. But the class fascinated her because it dealt with the science behind what we eat.

Following up on that fascination, she discovered opportunities in food research and development and decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in food science in the Texas A&M Department of Food Science and Technology.  

That degree led to her current position, not in research but in one of the many other career opportunities related to food science – sales.  

Technical food science skills improve customer service

After graduating, Struchen took a position as a quality assurance manager at a food packaging plant, but it was not what she envisioned for a career. It offered valuable experience, but it was a year later when the doors opened with the company she originally wanted to join.

The vice president at Parker Food Group, which specializes in value-added ingredients and products for baked goods, ice creams, snacks and candies, reached out to her about an opening in technical sales.

Struchen said sales represented a different direction in her career, but one of the reasons she was offered the position was the company valued her background with the technical aspects of the industry. After a successful interview, she joined the company and is now its national account manager. 

Collaborating with various research and development teams across her accounts requires a deep understanding of technical concepts in the nutrition field, Struchen said, and the coursework at Texas A&M went far in equipping her with that knowledge.

“The technical foundation I developed in my food science classes greatly enhanced my ability to communicate effectively and address specific customer needs,” she said. “It’s important that I can speak with customers in terms of the use of certain ingredients, how to enhance flavors and get product consistency as well as possible recipe changes and other aspects of product development or improvement.”

Working in sales also requires her to wear many different hats, including relationship-builder, project manager, solutions provider, and liaison between food companies and internal teams to ensure project needs are met effectively, Struchen said.

“All of the people in sales here at Parker Foods have a technical background because that is essential for adequately communicating with our clients and fully understanding their needs,” she said.

Struchen’s time at Texas A&M

Struchen said she has positive memories about her food science classes, particularly the fact they were small and collaborative, and the professors were all passionate about the subjects they taught.

“Drs. (Joseph) Awika and (Matt) Taylor, as well as Dr. Stephen Talcott and Dr. Susanne Talcott in the Department of Food Science and Technology, each brought their own unique and engaging approach to their classes,” she said. “You could tell they were passionate about the subjects they taught, which, in turn, made the classes much more enjoyable.”

Being involved in the university’s freshman Fish Camp and other campus activities fostered a strong sense of community and made her college experience memorable, Struchen said.

“I also cherished the time spent living with some of my closest friends and the comradery and experiences we shared during that period,” she said. “These were unique to that time in my life and are truly irreplaceable”

Finding her niche in food science  

Struchen said while she never anticipated ending up in sales, it has been rewarding and has provided her with a diverse skill set to expand on what she learned at Texas A&M. The combination will continue to benefit her as she progresses in her career.

“You need to learn to appreciate every part of your journey,” she said. “Every experience, whether it is positive or challenging, contributes to your growth. Approach each opportunity with an open mind and view every outcome as a valuable lesson.”