Food Protection Trends - November/December 2021 - 611

Our Experiences (continued)
It was a huge honor to attend IAFP 2021 this year as a Student Travel Scholarship recipient.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, travel was uncertain until the end moment, and the organizing
team left no stone unturned about health and safety protocols at the conference without compromising
the best IAFP experience possible.
I have attended IAFP's Annual Meetings since I was a Master's student and ever since I
have been in awe of how welcoming this conference is and how it felt like one big food safety
family. But this year was very meaningful to me, as I attended the conference as a Student Travel
Scholarship recipient in the final year of my Ph.D. studies. The exposure and recognition that
IAFP gave us as Travel Scholarship recipients were unmatched. I got the opportunity to meet
the rest of the Student Travel Scholarship recipients, share our research and extension works,
present my research on safety of pecans at a technical session, learn about emerging topics
in food safety and most importantly, network. One of the best parts about this year's meeting
for me was meeting my assigned mentor during the conference, Dr. Linda Harris, whose works
on safety of low-water activity foods I've been following for many years. Dr. Harris helped me
navigate through the conference, shared her inspirational career journey, and immensely helped
me in networking with professionals working in safety of low-water activity foods. I am extremely
grateful to IAFP for this opportunity and to Dr. Harris for her kind words and generous help.
In addition to these experiences, this meeting has also given us an opportunity to hone our
food safety and leadership skills through involvement in PDGs, and representing the Student PDG as one of the board members
this year was exceptionally rewarding. I've made some life-long friendships that I will cherish forever. The cherry on the top to
these experiences was being recognized during the Awards Banquet as the first place winner in the Developing Scientist Competition
in the Technical division for my research, which still feels surreal.
All the experiences I've gained and connections I've made at IAFP 2021 are vital for me as I embark on my post-graduation
journey soon, and I hope to give back to the community that has given me unparalleled opportunities. I am grateful to the IAFP
Foundation, Selection Committee, and to the wonderful IAFP staff for this opportunity and organizing an amazing conference.
Karuna Kharel
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
It was a wonderful experience to attend IAFP 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. I would like to thank
Minji Kim
University of Massachusetts
- Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts
the IAFP Foundation for allowing me the privilege of attending the meeting as a Student Travel
Scholarship recipient. I'd especially like to thank Susan Smith, Tamara Ford, and the entire
IAFP staff for helping us to be able to attend the Annual Meeting, and my current academic
advisor, Dr. Matthew Moore, for his support and the opportunity to join this amazing group.
In theory, it was the second time that I attended an IAFP Annual Meeting, but due to the
pandemic, this year was the first time I attended in person. Everything feels different somehow
when I see people in person with whom I've only met online. During the meeting, I felt how IAFP
is open to everyone in the food safety area and warmly welcomed people who were new to it.
This environment helped me to get involved and participate in the meeting easily.
Informative symposia and sessions taught me a lot and broadened my perspective on my
research. I was so excited when I met people like myself conducting research on pathogen
detection sensor or nanopore study. We shared a lot of information and learned from each other.
These conversations were mainly conducted during the poster presentation, and I was able to
think about the way my research would go through practical advice from many people.
Attending the Annual Meeting not only gave me the opportunities for expanding my academic
network but also provided me a way to make friends. There were several social events
such as the Welcome Reception, Student Luncheon, and Student Mixer where I could meet
people from various regions, and talk about a lot of things other than science. I really enjoyed
this year's Annual Meeting, and look forward to IAFP 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Food Protection Trends - November/December 2021

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