Food Protection Trends - November/December 2023 - 521

OUR EXPERIENCES
By the Recipients of the IAFP 2023 Student Travel Scholarship Award
Marianna Arvaniti
Agricultural University
of Athens
Athens, Greece
I am extremely grateful and honored to have received the 2023 Student Travel
Scholarship and have had the opportunity to attend IAFP's Annual Meeting in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. It was a truly inspiring experience, and I would like to sincerely thank
the IAFP Foundation for funding this. I had the pleasure to meet and discuss with food
science professionals from industry, academia, and government, as well as students
from all over the world.
IAFP 2023 had lots of interesting and informative technical sessions and symposia,
which helped broaden my scientific knowledge. Moreover, it was the first time I took
part in the Student PDG Meeting and the Microbial Modeling and Risk Analysis PDG
Meeting, making me realize how valuable these meetings are to network with food
science experts. Attending the Student Luncheon and Student Mixer were perfect
opportunities to interact with other students and learn about their research projects.
Presenting part of my Ph.D. research project in the poster session was also a great
opportunity to share my research and receive helpful feedback. The people I spoke to
and interacted with made me feel welcomed and appreciated.
Through the mentorship program for the travel scholarship recipients, I met Dr. Ian
Jenson, my mentor. Dr. Jenson has worked in the Australian meat industry for 20 years,
and now has his own research and technical consulting business. He was willing to
share his experiences, expertise, and advice with me. He also provided me lots of
information about the IAFP Foundation. Additionally, I was fortunate to be one of the
volunteers in the IAFP Foundation Booth, a really enjoyable experience.
I would like to cordially thank all IAFP Members and supporters for their generous donations. This support made a
huge impact on my professional development, helped me seek new opportunities to reach my full potential, and gave
me the motivation to continue learning and exploring my research field. In all, it was a lifetime experience. I encourage
all students in the field of food science to attend IAFP's Annual Meeting and apply for this travel scholarship. It is a great
opportunity for career growth and global networking. I am really thankful to IAFP for the 2023 Student Travel Scholarship,
and I look forward to attending IAFP 2024 in Long Beach, California.
IAFP's Annual Meeting is always a great experience, but this year's conference was
the first time I attended as a Student Travel Scholarship recipient. It was also my first time
traveling to Canada. Let me share some of the highlights of the conference with you.
First, I got to meet friends and colleagues who I have not seen or talked to in a while.
Catching up and exchanging information with them was great. It was also easier to
approach conference attendees and make new connections as this was my second inperson
conference.
Cyril Nsom Ayuk Etaka
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
Through the travel scholarship, I was assigned Dr. Leon Gorris as my mentor. He
knew so many at the conference and facilitated my interactions with other attendees I
wanted to meet. One of my goals is to work in government when I graduate. I needed
to talk to as many attendees from the government as possible, and Dr. Gorris facilitated
those discussions. He also created an opportunity for me to share some of my work on
food safety practices at food pantries during a session he was coordinating. I am grateful
that I have him as a mentor.
Volunteering at the IAFP Foundation Booth was fun. I participated in raising funds that will
go to sponsoring next year's Student Travel Scholarship recipients - the same funds that
sponsored my scholarship. It was also an opportunity to meet and connect with more people.
Finally, I enjoyed presenting my posters at this year's conference. At every other conference
I have attended (virtually and in-person), I have presented a single poster. However, I
presented two posters this year on the survival and transfer studies I have been running in the lab. I was initially unsure how
presenting two posters would turn out, but I received great feedback from attendees during the poster session.
Overall, I had a great experience. I attended PDGs, poster and technical presentations, monitored sessions, volunteered,
and made a lot of connections. I enjoyed every bit of it. I also loved Toronto; it is a beautiful city. I am glad to be part of the IAFP
community, and I am looking forward to next year's conference in Long Beach, California.
November/December Food Protection Trends 521

Food Protection Trends - November/December 2023

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