Student Life
Undergraduate Program Extracurriculars
As a Food Science student, you will be part of a diverse and supportive community, meeting others to form long-lasting friendships and learn from each other. In addition, food science students’ clubs and extracurricular activities incorporate professional and social interests. Whether joining the Food Science Club or participating in a Product Development team, our department has many ways for students to become involved.
Food Science Club
The Food Science Club is a learning community whose mission is “to bring together graduate and undergraduate students who share a common interest in Food Science and to also provide professional, educational, and social opportunities to its members.”
Dairy Products Judging Team
Students learn the fundamentals of dairy products sensory evaluation while competing with students from other universities.
Here are some additional extracurriculars that our students enjoy.
College Bowl
The College Bowl Competition is a team trivia competition for undergraduate and graduate students hosted annually by the IFT Student Association. The questions cover a variety of food science topics, ranging from the pH of milk (it’s about 6.8) to the name of confections that contain gelatin (those are called gummies) to the first four flavors of Jell-O (raspberry, strawberry, lemon, and orange). A regional competition is held in the spring, and the winner of each region competes in the national competition at the IFT FIRST conference.
The College Bowl is a great way to meet other trivia fans of all grade levels and experiences, learn about food science in a fun way, and travel to nearby universities. Students can join the College Bowl team anytime by contacting a food science club officer and can learn more about the competition on the IFTSA Website.
Product Development Teams
The Product Development Team (PDT) is a group of students that join up to compete in product development competitions hosted by various companies and organizations. Students are tasked with making a new product to fit certain criteria that vary by a prompt. They can access club funds and the Babcock Food Applications Lab to create these products. Undergraduate students of all years will join together to innovate new products and compete against food science programs at other universities!
Students participating in PDT learn how to lead their products, research, and experimentation. Examples include creating manufacturing flow charts and nutritional labels and conducting shelf life studies. Additionally, PDT helps build connections with other food science members like the Babcock faculty, future classmates, upper classmates, and industry professionals/companies. Finally, it allows students to be creative and innovative in their projects!
Madison Highlights
Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, sits on an isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona with lakes Wingra, Kegonsa, and Waubesa in the surrounding area. The original settlers from the Ho-Chunk nation called the area “Taychopera” (Ta-ko-per-ah) which means “land of the four lakes.” Each season in Wisconsin is a host to wonderous events, from summer farmers market to winter kites on ice.
What We’ve Been Up To
Meet Connor Mills, a Senior Food Science major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison! Connor shares a look into his world through lectures, labs, and extracurriculars! #uwmadison #foodscience #innovation
Meet Connor Mills, a Senior Food Science major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison! Connor shares a look into his world through lectures, labs, and extracurriculars! #uwmadison #foodscience #innovation
Meet one of our Food Science Ambassadors, Elsie Hyppa! She chose the Food Science undergraduate degree because the coursework and labs have direct applications in the real world, making content easier to understand. #gobadgers #foodscience #foodscientist #uwmadison
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@badgerfoodsciclub
Meet one of our Food Science Ambassadors, Elsie Hyppa! She chose the Food Science undergraduate degree because the coursework and labs have direct applications in the real world, making content easier to understand. #gobadgers #foodscience #foodscientist #uwmadison
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@badgerfoodsciclub
Meet one of our alumni who is changing the future, Lexi Florac! Currently, Lexi is working in the Mars Wrigley gum and mint portfolio where she recently spearheaded the launch of a new Blackberry Vanilla flavor of RESPAWN Gum. Keep up the great work Lexi! On Wiscosin!
#foodscience #uwmadison #marswrigley
Meet one of our alumni who is changing the future, Lexi Florac! Currently, Lexi is working in the Mars Wrigley gum and mint portfolio where she recently spearheaded the launch of a new Blackberry Vanilla flavor of RESPAWN Gum. Keep up the great work Lexi! On Wiscosin!
#foodscience #uwmadison #marswrigley
Instagram Caption
A sneak peek into Dr. Girard’s Protein Chemistry Lab!
Check out how our undergrad researchers are making waves in the world of protein science! From experimenting with proteins to discovering new things, the lab is where science comes to life.
#ProteinChemistry #LabLife #UndergradResearch #ScienceInAction #STEMExploration
Instagram Caption
A sneak peek into Dr. Girard’s Protein Chemistry Lab!
Check out how our undergrad researchers are making waves in the world of protein science! From experimenting with proteins to discovering new things, the lab is where science comes to life.
#ProteinChemistry #LabLife #UndergradResearch #ScienceInAction #STEMExploration
Join the Food Science Club`s Chocolate Dipping Social in the Pilot Plant of Babcock Hall! We look forward to seeing you there~
#chocolate #foodscience #uwmadison #social
Join the Food Science Club`s Chocolate Dipping Social in the Pilot Plant of Babcock Hall! We look forward to seeing you there~
#chocolate #foodscience #uwmadison #social
Extending the Squeak? How cheesy is that! Dr. Rani Govindasamy-Lucey is researching how to prolong the freshness of cheese curds! According to Dr. Govindasamy-Lucey, the squeakiness is lost within 4 to 5 days after it is made.
#cheese #cheesecurds #wisconsin #uwmadison #cdr #centerfordairyresearch #foodscience
Read more at https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2025/01/16/extending-the-squeak-reimagining-the-cheese-curd/
Extending the Squeak? How cheesy is that! Dr. Rani Govindasamy-Lucey is researching how to prolong the freshness of cheese curds! According to Dr. Govindasamy-Lucey, the squeakiness is lost within 4 to 5 days after it is made.
#cheese #cheesecurds #wisconsin #uwmadison #cdr #centerfordairyresearch #foodscience
Read more at https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2025/01/16/extending-the-squeak-reimagining-the-cheese-curd/
We`re excited to announce that Vickie Kloeris, a food scientist who worked at NASA will be speaking at the Food Science Graduate Seminar on February 10, from 12-1pm. Don`t miss this opportunity to listen to Vickie and ask her any food science question!
#foodscience #nasa
We`re excited to announce that Vickie Kloeris, a food scientist who worked at NASA will be speaking at the Food Science Graduate Seminar on February 10, from 12-1pm. Don`t miss this opportunity to listen to Vickie and ask her any food science question!
#foodscience #nasa
Follow Aly Farrar, a sophomore Food Science major for a behind-the-scenes look at a day in her life at UW-Madison! From lab experiments to food innovation, see what makes studying food science so exciting!
#uwmadison #foodscience #innovation
Follow Aly Farrar, a sophomore Food Science major for a behind-the-scenes look at a day in her life at UW-Madison! From lab experiments to food innovation, see what makes studying food science so exciting!
#uwmadison #foodscience #innovation
Happy Spring Semester! While it doesn`t feel like spring, just know that bees always know how to 𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦 a good time. This semester will be un-𝘣𝘦𝘦-𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧-able!
#uwmadison #foodscience #spring #puns
Happy Spring Semester! While it doesn`t feel like spring, just know that bees always know how to 𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦 a good time. This semester will be un-𝘣𝘦𝘦-𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧-able!
#uwmadison #foodscience #spring #puns