Meet Our Ambassadors
Ambassadors
The Department of Food Science Ambassadors are dedicated student leaders who represent the department in recruiting prospective students, educating peers, and networking with professionals.
Food Science Ambassadors are student volunteers who represent the department in a variety of ways:
- Lead campus tours for parents, visitors, and prospective students.
- Give presentations about careers in agriculture and college life. Represent the Department of Food Science at information fairs.
- Work in coordination with Student Outreach to raise awareness of Food Science as a STEM-based program, on-campus and in the local and surrounding communities.
Katelyn Brockman
Hello! My name is Katelyn Brockman, and I am a Senior in the Food Science program! I am from the town of Pulaski, Wisconsin, which is close to Green Bay, and my favorite food is salmon. My love for food science started when I was in high school. I was interested in how food products were made as well as dairy. My dad works for a cheese company, so I was able to get a close-up of how cheese is manufactured. Which only aided in my growing interest for food science! Because I love dairy, specifically cheese, I decided that my focus in food science will be dairy! Currently, I am working at the Center of Dairy Research here in Madison and am working as their food safety student help, and I plan to continue this job throughout the summer! Currently, I am involved in the Food Science Club as well as the Food Science Ambassadors and plan to become more involved in the club and Slow Foods.
Contact: kebrockman@wisc.edu
Calvin Slaughter
My name is Calvin Slaughter. I am a Senior in the food science program, and I am from right here in Madison. My favorite food is tortellini with pesto cream sauce, especially if I have the time to make homemade ricotta for the filling. There were a lot of majors I was interested in when I applied to colleges. Still, I decided on food science because it provided a unique combination of my passion for cuisine and the sciences. Since then, I have never questioned that decision. There are a seemingly endless number of opportunities this program provides. A couple of experiences that I have especially enjoyed have been working at the campus meat science laboratory and participating in product development competitions with the food science club. There is never a bland moment in this major!
Contact: cslaughter@wisc.edu
Connor Mills
Hello! My name is Connor Mills, and I am a Junior from Racine, WI, in the Food Science program. My favorite food is definitely sushi. Since I am a freshman, I am very new to this program and have been trying to get as involved as I can. I am currently in the Food Science Club as well as an ambassador for Food Science. My decision to come to Madison for Food Science was easy since this major provides a great deal of interesting jobs and internships. I first learned about Food Science through an alumni who would always bring back leftover candy from her job, and I thought that was really cool. As I began to explore Food Science and what it has to offer, I grew very interested in it and decided it was the right fit for me.
Contact: ctmills@wisc.edu
Kenneth Patten
Greetings! My name is Kenneth Patten and I am a Sophomore in the Food Science Program. I am originally from Elm Grove, Wisconsin, and my favorite food is Monte Cristo Sandwiches. I came to UW because of the excellent Food Science program offered here. Food Science is my dedicated major because I love how it blends the sciences with my unyielding passion for cuisine and creating delicious food products. The program is full of endless opportunities to grow and develop your professional skills at any level while also retaining a very welcoming sense of community. My greatest experiences so far have been joining a PD team and competing in a nationwide product development competition along with the free food at every Food Science Club meeting. Currently I am an executive board member of the Food Science Club and am constantly trying to get more involved within the program. There is always something fun going on here in Babcock Hall!
Contact: ktpatten2@wisc.edu
Elsie Hyppa
Hi! My name is Elsie Hyppa, and I’m a Sophomore in the Food Science program. I grew up in a small town in Northern Minnesota. My favorite food is definitely sushi, with mashed potatoes and gravy coming in as a close second. Some of my favorite hobbies include hiking, road tripping, and cooking/trying new foods. I am the current chair of Food Systems for the Food Science Club and am also an ambassador for the program. I plan on going into a career in product development, so I’m also looking forward to joining a product development team on campus. I’ve always had a love for food and the chemistry behind cooking and baking, so exploring the realm of food science felt like a natural fit. I also want to help make food more accessible and sustainable through my career. The food science program opens the door for so many opportunities that can help you to explore different aspects of food science, such as research, lab experience, internships, product development, working in the dairy plant and so much more. I look forward to delving into the world of Food Science throughout my next few years here!
Contact: hyppa@wisc.edu
Meet Our Alums
Meet Our Alums
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Food Science Alumni are growing the future. 100% of Food Science respondents agree/strongly agree that UW-Madison prepared them for their next step in their career path (First Destination Survey for 2019-20).
Lauren Brey
Food Science BS ’13
Managing Director of Farmers for Sustainable Food
Ellen Morgan
Food Science BS ”95 & MS ’97
Research and Development Director at Kerry, a Taste & Nutrition Company
Morgan Buser
Food Science BS ’17
Quality Systems Supervisor at Lindt Chocolate
Ben Sieger
Food Science BS ’17
Product Developer at Nature’s Fynd, a food tech company that develops vegan meats and dairy alternatives
Abbey Thiel
Food Science BS ’14 & PhD ’20
Postdoctoral researcher in the Food Quality and Design Group at Wageningen University in The Netherlands