UMaine to Host North Atlantic Food Science College Bowl
Contact: Nick Houtman at (207) 581-3777
ORONO– Food will be on the minds of college students attending a competition at the University of Maine on April 17, but this Jeopardy style event is no pie eating contest. The North Atlantic Area Food Science College Bowl, sponsored by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), will test students’ knowledge of topics ranging from microbiology and food chemistry to sensory evaluation and food product engineering. The public is welcome to watch the competition.
Participating teams consist of two graduate and two undergraduate students and include UMaine, Cornell, University of Delaware, Rutgers University, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Penn State. The winning team will compete in a national IFT competition in Las Vegas, Nevada in July.
On April 16, activities will get underway at UMaine with a banquet for participants and coaches at the Buchanan Alumni House. Competition begins at 1:30 p.m. April 17 in room 100 of the Donald P. Corbett Business Building. Two teams at a time will square off in a series of opening rounds.
As in the popular TV game show, Jeopardy, team members will sound a buzzer when they know the answer to a question. Teams with the most points move to the next round.
Scientists and researchers in the food industry will serve as judges for the competition. Business sponsors include World Harbors, Inc.; Bake-n-Joy, Inc.; Hans Kissle; Old Mother Hubbard; the Northeast Section of the Institute of Food Technologists; and a local favorite, The Store Ampersand in Orono.
“For many of these students, it will be their first look and impression of UMaine,” says Caitlin Jamison, a UMaine undergraduate and team member from Hampden. “Some students will look around and may consider UMaine as a place to attend graduate school.” Jamison entered UMaine to study microbiology and was attracted by the diversity and applications in food science.
The UMaine team consists of Jamison, Bethany Bernier, Garland, Maine; Kristi Crowe, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mark Correy, Wilton, New Hampshire; Sarah Reiner, Lompoc, California; and Natasha D’Souza, India. They are also members of the Food Science Club whose advisor is associate professor and team coach Denise Skonberg.