Phi Tau Sigma

Phi Tau Sigma (or ΦΤΣ) is an honor society for food science and technology students. The organization was founded in 1953 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst by Gideon E. (Guy) Livingston, a food technology professor. Its purpose is to recognize honor and professional achievements in food science and technology and to enhance the professional membership of food science.

Charter Members

Besides Livingston, the charter members of the honor society were M.P. Baldorf, R.V. Decareau, E. Felicotti, W.D. Powrie, M.A. Steinberg, and D.E. Westcott.

Chapters

There are 39 chapters as of 2007:

• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Rutgers University
• University of Georgia
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Cornell University - Chapter website
• Michigan State University
• University of California, Davis
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Ohio State University
• Purdue University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Columbia University
• Texas A&M University
• Mississippi State University
• Louisiana State University
• Mexico (Universities not listed)
• New York
• Iowa State University
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• University of Rhode Island
• University of Arkansas
• University of Tennessee
• University of Minnesota
• North Carolina State University
• Kansas State University
• Alabama A&M University
• University of Missouri
• University of Maine
• California Polytechnic State University
• University of Idaho
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• University of Florida
• University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
• Escuela Panamericana in Honduras
• Washington State University
• California State University, Fresno
• Texas Tech University

Involvement with the Institute of Food Technologists

Phi Tau Sigma is involved in with the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in the following areas:

• Since the 1984 IFT Annual Meeting, it presents the Carl R. Fellers Award in honor to those who have brought honor and recognition to food science and technology through achievements in areas other than research, development, education, and technology transfer. The award is named for Carl R. Fellers, a food science professor who chaired the food technology department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst when the first Phi Tau Sigma chapter was founded in 1953.
• At the end of every IFT Annual Meeting, a breakfast is held where the award winners for the undergraduate research paper competition, graduate research paper competition, and the division graduate student winners are presented in cooperation with the IFT Student Association.

Leadership

Its current president (2006-7) is Daryl B. Lund of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and it current executive secretary is Juan Silva of Mississippi State. Phi Tau Sigma also has an executive council made up of six members-at-large.

References

• Silva, Juan (Phi Tau Sigma Executive Secretary). "Re: Permission to use Phi Tau Sigma logo in Wikipedia." E-mail to Chris Miller. 19 Oct. 2006, 23 Oct. 2006.
• Francis, F.J. (1993). Seventy-Five Years of Food Science (1918-1993) at the University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts-Amherst Department of Food Science.

External links

Food portal

• Official website
• List of past winners - Official site