Expert Details
Ingredients, Nutraceuticals, IP, Regulatory Procedures, Expert Witness, Competitive Intelligence
ID: 722353
Illinois, USA
Expert assisted with the technical design of the first pasta extrusion hyper plant in the U.S. and designed and led the Pasta Technology Forum – an information-based technical service and education program valued for more than 10 years by customers for technical troubleshooting and new product idea generation.
In addition to authoring one of the first patents for all-natural flavored pasta she helped design the manufacturing facility for a start-up. The company was acquired profitably within 5 years.
Expert helped start two successful entries in the new age beverage category; one company is currently under review for acquisition by a world leader in the beverage industry.
Expert optimized cookie dough production for ice cream and assisted manufacturers of ice cream and other temperature-sensitive food products with optimizing storage and distributor alliances.
Expert helped coordinate the Childhood Obesity/Healthy Weight Initiative for American Dietetic Association, Center for Disease Control, USDA Center for Children's Research (Baylor Medical, TX), Center for Weight & Health (UC Berkeley) and American Pediatric Association with federal and corporate sponsorships.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1986 | Degree: PhD | Subject: Cereal Chemistry & Technology | Institution: North Dakota State University |
| Year: 1982 | Degree: MS | Subject: Food & Nutrition | Institution: North Dakota State University |
| Year: 1978 | Degree: M.Sc. | Subject: Organic Chemistry | Institution: Bangalore University |
| Year: 1976 | Degree: B.Sc. | Subject: Physics, Chemistry, Biology | Institution: St. Joseph's College of Arts & Science |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2000 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Principal | Department: R&D & Strategy |
Responsibilities: |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1997 to 2000 | Employer: ACNielsen | Title: Vice President | Department: Enterprise Wide Change Management |
Responsibilities:Implemented business process reengineering and business performance enhancement in New Product Development and Client Service departments on the global front. |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1995 to 1997 | Employer: Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc | Title: Head | Department: Research & Innovation |
Responsibilities:Led new product and technology development. Her technology and development contributions drove the success of products including Phish Food, Cherry Garcia and Brownie Bars. |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1992 to 1995 | Employer: Continental Baking Company | Title: Project Leader | Department: Research & Development |
Responsibilities:Responsible for the commercialization of technical patents into new products and businesses. |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1992 to 1993 | Employer: Grand Metropolitan Food Sector | Title: Sr. Scientist | Department: Strategic Technology Development |
Responsibilities:(Primarily) responsible for developing and implementing shelf-life extension technologies for baked goods, texture enhancing technologies for pasta products and implementing the patent she developed for non-invasive aging of wheat and wheat flour. |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1987 to 1992 | Employer: Kansas State University | Title: Post Doctoral Fellow & Research Associate | Department: Grain Science & Industry |
Responsibilities:Developed patentable technologies for cereal based food and food ingredients; taught graduate and undergraduate course and concurrently helped start two profitable businesses. |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1986 to 1987 | Employer: North Dakota State University | Title: Associate Professor | Department: Food Science & Nutrition |
Responsibilities:Taught graduate and undergraduate classes in Food Science and Technology; garnered funding for research. |
|||
Government Experience
| Years | Agency | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1986 to Present | Agency: FAO / UNDP | Role: Collaborator | Description: Assisted in the development of extruded products for enhancing the palatability of broken rice for Sri Lanka. |
| Years: 1988 to 1992 | Agency: USDA | Role: Collaborator | Description: Development of micrography technologies for the indirect detection of wheat aging. |
International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: 1996 to 1996 | Country / Region: Japan | Summary: Helped investigate Japanese preference for frozen dairy and baked products and helped launch Ben & Jerry's ice cream in Japan. |
| Years: 1995 to 1996 | Country / Region: Benelux | Summary: Over a year period - Assisted a frozen food company with a food litigation case in France and helped dissolve the case. Provided technical support for the launch of retail ventures for Ben & Jerry's in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. |
| Years: 2002 to 2002 | Country / Region: Europe | Summary: Assisted food ingredient manufacturer with technology strategy development for advancing their business in North America. |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| • American Association of University Women, Mentor • American Association of Cereal Chemists, Past committee member • American Chemical Society, Events Chair • American Women in Science, Mentor • Chaordic Commons, Member – Board of Trustees • Institute of Food Technologists • International Association of Culinary Historians • Food Marketing Institute • Milling & Baking Association • National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association • Natural Products Association • Natural Products Industry Center • Product Development & Management Association, Events Chair • Sigma Xi • Snack Food Association • Member of the Chaordic Commons Council of Trustees (www.chaordic.org) • (undisclosed) member of The Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| Certified Project Management Professional Certified New Product Developer and Manager |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| • Served on the Founding Board of Directors of the federally funded Center for Excellence in Food Science in Vermont • Adjunct Professor at the University of Vermont • (undisclosed position) on the Scientific Advisory Committee at Whole Earth Sweetener Company • Helped coordinate the Childhood Obesity/Healthy Weight Initiative for the American Dietetic Association with federal and corporate sponsorships • (undisclosed position) at Food Processing and Wellness Foods magazines |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Expert has written several patents, co-authored chapters in several technical monographs, and has authored several entries in “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food & Drink in America.” and “The Oxford Companion to American Food & Drink.” |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Expert assists food industry litigations including patent infringements and insurance defense cases involving product recalls with industry expertise and consumer insights. In addition to providing expert witness and trial testimonial assistance she helps with FDA / FTC compliance matters including GRAS affirmation for new ingredients. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Expert designed and led an industry technology forum – an information-based technical service and education program valued for more than 10 years by customers for technical troubleshooting and new product idea generation. Expert teaches new product development and food science and technology courses to non-traditional students enrolled in the University of Vermont undergraduate program. Expert also conducts in-house and on-site training in pasta and dough testing and teaches basic food science, baking, ice cream and pasta extrusion courses. |
| Vendor Selection |
|---|
| Expert routinely develops Request for Proposals for her clients and helps them select optimized outsourced talents for projects ranging from membership survey to customized quality assurance, new product and technology development. Expert also helps clients manage contract research and clinical trials for new ingredients products. |
| Marketing Experience |
|---|
| Expert is often invited to lead new product ideation, concept development and strategy development sessions for several international corporations including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Coca Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, McDonald's, Novartis, Pizza Hut, SmithKline Beecham, and Unilever – in the US and overseas. She is recognized for her expertise in understanding consumer behavior and translating market transaction data into consumer trends and insights. Expert routinely provides the investment community with industry perspectives, category overviews, and competitive intelligence reports. |
| Other Relevant Experience |
|---|
| Expert is a certified Project Management and New Product Development and Management professional. Author of several processing patents, she drove the development and successful commercialization of more than 80 food and beverage products still on the market today. She assists Fortune 500 R&D and marketing divisions with technical and competitive intelligence. Expert serves as the Agri/Food Technology Expert on a committee of global partnerships. She is retained by client companies to develop and commercialize novel ingredient formulations and intellectual property. |