Barry Holtz and Larry Beuchat Honored as 2002 Outstanding Alumni

Barry Holtz, of Vacaville, CA, is Senior V.P. of Biopharmaceuticals for Large Scale Biology Corp. He received his doctorate in food science, with a minor in biochemistry, from Penn State in 1972.

Holtz became an internationally renowned scientist early in his career in two distinct areas: fungal lipid metabolism and marine biochemistry. Subsequently, he built on this strong background in basic science to become a highly productive and innovative industrial researcher, and an entrepreneur in agricultural biotechnology business development. He has been awarded 19 United States patents during his career.

In his current position, he has been instrumental in the development of a new paradigm for the production of highly specific and effective new pharmaceuticals from field-grown tobacco plants that show great promise to provide the only practical treatment of numerous important diseases.

He holds memberships in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Parenteral Drug Association, International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering, and Institute of Food Technologists.

Larry Beuchat is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Georgia. He received his bachelor's degree in horticulture from Penn State in 1965, and went on to receive his master's and doctorate in food science from Michigan State University.

He is a preeminent food scientist with international acclaim. He is a world authority for his research related to the microbiology of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes; methodology for detection of yeasts, molds, and pathogenic bacteria; metabolic injury of bacteria and fungi; relationships of water activity to microbial growth; antimicrobial compounds in foods; fermented foods; thermal resistance of mold ascospores; and food preservatives.

Beuchat has an outstanding record of service to professional societies and the scientific community. He currently sits on the advisory panel of the National Food Processors Association, the Food and Nutrition Board and the Food Forum of the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods.