Elder Receives 2016 Graduate Student Leadership Award

Drew has been actively involved in leadership activities while completing his graduate degree at Penn State. As a senior, Drew served as president of the food science club organizing events that included the department annual tailgate and community outreach events aimed at teaching children about food science. He was involved in the award winning Product Development Team that was one of six finalists in the Dairy Research Institute 2015 New Product Development Competition with Mooofins. The product rights were sold and the Program Support Endowment for Food Science students started with the revenue. Drew led the Penn State Food Science product development team in the Institute of Food Technologist Student Association (IFTSA) Disney Product Development Competition in 2016 where the team was a finalist for the first time department's history.

Drew's leadership skills extend beyond Penn State. He has been active in outreach activities to teach elementary and middle school students about food science at various schools the region. Drew's work experience includes time as a Research and Development intern at Schreiber Foods in Green Bay, WI, where he aided in ingredient replacement and new product formulation of cream cheese to increase product revenue. He has served as a research assistant for several faculty in the Food Science Department as well as served teaching assistant in food chemistry and food engineering.

Drew is a talented student leader with a great future in food science.