Meat + Poultry - December 2005 - 34

2006

Class of

From
the field
Education and
employment matters

eff Sindelar is working on his doctorate in Iowa State Univ.'s animal
science department. He also has
attended the Univ. of Nebraska, where
he earned a bachelor's in animal science
and Michigan State Univ., where he
earned a master's in animal science. With
plans of graduating in the coming year,
Sindelar has been approached by about
five companies interested in recruiting
him. Recruiters representing processing
equipment manufacturers have come to
him discussing positions in R&D, food
safety, technical service and technical
sales. Representatives offering jobs with
ingredient companies have offered the

Q&A

with a

Name: Jon Trelfa
Title: Quality Assurance Manager (since
2000), Kayem Foods, Inc., Chelsea, Mass.,
the largest natural casing hot dog processor in New England.
Education: Bachelor's in organismal
biology from Michigan State Univ., East
Lansing, and master's in business administration from the Univ. of Phoenix, Burlington, Mass.
My advanced education taught me:
That is more important to know where information comes from than it is to have
I

MEAT&POULTRY

December 2005

most opportunities.
Having attended schools known for
their excellent programs in food science and processed meats, Sindelar
says he has been exposed to nearly all
facets of the processing industry domestically and internationally. He says
his background is leading him toward
a career in teaching and the technical
side of processed meats.
Given the education he's attained three
levels of his training, Sindelar says he's
confident about his prospects upon graduation. "I will have absolutely no problem getting a job," he says, adding that it
will likely be a matter of choosing which
information memorized. I also learned a
great deal about analytical methodology
and team-based business.

Q.A. manager

By Joel Crews
jcrews@sosland.com

Looking back what would you have
changed about your educational
training: I would have concentrated
on business earlier in my education, so I
could have entered management earlier
in my career.
In your opinion, how well are today's grad students able to meet
the employment needs of companies like yours: Employees who are
fresh out of school offer new perspectives
to the industry, but we also continue to
find a learning curve as new employees
learn what is possible in the culture of
the company and the industry.

www.MEATPOULTRY.com

company to go to
work for. "It gives
you an edge," he says.
Dr. Terry Houser works as an extension meat specialist and assistant professor at the Univ. of Florida, Gainesville. He says most of what he learned
while earning his master's and doctorate degrees at Iowa State Univ. was the
result of conducting research projects
and from teaching other students.
"Looking back, the best thing I
learned was people skills through
teaching and the hands-on experience
I got," he says. By participating with
many of the workshops and conferences hosted by I.S.U., Houser says he was
able to network and make presentations
to industry professionals on a regular
basis. "I.S.U.'s extension program is so
diverse that they need lots of help from
the students. They gave us the ball and
allowed us to run with it."
Through research projects the university works on, Houser says he was
able to work with people in the industry. Students gain exposure to processors, ingredient suppliers and equipment companies during the course
of their studies. "I met the Townsend
Engineering folks. We did proprietary
What areas of specialization are
most important for Q.A. or R&Dtype positions: Knowledge of protein
function, HACCP, and national security
are all top priorities. Q.A. personnel
must also have an immediate grasp
of regulatory requirements. R&D personnel should be able to judge market
trends and be able to make the distinction between test situations and reallife production.
What university programs consistently provide the processing
industry with highly qualified job
candidates: The entire Big 10 (Conference) is known for its food programs
of all types. I would also consider the
Univ. of Nebraska and Texas A&M Univ.
to be high on the list.

http://www.MEATPOULTRY.com

Meat + Poultry - December 2005

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