3-A Sanitary Standards Inc. (3-A SSI) announced 10 recipients of the 3-A SSI 2024 Dr. Ron Schmidt Student Travel Award. 

The award helps motivated, career-oriented students attend and participate in the 2024 Summit on Hygienic Design: Advancing Product Safety, Efficiency and Sustainability, which will take place at the Marriott Chicago O’Hare May 7 to 9.

The highly competitive 3-A SSI student travel award program attracted a very diverse and accomplished group of applicants this year. “3-A SSI serves an essential role in hygienic design education since professionals from all industries recognize the importance of equipment integrity in assuring food safety,” said 3-A SSI Chair John Allan, vice president of the International Dairy Foods Association. “The 3-A SSI travel program gives these future food industry professionals a great opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about hygienic equipment design in the real world and to network with a broad group of experienced industry leaders and regulatory professionals.”

The award honors the late Dr. Ronald H. Schmidt, University of Florida Professor Emeritus. One of the co-founders of 3-A SSI, Schmidt was passionate about encouraging the next generation of food industry professionals to learn about all aspects of hygienic equipment design and food safety. Schmidt’s career spanned nearly 40 years in the University of Florida Food Science and Human Nutrition Department. He authored dozens of peer-reviewed papers and authored or co-authored 25 books and was recognized internationally as an authority on food safety and sanitary design.

“There is no question that the 10 students selected for the 2024 award are future leaders in food safety,” says Tim Rugh, executive director of 3-A SSI. “They embody the ideals that Dr. Schmidt dedicated his career to nurturing in his students.”

Recipients of the 3-A SSI 2023 Dr. Ron Schmidt Student Travel Awards are:

Ranee Anderson              Cornell University

Charles Bency Appolon   University of Georgia

Priya Biswas                     University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Minji Hur                   University of Georgia

Sheetal Jha           Louisiana State University

Jake McGwin           University of Georgia

Amrit Pal                   University of Georgia

Daniela Segura           University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Trushenkumar Shah         University of Connecticut

Maria Shaposhnikov        Cornell University