Graduate Field of Food Science and Technology

State of the Field

September 2014

Graduate Field of Food Science &

Technology

• Mission: (i) recruit a highly qualified and diverse

student body, and (ii) train outstanding and

diverse professionals and future leaders in food

science and technology.

• 37 faculty in 10 departments, and 4 colleges

• Degrees offered include MPS, MS, and PhD

Current Graduate Field Size

• 81 total students

– 41 PhD (7 on leave; 1 employee degree):

Goal 45-50

– 17 MS (1 on leave): Goal 10-15

– 23 MPS (11 on leave): Goal 25

• 21 US citizen, 46 international

• 28 male, 39 female

• 73 with chair/advisor in Department of

Food Science, 8 with chair/advisor in other

departments

Target enrollment numbers for the field: • PhD: 45-50 • MS: 10-15 • MPS: 25

Fall 2014 enrollment: • PhD: 37 (3 on leave pursing internship) • MS: 16 • MPS: 14 (1 on leave pursing internship)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Nu

mb

er

of

Stu

de

nts

Year

Numbers of Graduate Degrees Conferred, 2004 - 2014

MPS

MS

PhD

No longer accepted unfunded MS and PhD students

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Facu

lty

1

Facu

lty

2

Facu

lty

3

Facu

lty

6

Facu

lty

4

Facu

lty

5

Facu

lty

7

Facu

lty

8

Facu

lty

9

Facu

lty

10

Facu

lty

11

Facu

lty

12

Facu

lty

13

Facu

lty

16

Facu

lty

14

Facu

lty

15

Facu

lty

17

Facu

lty

18

Facu

lty

19

Facu

lty

20

Facu

lty

21

Facu

lty

22

Facu

lty

23

Facu

lty

24

Facu

lty

25

Facu

lty

26

Facu

lty

27

Facu

lty

28

Facu

lty

29

Facu

lty

30

Facu

lty

31

Facu

lty

32

Facu

lty

33

Facu

lty

34

Facu

lty

35

Facu

lty

36

Facu

lty

37

Facu

lty

38

Number of Students by Faculty Member

PhD

MS

MPS

Notes: • 4 faculty are advising 46% (31/67) of students • 50% of field faculty are not advising any students

0%

86%

0% 0% 7%

7%

US (n=15)

Graduate Program

Industry

Academia

Government

Other

Unknown

21%

58%

0% 4%

4%

14%

International (n=48)

Graduate Program

Industry

Academia

Government

Other

Unknown

MPS Degrees Conferred and Job Placement 2004-2014

13%

55%

15%

4%

0% 13%

US (n=47)

Graduate Program

Industry

Academia

Government

Other

Unknown

18%

68%

0%

0% 0% 14%

International (n=22)

Graduate Program

Industry

Academia

Government

Other

Unknown

MS Degrees Conferred and Job Placement 2004-2014

0%

49%

32%

11%

3%

5%

US (n=37)

Graduate Program

Industry

Academia

Government

Other

Unknown

0%

37%

49%

3%

1%

10%

International (n=70)

Graduate Program

Industry

Academia

Government

Other

Unknown

PhD Degrees Conferred and Job Placement 2004-2014

Degree Completion Rates and Time to Degree Averages

Program Program Value

Description Variable Value* Standardized**

Publications per Allocated Faculty V1 2.310 0.712

Cites per Publication V2 1.787 1.479

Percent Faculty with Grants V3 100.00% 1.355

(1) Percent Faculty Interdisciplinary V4 0% -1.474

(2) Percent Non-Asian Minority Faculty V5 3.57% -0.317

(3) Percent Female Faculty V6 21.88% -0.475

Awards per Allocated Faculty V7 0.969 1.714

Average GRE V8 731 0.947

(4) Percent 1st yr. Students with Full Support V9 50.00% -1.762

(5) Percent 1st yr. Students with External Funding V10 0% -0.515

(6) Percent Non-Asian Minority Students V11 6.25% -0.482

(7) Percent Female Students V12 57.45% -0.102

Percent International Students V13 63.83% 0.284

Average PhDs 2002 to 2006 V14 11.2 2.796

(8) Percent Completing within 6 Years V15 57.85% -0.680

Time to Degree Full and Part Time V16 4.80 0.473

Percent Students in Academic Positions V17 64.90% 1.476

Student Work Space V18 1 1.000

Health Insurance V19 1 1.000

Number of Student Activities Offered V20 16 -0.052

Cornell Food Science and Technology

PhD program – NRC data (2011) Red marks areas where Cornell performed lower as compared to peers

Martin’s reflections:

(1) 0% of faculty interdisciplinary represents a data collection issue; does not correctly reflect our field

(2) and (3) Low proportion of female and minority faculty faculty needs to be addressed

(4) Unfunded first year student issues has been addressed; 100% of 1st year students now have full support; there is a need for endowments to continue to help us with this issue

(5) Low % of students with external funding needs to be addressed

(6) We have improved our recruitment of minority PhD students but more work is needed

(7) Percent female students at 57% is below peers, but is not a particular concern

(8) >40% of students taking more than 6 years to complete degree represents a concern, issue has been addressed (a number of these students were unfunded)

Challenges and goals

• Maintain the strength of our PhD program – Need funding and more faculty taking students

– Job outlook for Cornell FS PhDs remains very bright

• Balance MS and MPS program – MPS program appears to be very successful as judged by

student job placement and satisfaction

• Develop and implement supporting programs to address problems and challenges identified through various evaluations – Work-life balance, time management, self confidence,

networking

• Develop an umbrella program in food systems?