On December 3, 2018, students were visited by Dr. Valente Alvarez, a professor in OSU’s Department of Food Science & Technology and the Director of the Food Industries Center at OSU. Dr. Alvarez graduated from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City, Mexico with a Bachelor of Biochemical Engineering degree, then from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan with a MS and PhD in Food Science degrees. He now has over 30 years of experience in his area of expertise.

During his presentation, which was given in Spanish, Dr. Alvarez highlighted the importance of education at the college level as well as working hard in high school to gain the best opportunities for college. He spoke about being raised by a single mother with limited resources, yet how being able to succeed in his education led him to professional success. Also, he informed students about the work opportunities in his field.

We greatly appreciate Dr. Alvarez for his enthusiasm in giving his time to encourage and motivate students to pursue further education and sharing about the field of Food Science & Technology!