Science Grad Students Meet PepsiCo VPs at "Company Day"
Early-career researchers spent a day at the Academy engaging with leading PepsiCo scientists.
Published January 15, 2010
A team of high-level PepsiCo scientists spent a day engaged in roundtable discussions with about 50 early-career scientists at the Academy on December 9. The event, PepsiCo Company Day, was coordinated by PepsiCo in partnership with the Academy’s Science Alliance program as a way for graduate students, postdocs, and young faculty from a variety of scientific backgrounds but with a common interest in nutrition and global sustainability to learn about the company's new initiatives.
“The goal was to allow a company to access our pipeline of young talent in the areas of expertise it needs,” Derek Brand, director of business development at the Academy. “For PepsiCo, the event was an opportunity to explain the new directions in their R&D focus and to set up an interactive forum with young scientists in a discussion-based, as opposed to interview-based, forum.”
Through roundtable discussions on various topics in global sustainability, the young students had the chance to interact with scientists who work for PepsiCo at the VP level and above such as Vice President of Nutrition, Dondeena Bradley; Global Vice President of Long Term Research, Greg Yep; Senior Vice President, R&D Global Beverages, Jonathan McIntyre; and Vice President, Worldwide Packaging Innovation & Equipment Development, Robert Lewis III. PepsiCo Chief Scientist Mehmood Khan also attended, and gave a keynote address over lunch explaining the PepsiCo vision for contributing to global sustainable health.