A long history of agricultural excellence
In the year In the summer of 1893, a creamery and cheese factory was built on the Blacksburg campus near Price Hall. By producing milk from the on-site dairy cows, Virginia Tech supplied dairy products to the city of Bixburgh, delivering them door-to-door. Located in the Department of Dairy Science, the Dairy Department served as a Virginia Tech institution serving ice cream to students and the local community from the early 1930s until 1967.
Since 1968, the Department of Food Science and Technology has been a leader in teaching, research and Virginia Cooperative Extension contributing to excellence in food quality, safety, marketing and access. The department’s nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate programs prepare students for careers in industry, government, and academia.
Once a small program intended to complement the food studies curricula in the former Department of Animal, Dairy and Poultry Science, today’s department has grown to become one of the top food science programs in the country with a job placement rate of nearly 100 percent. and the rapid expansion of the global food industry. Notable alumni include the current president of Kansas State University, director of the Panamanian Food Agency, and former undersecretary of agriculture for US food security.
The department is ranked ninth in the nation’s list of top 10 bachelors in food science and nutrition programs and eighth in the list of top master’s in food science programs.
“With a focus on experiential learning, the department prides itself on uniquely preparing students for success,” said Wiersema, pilot plant manager at Virginia Tech. “With our state-of-the-art facilities and innovative programs like our food and beverage fermentation program, we are shaping and preparing undergraduate and graduate students not only ready to enter the workforce, but also contributing to the growth of the industry. New technologies.”
In the year In 2017, the department’s food and beverage fermentation degree program became one of only eight four-year brewing programs in North America officially recognized by the Master Brewers Association of America. Soon after, the department established a student exchange program with the Weihenstephan Technical University of Munich. Brewery in the world in Freising, Germany.
Two years ago, Virginia Tech announced a partnership with Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, and the award-winning Fightin’ Hokies Lager, Virginia Tech’s first licensed beer, became Virginia’s best-selling beer in its first year on the market, Nielsen said. . The beer won a silver medal in the Munich-style Helles category at the 2022 Australian International Beer Awards and second place in the Virginia Brewers Guild Pale European Lagers category. Additionally, All Hail Too, created to celebrate Virginia Tech’s 150th anniversary, is the second beer to be brewed in collaboration with Hardywood, which will be available to consumers in May.
“We’re excited to build on the momentum of the beer’s success,” Wiersema said. “The new and exciting partnership with the award-winning Homestead Creamery is the final step in its continued growth, which points to a bright future for the department.”
