Perspectives from North of the 49th
February 2006

“IAFP is truly making a concerted effort to reach out to our Student Membership”
By Jeffrey Farber, IAFP President        

I I am sure that everyone recognizes that students really are the future of our great organization. IAFP is truly making a concerted effort to reach out to our Student Membership. There are a number of initiatives that we have undertaken and others that we will initiate in the future to continue to attract and maintain new student members. We really want students to feel at home and see that IAFP is the organization for them to join and that our Annual Meeting is the one scientific meeting that they should not miss.

One of the key foundation pieces for students is the Student Professional Development Group (PDG). The mission of the Student PDG is to provide students with a platform upon which to enrich their experience(s) as Members of IAFP. This is done through providing an opportunity for students to network with peers, and to (1) serve as a resource for food safety employers to seek qualified applicants; (2) encourage effective exchange of information on protecting the food supply by fostering relationships at the student level; (3) maintain high membership in IAFP by encouraging students to join the Association; (4) serve the interests and needs of students, and (5) incorporate change according to the interests and needs of students. Of particular note, besides the Student PDG, there are currently six other student initiatives.

1. With regards to net-working with members, we now have the very successful student mixer at the Annual Meeting where students get to interact with members from diverse backgrounds and locations.

2. Equally as successful has been the student luncheon where a member of the Executive Board usually gives a stimulating talk. At this luncheon, students get to meet with their peers from around the world.

3. At the Annual Meeting, students usually get involved in some fundraising activities, as well as have a student booth set up with some fun activities going on. However, we want it
to be more than just the Annual Meeting experience for students, and are always looking for ideas. For example, through the Student PDG, we are hoping that students can stay in touch throughout the year. One activity that has been discussed is the potential of setting up a chat room with the President and/or Executive Board for a certain time period to discuss any topics of interest to students.

4. The Student PDG newsletter is a good communications tool that can also be used to keep students abreast of the latest news and views of the student body during the year.

5. An additional activity that has proven to be very rewarding is the student-led symposia. Here, stu-dents choose topics of interest to the group and actually organize a whole symposium. This gives the students a great opportunity to learn how to plan, organize and produce a symposium. An additional benefit is that it gives students a chance to meet with the speakers, many of whom are experts in their field.

6. Another student program that we are extremely proud and excited about is the student travel scholar-ship program. IAFP and the IAFP Foundation are truly dedicated to supporting the development of our future food safety professionals from around the world. To demonstrate this commitment, we are continuing and expanding our student travel scholarship program, which is now in its second year. Thus, for the IAFP 2006 in Calgary, in addition to one student from outside of North America and two from North America, IAFP will be supporting the travel of a student from a developing country. This is truly a milestone for the organization and a really exciting new benefit for IAFP Student Members. This pro-gram is open to IAFP Student Members who are enrolled full-time in a food safety related degree pro-gram as either a graduate or undergraduate student. During the selection process, priority will be given to those applicants who have not previously attended an IAFP Annual Meeting. The application form and full details can
be found at the IAFP Web site. Please remember that applications must be received prior to the application deadline of March 13, 2006, and that students will be notified of the selection committee’s decision by April 28, 2006. Award recipients will also be recognized at our Annual Meeting. We also introduce our student scholarship winners to a long time member of IAFP, so that the students can learn about our great organization through the lenses of a devoted IAFP Member.

We are really doing our utmost to encourage and maintain our student membership in IAFP. As you can see from above, there are many things planned for students and there are good reasons why students keep coming to our Annual Meeting. I know many students have mentioned to me that they enjoy the meeting because it is relatively small and that year after year, they can meet key people in the field.

As always, I can be reached by E-mail at: jeff_farber@hc-sc.gc.ca and would love to hear from you!

Quote of the month :

"It’s not what is poured into a student that counts, but what is planted."

Linda Conway

Have a great month!