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ELWOOD, Ind. (July 1, 2020) –
Audra Brewer and Madison Mehringer were both named the 2020 Red Gold Food Science Scholarship Award recipients. The Red Gold Purdue Food Science Scholarship is awarded to Purdue University students with strong aptitudes for a career in food science. In addition to the scholarship, Red Gold rewards each recipient with a paid internship at their Corporate Headquarters, along with hands-on experience at their three state-of-the-art food processing facilities and in their product development lab. “We are proud to present this opportunity to students who excel in Purdue’s challenging Food Science program. Red Gold is committed to industry leadership in advanced food manufacturing and we are excited to support the next generation of food scientists,” says Tim Ingle, Senior Vice President at Red Gold.
Audra is the daughter of James & DeAnn Brewer of Batesville, IN. Audra is currently a junior working towards her Bachelor of Science Degree at Purdue University, majoring in Food Science with a minor in Foods and Nutrition and is expected to graduate in May 2022. During the school year, Audra works on campus at the Central Production Kitchen. In this role, she ensures the quality and appearance of food products for over 10 retail, dining, and on-the-go locations across campus. Audra also founded and owns Aud’s Bakes, a small baking company, she started to pursue her passion for custom pastries. She is currently working as the Product Development Intern at the Red Gold Corporate Headquarters, located in Elwood, Indiana. Audra says, “As a recent transfer into the Food Science program at Purdue University, I have been constantly exploring what my future career might look like. When I was offered a position as a product development intern at Red Gold for the summer I jumped at the chance of a hands-on experience to help me understand what my college degree is really preparing me for. Though very new to the food science world, product development intrigued me because of my interest in and passion for baking. I loved the idea of creating new or unique products but I had no idea what that actually looked like when applied to the food industry. This summer, Red Gold has granted me the opportunity to learn just that. During my internship at Red Gold, I hope to experience the food science industry first-hand at the side of industry professionals, learn the role of product development at the company as well as industry-wide, and walk away from this summer with a definitive explanation of what food science is and what role I would like to play in it one day. I could not be more excited to spend my summer at Red Gold!”
Madison is the daughter of Tim and Cheryl Mehringer of Brownsburg, IN. Madison is currently a sophomore working towards her Bachelor of Science Degree at Purdue University, majoring in Food Science with a minor in Fermentation and Horticulture and is expected to graduate in May 2023. At school, Madison is also a member of Purdue’s Food Science Club and serves on the Events Committee along with being a part of the Swim Club and the Boiler Green Initiative. She is currently working as the Quality Assurance Intern at the Red Gold Corporate Headquarters, located in Elwood, Indiana. When considering a summer internship, Madison says, “When I had the opportunity to accept a quality assurance internship with Red Gold, I knew I had found the internship that would provide me with the ability to do all of these things and more. As a hands-on and visual learner, I hope to delve into the role of quality assurance in industry, apply what I have learned in the classroom to real-world situations, and gain a better understanding of where I best fit into the food science field to make a career of something I love. I am thrilled to spend this summer at Red Gold learning and working with industry professionals to explore exactly what quality assurance and food science have to offer!”
“The internship program at Red Gold provides exceptional opportunities for Food Science students. Our summer interns explore a career path while developing and refining valuable skills for their future careers. Working in Product Development, interns experience the complete product development process from concept all the way through production in our state-of-the-art facilities. In addition, they participate in all aspects of the business, collaborating with teammates across disciplines such as sales & marketing, procurement, quality and manufacturing. We are proud to offer such a wonderful opportunity for students each summer and it is great to see all that our interns achieve in such a short period,” says Emil Shemer, Director of Product Development.
Sahand Faghihi, Director of Quality says, “Red Gold’s internship program is a great opportunity for college students to gain exposure to a manufacturing and business environment. This experience will help them early in their careers to see where they want to go with their future. Working in Corporate Quality Assurance, Interns are exposed to a multitude of different facets of the business. They get to work with plant quality teams in a manufacturing environment, food regulatory and compliance at a corporate level, and interact with our corporate sales teams.”
Food Science is an applied, interdisciplinary field that applies the basic sciences, mathematics, and engineering to convert agricultural commodities into edible foods and beverages. Red Gold seeks individuals who share our values, passion and commitment to leave a positive and lasting imprint with their performance and ability to build strong relationships. Exceptional quality and operational excellence are the shared values that contribute to the employee-created mission statement: “To produce the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world.”